??? Anchor rode snubber

[Richard Feffer]

I recently installed an all chain rode. I understand that a nylon snubber is needed to absorb the shock when riding at anchor. I have a galvanized grab-hook spliced to 25' of 5/8" nylon three-strand. On two occasions on my last outing the grab-hook fell off the chain during the night leaving the boat on chain alone. I was anchored in 15' of water and only used about 20' of the nylon snubber. When the wind was blowing, the snubber worked fine. However, during the night the wind died. I think that's when the hook fell off the chain. Can someone please offer a remedy? I wouldn't want the hook falling off and then the wind piping up again!!! Thanks,

Richard Feffer
CD30MKII
Adamarie



RichFef@Prodigy.net

[Larry Demers]

Richard,

Hey, welcome back! Hope all is well now. The anchor snubber could be attached with a caribeener, or locking shackle of decent strength. Or check your knot book and tie the snubber on to the chain (don't know which knot should be used in that situation, as I have always used a chain/three-strand rode).

By the way, wanted to tell you that my refrigeration is working great! I ended up insulating the box with spray urethane foam from Dow-Corning. I took the direct route to insualting the box..drilled holes from the inside out, and added a foot of insulation in the bottom, and as much as possible in the sides. Works great! Ibuilt a freezer section too, out of acrylic plastic.

Thanks for the help and advice.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

I recently installed an all chain rode. I understand that a nylon snubber is needed to absorb the shock when riding at anchor. I have a galvanized grab-hook spliced to 25' of 5/8" nylon three-strand. On two occasions on my last outing the grab-hook fell off the chain during the night leaving the boat on chain alone. I was anchored in 15' of water and only used about 20' of the nylon snubber. When the wind was blowing, the snubber worked fine. However, during the night the wind died. I think that's when the hook fell off the chain. Can someone please offer a remedy? I wouldn't want the hook falling off and then the wind piping up again!!! Thanks,

Richard Feffer
CD30MKII
Adamarie

demers@sgi.com

[Tom]

I had the same problem with a chain hook. They always come loose as soon as the tension is eased. I went to a regular galvanized shackle, which worked but it wore the galvanizing off the chain. What I do now is just tie the line to the chain with a bowline. I cleat the line to the foredeck cleat lead it up over the wildcat on the windlass, tie the line to the chain and then let out enough chain that the line is taut and the chain has a big loop in it. You only need to do this when you've got a nasty swell running. Most of the time the cantenary in the chain works as a cushion. Rather than snap taught, the chain lifts itself off the ground and thus cushions the impact pretty well. Less that 10% of the time the swell is so bad that the chain comes taught before it can lift off the bottom. In those cases it helps to use the snubber and line. Depends upon the conditions where you are sailing but I haven't had to use the snubber for the last two years of sailing. Unless you can see that the conditions are going to be nasty you probably won't need it. In really nasty condtions you don't want to chance the chain jumping off the wildcat in a heavy surge so it's prudent to have it secured to something else. A chain hook or shackle is good for those conditions -- not as a cushion but as a safety device.

The chain rode has a swivel in it so the chain doesn't wind up as the boat swings with the tide. As soon as you put a chain hook on it or tie a line to it it starts to wind around the chain. You'd think that the swivel would allow the chain to turn so this wouldn't happen, but most of the chain seems to lie on the bottom and the boat winds around the point where the chain rises to the boat. Thus if you anchor for one night it's no problem, but if you stay any length of time it often starts winding up. Another reason not to routinely use a snubber, but only use it when the conditons warrant its use.

Anybody come up with a better solution?

I recently installed an all chain rode. I understand that a nylon snubber is needed to absorb the shock when riding at anchor. I have a galvanized grab-hook spliced to 25' of 5/8" nylon three-strand. On two occasions on my last outing the grab-hook fell off the chain during the night leaving the boat on chain alone. I was anchored in 15' of water and only used about 20' of the nylon snubber. When the wind was blowing, the snubber worked fine. However, during the night the wind died. I think that's when the hook fell off the chain. Can someone please offer a remedy? I wouldn't want the hook falling off and then the wind piping up again!!! Thanks,

Richard Feffer
CD30MKII
Adamarie

TomCambria@mindspring.com

[Joe Cioffi]

Hello Richard,

I had the same problem and was told to try two things one was to make the snubber closer to the boat this will cause more of a loop and in turn will create more wieght and keep the hook wanting to pull downwards on the chain instead of on an angle.Two was find or make a small enough hole in the hook to pass a small tie wrap.I opt to use the later and found that chafing of the tie wrap does at times happen so I used a medium size tie wrap,it was easier to check the tie wrap instead of putting the hook back on ecspecially during heavier winds I check my anchor every two times of the day as I wake up and before sleep any ways.The tie wrap normally broke when I pulled the chain up anyway.These two ideas worked prefectly for me the 12 years afloat in the Caribbeian.And I only gone thru 2 hooks in those 12 years one someone stole and the second I assume the owner now uses it.If the hole is properly positioned it will not weaken the hook to the point that it with break,it surviived Hurricanes Marilyn and Ceaser.
Also withotu the snubbers and you have a bowsprit the force pulling down is much more damaging then even some 40 or more knots of wind and riding with a jerking and pulling motion.Hope I gave some food of thought.
Joe

I recently installed an all chain rode. I understand that a nylon snubber is needed to absorb the shock when riding at anchor. I have a galvanized grab-hook spliced to 25' of 5/8" nylon three-strand. On two occasions on my last outing the grab-hook fell off the chain during the night leaving the boat on chain alone. I was anchored in 15' of water and only used about 20' of the nylon snubber. When the wind was blowing, the snubber worked fine. However, during the night the wind died. I think that's when the hook fell off the chain. Can someone please offer a remedy? I wouldn't want the hook falling off and then the wind piping up again!!! Thanks,

Richard Feffer
CD30MKII
Adamarie

JGC2@PRODIGY.NET

[John MacArthur]

I recently installed an all chain rode. I understand that a nylon snubber is needed to absorb the shock when riding at anchor. I have a galvanized grab-hook spliced to 25' of 5/8" nylon three-strand.

snip

Richard Feffer
CD30MKII
Adamarie

A lot of people use a small enough snubber that it will fit through the chain -- makes it easy to tie. After all, you aren't looking for strength, but stretch. A piece if 5/16" nylon line ought to be plenty -- if it stretches out to the point where the chain is tight, the chain carries the load. Meanwhile, the line has taken up the shock.



jmac@laplaza.org

[John Vigor]

Richard, I have always made the nylon snubber fast to the anchor chain with a rolling hitch. It's fast and easy to tie and untie, and won't drop off in the middle of the night. Furthermore, it costs nothing, doesn't wear the galvanizing off your chain, won't rust, and doesn't need batteries.

You can even bend on a rolling hitch so that it has two ends coming back to the boat, so you have two snubbers, one slightly tighter than the other, that take up big shocks in progression.

Learn to tie a rolling hitch. It's one of the five most useful knots on a boat along with the anchor bend, the bowline, the reef knot and the topsail sheet bend. You can use it in all sorts of places. It's especially useful for quick adjustments to the tiller line, or to fenders hung over lifelines, when it's looped back and tied around itself. It won't move while there's pressure on it, but you can slide it easily when the tension is released. In other words, it's an infinitely adjustable loop, the opposite of a bowline. Once you've mastered the rolling hitch (not exactly brain surgery) you've wonder how the heck you ever got along without it.

Incidentally, you also need a chain stopper to stop chain running back out over the roller when strain comes on it. It will often jump off the gypsy on your windlass if you don't have a stopper. West Marine and others have chain stoppers by Windline and Maxwell that are deck fixtures, through which the chain runs. They act as one-way valves until you flip them over, but a simple pawl between the cheeks of your bow roller might do the trick for one-tenth of the price. Many round-the-worlders have modified their rollers to accept a simple, flip-over pawl that jams in the links if the chain tries to run back, but just lifts and goes clinkety-clink as the chain comes in.


John Vigor
CD 25D "Jabula"



jvigor@qwest.net

[Bob Malinka]

Good point on the rolling hitch John. BTW I also use the rolling hitch on the boom for reefing. It's works great as you said and can be used to take up slack in the reef line without slipping back when under tension.

Bob
CD25D #144
Ranger

Richard, I have always made the nylon snubber fast to the anchor chain with a rolling hitch. It's fast and easy to tie and untie, and won't drop off in the middle of the night. Furthermore, it costs nothing, doesn't wear the galvanizing off your chain, won't rust, and doesn't need batteries.

You can even bend on a rolling hitch so that it has two ends coming back to the boat, so you have two snubbers, one slightly tighter than the other, that take up big shocks in progression.

Learn to tie a rolling hitch. It's one of the five most useful knots on a boat along with the anchor bend, the bowline, the reef knot and the topsail sheet bend. You can use it in all sorts of places. It's especially useful for quick adjustments to the tiller line, or to fenders hung over lifelines, when it's looped back and tied around itself. It won't move while there's pressure on it, but you can slide it easily when the tension is released. In other words, it's an infinitely adjustable loop, the opposite of a bowline. Once you've mastered the rolling hitch (not exactly brain surgery) you've wonder how the heck you ever got along without it.

Incidentally, you also need a chain stopper to stop chain running back out over the roller when strain comes on it. It will often jump off the gypsy on your windlass if you don't have a stopper. West Marine and others have chain stoppers by Windline and Maxwell that are deck fixtures, through which the chain runs. They act as one-way valves until you flip them over, but a simple pawl between the cheeks of your bow roller might do the trick for one-tenth of the price. Many round-the-worlders have modified their rollers to accept a simple, flip-over pawl that jams in the links if the chain tries to run back, but just lifts and goes clinkety-clink as the chain comes in.


John Vigor
CD 25D "Jabula"

Ranger1442@hotmail.com