Anchor chain snubber with just a line?

[demonboy]

Lost my snubber hook in a rough anchorage (line chafed on boat) and Male has nothing. I used a rolling hitch in an emergency but are there alternatives using just a line?

 

[prv]

Personally I've only ever used a rolling hitch anyway. What sort of "alternative" are you after?

Pete

 

[noelex]

A Klemheist knot is a good alternative to a rolling hitch (which occasionally slips in my experience).
A knot is a it kinder on the chain than a metal chain hook.

 

[alahol2]

...a rolling hitch (which occasionally slips in my experience).

If I use a rolling hitch I normally put a few more wraps around the chain before doing the half hitch. I have never then known it to slip.

 

[Boo2]

A Klemheist knot is a good alternative to a rolling hitch

Not particularly convenient if you are using a mooring warp as an anchor snubber though, I wouldn't have thought ? Where do you get the other end of the line from to make a loop in that case ?

Boo2

 

[doug748]

"Lost hook"
I don't like the sound of this.

I have just bought a fancy stainless hook to replace my rolling hitch. Ah well.

I have special length of multiplait with rubber snubber dedicated to the job.

 

[tudorsailor]

Lost my snubber hook in a rough anchorage (line chafed on boat) and Male has nothing. I used a rolling hitch in an emergency but are there alternatives using just a line?

How did you lead the snubber's line onto the boat? I have stemhead fitting with two rollers. If I use the spare roller and then lead the line to a cleat along the toe rail, the line rubs on the corner of the fitting. So I now lead the line through the fairlead and then onto the cleat. However this means that the anchor chain's pull is no longer central. Am I wrong to do this?

TS

 

[michael_w]

3m length of 14mm three strand nylon + rolling hitch. Simples

 

[noelex]

Not particularly convenient if you are using a mooring warp as an anchor snubber though, I wouldn't have thought ? Where do you get the other end of the line from to make a loop in that case ?

Boo2

You first need to make a loop of rope , a few feet long. This is best done with a double fisherman's knot, this only needs to be tied once. You can keep reusing the loop with retying the fisherman's.
One big advantage is you can use thinner line (because its doubled, some hi tech stronger line is even better) which is much easier to tie around the chain than the thicker snubber line.
The Klemheist knot is very easy and quick to tie and is easily undone.

You can attach the loop of rope to the snubber with a knot, or as do, with a shackle.

The whole procedure is very slightly longer to tie (but quicker to untie after a strong load) than a rolling hitch, but is very secure. It has never slipped on me in over a 1000 nights at anchor using this system. I found a rolling hitch would slip about 1-2 times a year (so less than 1%) but it was always in strong wind, just when you want it to be reliable.

 

[ccscott49]

Lost my snubber hook in a rough anchorage (line chafed on boat) and Male has nothing. I used a rolling hitch in an emergency but are there alternatives using just a line?

rolling hitches OK, but I bet you could get a steel hook made locally, not in stainless, uneccessary, just plain old steel and paint it, or npot as the case maybe.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

How did you lead the snubber's line onto the boat? I have stemhead fitting with two rollers. If I use the spare roller and then lead the line to a cleat along the toe rail, the line rubs on the corner of the fitting. So I now lead the line through the fairlead and then onto the cleat. However this means that the anchor chain's pull is no longer central. Am I wrong to do this?

TS

I now use a my stern cleats and lead the snubbing line along the deck and onto the chain afy of the stem head fitting. The chain hook stays on the boat so there is no hook over the bow. I have to use a snatch block on the mid ship cleat to keep the line off the coach roof coaming. I have not used this in rough weather but I guess in a big snubbing scenario I would have to make sure that the hook doesn't ride over the stem head fitting by having it 2/3 meters back.

 

[TQA]

I now use a my stern cleats and lead the snubbing line along the deck and onto the chain afy of the stem head fitting. The chain hook stays on the boat so there is no hook over the bow. I have to use a snatch block on the mid ship cleat to keep the line off the coach roof coaming. I have not used this in rough weather but I guess in a big snubbing scenario I would have to make sure that the hook doesn't ride over the stem head fitting by having it 2/3 meters back.

This would seem to negate one of the main benefits of the rope snubber going over the bow and that is the reduction of transmitted noise as the chain is dragged across the bottom by the veering boat.

 

[demonboy]

Thanks, all, for the replies. I should explain that this snubber is the original one I've been using for seven years as a liveaboard, so it lasted well. The anchorage was so rough Esper's bow was dipping in the water for 24 hours, so its loss came as no surprise. It served me well.

I won't be able to get another hook made as I posted this thread after weighing anchor from Male to head south. I will look at the knot solutions suggested. For the record my rolling hitch was so tight I had to cut it free.