Dock line snubber chafed and broke the rope??

[Darrin]

We slept aboard our 27' hunter last night on the dock in a light windstorm (30kt winds). I have brand new custom dock lines with rubber snubbers and inspected them before going to bed. When I woke up, I found that the bow line had chafed where the line feeds through the snubber end (it winds through an S bend) and nearly broke free.

I'm baffled at how quickly and easily this became worn. Has anybody else seen this happen with these types of snubbers? This is 3/8" rope, and I'm thinking of refitting it with 5/8", but will that really solve the problem or is the problem the design of the snubber?

It seems to me that this kind of end fitting will always cut the rope as it's almost like bending it over a razor blade.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/805vxrmme6x4b90/2014-12-21 09.01.47.jpg?dl=0

 

[Billjratt]

picture? I've been using rubber snubbers on the same ropes for 12 years and don't see damage. Are you pulling the lines too tight ?
They're supposed to absorb swell/wave bounce not hold the boat suspended in a spiders web.

 

[sarabande]

it might just be that you have threaded the warp widdershins.


The pic shows the rope going over the fairlead, contrary to along it.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

The rope you are using as a mooring warp is far too thin. The snubber in your picture is designed to be used with rope which fits snugly in the end slots. A thinner rope will slide back and forth, chafing against the rubber with the result you have found.

 

[johnalison]

I'm not sure the rope is too thin; it may just be the part that is down to one strand. The acceptable sizes will be marked on the snubber packet. Anything near the upper limit can be hard to thread in.

It looks as if the same line is being used for another tie back to the boat. In general, this is to be avoided, one the basis of one rope for one job. This event might be one illustration of why this maxim is often quoted.

 

[Cloven]

I use this sort

View attachment 47951

Rope just goes through the holes. Worked well now for around 15 years. This year one of the rubber ends split but the rope was fine. Just replaced the snubber.

 

[l'escargot]

The rope you are using as a mooring warp is far too thin. The snubber in your picture is designed to be used with rope which fits snugly in the end slots. A thinner rope will slide back and forth, chafing against the rubber with the result you have found.

I would say the same - too thin for the size of boat and too thin for the snubber. I would use 12mm minimum with a correctly sized snubber.

 

[Robin]

I use this sort

View attachment 47951

Rope just goes through the holes. Worked well now for around 15 years. This year one of the rubber ends split but the rope was fine. Just replaced the snubber.

Same as we used for years.

OP I guess i American or USA based as 3/8 or 5/8 rope is their size designation whereas most Euros are used to 10mm/12mm or 14mm or more. We use 5/8 lines on our USA based 36 foot Beneteau and I would consider 3/8 much too light despite what it says on the chandlery pre-packs. Additionally the snubber in the Op's pic is one I do have in use on a heavy duty anchor snubber line made up in the UK years ago with IIRC 18mm line ( 3/4 in plus) THat is a pretty stiff rubber snubber and in our case was reserved for storm anchoring, in normal conditions we used the dog bone type in the quoted reply above.

 

[Ripster]

It may also be that the rope is soft and poor quality? I once had some 3 strand that chafed very easily and "fluffed up" virtually straight away if rubbed. But on decent rope, I too have used a number of snubbers inc the same ones as the OP and never had an issue with chaffing in the snubber.