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View Poll Results: What are you using as an Anchor Chain Hook ?
Captain Hook 2 1.50%
ABI Chain Grabber / Sea-Dog Chain Grabber 8 6.02%
Eye Grab Hook 40 30.08%
Mantus Chain Hook 18 13.53%
Other 17 12.78%
Seadog Chain Gripper 5 3.76%
ULTRA Chain Grab 6 4.51%
Victory Chain Hook 5 3.76%
Wichard Chain Grip Hook 9 6.77%
Winchard Key Shackle 3 2.26%
Rolling hitch knot 20 15.04%
Klemheist Knot 5 3.76%
Home Made Chain Grab 9 6.77%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 133. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 01-01-2013, 07:41   #46
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

Quote:
Originally Posted by thinwater View Post
Can't fall off, can't jam, as strong as the chain, place for 2nd anchor, and takes only seconds. The lock can be left open in deep water. Multihull bridle.

(This is not the biner I use; I was just taking a picture)
the clip on is very weak and I would never trust it if i was not onboard
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Old 01-01-2013, 07:43   #47
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

i just bought the Mantus Chain Hook 5/16" Stainless Steel-- with shipping on Amazon $37usd-- seems the best of the best
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Old 01-01-2013, 07:57   #48
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

I dont use one, I have a chain "stopper" bolted to the deck, because normally I wish to hear what is happening through the chain. So,if the anchor drags or bounces the sound is not deadened through the rope to the chain hook.
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:06   #49
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

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Originally Posted by Tim Godber View Post
I dont use one, I have a chain "stopper" bolted to the deck, because normally I wish to hear what is happening through the chain. So,if the anchor drags or bounces the sound is not deadened through the rope to the chain hook.
Seems like thats a good way to get your stopper ripped out or the chain broke ,if your in a real blow- then what do you do?
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:06   #50
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We had a hole drilled at the very tip of the eye-hook. We run a small line through it and it goes around the chain to keep the hook from falling off...
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:10   #51
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

I checked "Chain Grabber Home-made" as this is the one I use and am pleased with, but it is certainly not home made. The photo in post #1 that identifies this hook as home made is manufactured by ABI and you can see this manfacturers stamp on the product.
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:41   #52
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

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Originally Posted by CaptForce View Post
I checked "Chain Grabber Home-made" as this is the one I use and am pleased with, but it is certainly not home made. The photo in post #1 that identifies this hook as home made is manufactured by ABI and you can see this manfacturers stamp on the product.
OK, thanks update was made to the first post with picture.
Looks like ABI and Sea-Dog both make it.
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Old 01-01-2013, 09:19   #53
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

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Originally Posted by Ram View Post
Seems like thats a good way to get your stopper ripped out or the chain broke ,if your in a real blow- then what do you do?
No, the stopper is as well built and attached as the cleat to which your chain hook is attached. If you need to release, you simply raise the chain on the windlass and the stopper raises and releases. It may depend on how strong your point of bolt down is, ie the deck thickness, but the same is so for the cleat, the stresses are the same, and certainly my Little Harbor deck is up to the task!
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Old 01-01-2013, 09:20   #54
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

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Originally Posted by cfarrar View Post
No worries: just bring in the rode until the hitch is on deck, where you can quickly untie it. If you need to pay out a large amount of rode just let the snubber go and attach a new one. You'll recover it later. Some people can actually loosen the hitch with a boat hook and let it slide up and down the rode to adjust it. I've not mastered this, myself.
I see this as one of the main advantages of the rolling hitch over a metal chain-grabber. The knot passes easily over the bow roller and can be brought back to the windlass where I can lean over and untie it without leaving the cockpit.

I use a 10mm spectra line with a loop in one end that I attach to the bridle with a prussic hitch and then to the chain with a rolling hitch.
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Old 01-01-2013, 09:25   #55
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

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Originally Posted by Tim Godber View Post
No, the stopper is as well built and attached as the cleat to which your chain hook is attached. If you need to release, you simply raise the chain on the windlass and the stopper raises and releases. It may depend on how strong your point of bolt down is, ie the deck thickness, but the same is so for the cleat, the stresses are the same, and certainly my Little Harbor deck is up to the task!

I think you don't understand the purpose of using a snubber! The shock load on your deck stopper/chain/shackle/anchor set is going to be HUGE!

All testing I've read over the years says that a snubber will hod and perform better than using straight chain by itself!

Most people who use a snubber still have their chain secured with a stopper of some other method to take the load off the windlass.
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Old 01-01-2013, 12:38   #56
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Godber View Post
No, the stopper is as well built and attached as the cleat to which your chain hook is attached. If you need to release, you simply raise the chain on the windlass and the stopper raises and releases. It may depend on how strong your point of bolt down is, ie the deck thickness, but the same is so for the cleat, the stresses are the same, and certainly my Little Harbor deck is up to the task!
I hate to disappoint you, but there is not a cleat, nor chain or stopper made that will withstand a direct hook up to a chain rode- or the deck will rip out - if in a strong blow- something’s going to break, without the shock absorbing action of the snubber- even with good long snubber it can break if it does not stretch enough or chafe thru- I had a 5/8 3 strand snubber chafe thru 3 times in 24 hours- in 60 knot blow-the first time it chafed thru the snubber I had the chain on a cleat – It cracked the FG around the cleat in a matter of minutes , destroyed my wichard shackle & about ripped the cleat out of the deck ! ANd with all that pressure on the chain your never going to raise the chain on any windless-- then what will you do?
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Old 01-01-2013, 12:43   #57
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

Some of our stupid mistakes we don’t want to tell the whole world, but enough time has went by that I feel ok about fussing up to how I almost lost my boat on the rocks--Ive posted this here before , but it might help some understand how bad things can get quickly-- on June 1 2009- I dropped my main anchor with all chain rode over the edge inside the crater of Santroni- just under OIA- then I dropped a second one to be sure ( the second anchor had 40 feet of chain and the rest was ¾ - 3 strand rode)& tied the stern with 5/8s line to the rocky shore, 50 feet away-

This area is usually well protected from the meltimi that blows from the North but will still get 25 knots of wind with no seas bouncing off the inside walls- I had spent 2 months the summer before in the same place- so I knew the place well- On June 1 an unforecast storm out of the south blew up and with winds increasing eventfully to a sustained 50 knots- with gusts 60 -65 knots – the hole in the Southern end of the Calder was wide open but the seas and most of the big waves were hitting in a way where I was not directly impacted unless the wind changed direction- and the wind was slowly clocking around-and I was getting 6 ft sharp choppy seas with about 15-20 feet seas outside I would guess-–my stern was only about 50 feet from the rocky shore and I was not sure what to do –
I waited too long to get out of there being so close to the rocks-now I was in trouble- I had a few hundred feet of chain out on my Manson Supreme with 5/8 3 strand snubber taking the shock off the anchor rode- 1 of my engines was not working because I was waiting on a water pump">raw water pump belt that was nowhere to be found in the EU at that time so I had 1 engine in forward running - I was at the helm all night steering trying to keep the boat facings into the wind/waves-as the wind got up to 60 knots- -

My 5/8 snubber chaefed thru and the shackle deformed and was destroyed in those few moments it took me to get another line on the chain the force of it all cracked the FB Glass around the cleat and would have ripped it off in no time- had I not run a snubber through the chain and secured it-I went through 3 snubber in 24 hours because they kept chafing through- daylight came and the wind was still blowing with no sign of letting up – I had one guy onboard with me so this helped-I was very worried that this chain was going to fail as the seas were increasing as the wind kept clocking around to give me more of a direct hit through the South opening- My dinghy broke its painter in the night and was long gone- and I had to make a decision , drop the anchors and rode and try and make a run off the rocks using both engines or sit there and pray the chain/shackle did not break -with the wind slowly creeping toward a more direct hit I decided to make a run for it- (to this day I’m not sure what I would do if I had to do that again,) I could use the second engine for a little while long enough to get out of there I thought- So this was the plan- anyway we dropped the first anchor rode off and let it clear the boat, then I freed the chain and let it run free and ran back to the helm both engines were running and as luck would have it we pulled forward about 20 feet.
Then one prop got caught in a small mooring line and hung us up and we lost power and steerage as the wind now caught us on the side and within seconds we would be in the rocks , I looked down and we were within 10 feet of the rocks now and I managed to pull the Jib out and it caught the wind with a bang that sounded like a shot gun - we shot out of there like a cannon ball, all the time keeping the wind close to the sail as not to blow it out- I made it – I was very did I say VERY lucky- that mistake cost me a few thousand in chain and anchor and dingy but that was a price I happily paid- the locals said they never seen a storm come up from that direction with that severity in 50 years-

I went back to recover the anchor & chain, using scuba I went down as deep as 150 feet and could see to 200 or so but it was nowhere to be found-For a moment there I really thought I lost the boat and would have, but luck was with me- The reason I waited too long to move was its normal to get 25-30 knots in that area from the North and at that time it was not coming in from the south-but this time it clocked around -I spent many of sound sleeps with that set up – so I was thinking ok soon the wind will die down but, it increased and in a few hours it was so strong I could not move without putting everything at risk- and I could not stay either-anyway _ bought a new & bigger Mason Supreme, chain & Dinky - then 2-3 weeks later passing through I saw the dink tied to a mooring and picked it up - Now I had 2 of them -Everyday I’m out there is a blessing!-
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Old 01-01-2013, 12:56   #58
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

Grab hook. Galvanized. as mentioned... easy to remove; deployed properly wont fall off. I also like that it has a big smooth bearing area where the nylon attaches.
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Old 01-01-2013, 13:07   #59
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

BTW - one of the reasons I like a rolling hitch on a snubber is that it's very easy to let out more scope. Simply toss the snubber off the bow, let out more scope and tie on the next snubber or else run it out till the rope portion of the rode. If conditions allow, it's OK to pull the rode in and untie the hitch, but if things get really nasty, I want something really, really easy.

YMMV
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Old 01-01-2013, 13:07   #60
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Re: Anchor Chain Hook Poll

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Originally Posted by daddle View Post
Eye-Grab Hook because it does fall off. Makes retrieval much easier. Only a klutz would let it become unhooked during deployment.
KLUTZ - great word for us gray-hairs.

I use a chain grab hook tied central to a 20-foot length of line. Line comes on deck at the port & stbd bow to the deck cleats. A grab hook is fast & cheap and will not fall off under load but will fall away on its own as the chain is retreived by the windlass. Hook it from below the chain and it will get out of the way by itself. They are load rated, unlike most of the shiny stuff we buy for ground tackle.

here is a link.
McMaster-Carr

Also, try Crosby or FD Lake or other commercial rigger. This stuff is not boat jewelry. It just has to work.
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