Anchor chain snubber

[Steve Clayton]

I want you to picture the scene (cos we've all been there!);

Idylic anchorage early evening; just you & SWMBO and a couple of other yachts. The cove you are in is like glass and the yacht is hardly moving. The weather forecast you checked earlier indicates this will be perfect all night.

The wine is opened (you can choose; red, white, ot if you must, rosa.) The Cobb B-B-Q is going great and the fish you caught earlier is smelling fantastic on the B-B-Q..

As you eat your evening meal and enjoy the wine the sun is going down and a feeling of contentment engulfs you; aaaahhhhhh; fantastic.

You retire to bed at one with the world; the electronics providing the anchor watch; contentment surrounds you; then you fall asleep.

THEN at 2:00am the wind changes and gets up to 30 knots. The sea that was like glass has white horses and the anchor chain starts to snatch. "Where the [--word removed--] did that lot come from?" as you leap out of bed to assess what's going on.

So to ease the snatching I need a snubber; 45' yacht; (whoops 45.2' yacht as we all know how important the extra 0.2' is.).

We're living on the boat for the next 10 days as the apartment is at rent ( www.seraph-apartments.com - subtle or what!!!) so I've got time to make one of these up.

So recommendations as to best rope quality;, snubber design, setting, and other considerations greatly received.

Steve

www.seraph-sailing.com

 

[Sgeir]

[ QUOTE ]
So recommendations as to best rope quality;, snubber design, setting, and other considerations greatly received.www.seraph-sailing.com

[/ QUOTE ]
Any old rope with a bit of stretch in it should do eg warp, or an old climbing rope.

 

[ChrisE]

Assuming Steve, that you want a straight answer, here's what we use.

1. If there is room increase length of rode and see if that does the trick, on the assumption that you have tried this then onto

2. We have a 20mm 100yd multiplait line and use 5-10m of it attached to anchor rode via chain hook with the multiplait running over the second bow roller, attached to a cleat up front somewhere. Once tied up let the chain go loose to allow the roope snubber to take the load but keep the chain tied up just in case the snubber gives. As you probably can't get hold of a chain hook where you are, suggest that you use a rolling hitch to attach. If you haven't got any 20mm multiplait knocking about I'm sure that a mooring warp would do the job, doubled up if necessary. If you haven't got a second bow roller, chain hook or multiplait then suggest rolling hitch with warp led back to both cleats up front.

Best of luck, it is real sod when the anchor chain starts snatching

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Any stretchy rope will suffice.

we've got a 10m length of manky auld green 3-ply nylon (12mm I think) which somebody left in the anchor locker.

Like Chris suggests, a rolling hitch round the chain works well then pay out about 5 metres of the warp, letting the chain go slack.

 

[Robin]

A length of nylon, 3 strand is fine and easy to splice about 12mm dia and 6m or so long depending how far back from the bow your cleats are. A bit of anti-chafe tube over the nylon for where it goes over the 2nd bow roller or through a foredeck fairlead. Ideally a chain hook (cast S/S) or one of the Wichard hooks with a retaining pin or their chain shackle is spliced on the overboard end. 12mm nylon is still not hugely stretchy and some snatch is still likely, but less than 12mm is risking chafe and harder to handle, so the best answer is to wind the nylon through and round and round one of the stretchy rubber 'gondolastic' mooring compensators, then it will really give a soft ride. Hook it on, let it out over the 2nd roller with a touch of hand tension on it whilst you let the chain out as well, until the nylon is taut and the chain hangs in a slack loop under it. At a pinch you could probably whip umpteen short lengths of bungy cord across a loop in the nylon as a temporary solution. Also as a temporary measure as has been said you can attatch the line to the chain with a rolling hitch.

We not only have the anchor snubber ready made up but have similar lines with rubber snubbers in them for bow lines in 'rough' visitor marinas. We have been very glad of these in St Malo, Benodet, Concarneau, Morgat and La Trinite when our berth has been exposed and especially wind over tide in La Trinite and Benodet.

Robin

 

[bobgosling]

Rubber snubber on a short length of nylon with a chain hook on one end.

Hook the chain where it enters the water, heave until chain between hook and bow roller sags a bit and cleat off on deck, adding chafe protection if really rough.

 

[DeeGee]

Strange... I was going to say use anything but 3 strand. The object of the exercise is to cut down on the noise. When 3-strand stretches, it generally creaks, and if it has to absorb a sudden sharp gust, the creak can become a distinct crack ! Not saying you're wrong, but that's how it has been for me. I have a fancy jobbie made up with multiplait and one of those rubber bones with a hole at either end and you maypole the line round the rubber body. I used a chain hook, but the marking of the chain made me change back to the rolling hitch. All FWIW. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Robin]

The rubber bone is indeed what I mean and what I call a gondolastic and with that in the line the line itself doesn't work much at all, I have never heard a click, let alone a creak or a crack from ours. We have our chain marked with coloured shockcord/cable ties which are unaffected by the chain hook. All the same objective though, to take snatch out of the equation keep the pick in the bottom and sleep soundly!

 

[jim99]

Not sure what is right. I use three-strand nylon, former anchor rode that I retired. Have a 30m length, but usually don't use more than about 10-15m. Maybe I should use a chain hook or rolling hitch, but I don't. I use a shackle, because that was handy the first time I rigged it and never was compelled to change. But I am downsizing chain size and shackle won't fit, so I will have to come up wth different solution.

But there is no comparison between when I'm snubbed or not snubbed. Like night and day.