Square Bow Bridle Ideas

[Sam Woodbridge]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a 2018 Beneteau 38.1. and I’m not satisfied with any bridle ideas I’ve used to keep the pressure off of the windlass. I’m looking for something quick and easy. Something that doesn’t pull the anchor chain back onto the square bow of my boat.

I could be missing something very obvious here too. This is the first sailboat I’ve owned with a square bow and a windlass.

If anyone would be kind enough to link a picture of the bridle setup on a sailboat with a square bow with a windlass I would sincerely appreciate it.

Im out and about but will check in this afternoon for replies. Thank you

[Sam Woodbridge]

Hopefully the picture worked. That is my sailboat.

[JPA Cate]

Hello Sam,

For what it's worth, we almost never use a bridle, only a snubber line with a chain hook, and the line run over the bow roller, along with the chain. You need to keep tension on the snubber till the hook goes over the roller, and while you're easing out the last bit of chain, but after that, the weight of the chain keeps it on.

If you were to use a bridle, I'd think both legs of it would have to go over the bow roller. So, is there even room for 2 lines and your chain?

You're wanting something easy to use. A single line snubber will do that, but if you want a bridle, you could try making up a bridle of a length appropriate to your most common anchoring depth with an eye on both ends, tie on a chain hook in the middle, and plop the eyes on the cleats, and the hook onto the chain, and ease out the remaining chain, there should be a pretty good excess of chain, so that the line can stretch.

Ann

[RaymondR]

I asume when you say "square bow" you mean vertical bow in which case the first thing you need when you go from being a hardly ever anchoring marina boat to a hardly ever marina-ing cruising boat is a bowsprit.

[Sam Woodbridge]

Thank you JPA CATE, I’m trying to visualize what you put into words. I do need a snubber. Thanks again for your reply!

Also, thank you RaymondR for your thoughts.