Ultra chain grip

[srah1953]

I've been reading various posts about anchoring and snubbers, etc. In one I came across the Ultra Chain Grip (on Jimmy Green site). The specific post seemed to use it as a chain stopper, but looking at a couple of videos it primarily seemed to be used as a form of chain hook.
Is there a difference between a standard chain hook and the ultra chain grip?

 

[vyv_cox]

The first and most obvious difference is the price - £84 for 8 mm. To me it looks rather like the Victory, which I found particularly poor. I have one of these Chain Hook, stainless steel at a fraction of the price, £12 for 8 mm. It is perfect for the job, never comes off accidentally but falls off as soon as the windlass hauls the chain in.

 

[Kukri]

Neeves warned me off the almost equally expensive Wichard version. Alas, I had already bought one!

 

[MM5AHO]

and you can even buy the nylon rope with that SS hook to form a complete snubber here

 

[NormanS]

The first and most obvious difference is the price - £84 for 8 mm. To me it looks rather like the Victory, which I found particularly poor. I have one of these Chain Hook, stainless steel at a fraction of the price, £12 for 8 mm. It is perfect for the job, never comes off accidentally but falls off as soon as the windlass hauls the chain in.

It's not a thing that I use very often, but I made something very similar with a drill, hacksaw, a small anglegrinder, and a piece of 5 or 5mm stainless plate.

 

[Muddy32]

Rolling hitch works for me, and has for 60+ years without a problem.

 

[GHA]

Rolling hitch works for me, and has for 60+ years without a problem.

Used a rolling hitch for years, soft shackle is much better imho

 

[RupertW]

Rolling hitch works for me, and has for 60+ years without a problem.

I moved away from rolling hitch to chain hook after a couple of times where I needed to rapidly release the snubber in tight anchorages and the 30 seconds was a pain compared to the hook just falling off when chain tautened.

 

[Dave100456]

Agree, I used to prussik the snubber but bought the chain hook Vyv lists. However I tend to buy from GS Products as cheaper.
6mm 8mm 10mm and 12mm Eye Grab Hooks available

 

[vyv_cox]

Rolling hitch works for me, and has for 60+ years without a problem.

Last season I witnessed two rolling hitches being cut off, impossible to undo.

 

[Mistroma]

Last season I witnessed two rolling hitches being cut off, impossible to undo.

Yes. I used the same hook you use and it has only failed once. Light wind overnight with sudden change in direction and increase in strength. Bouncing around in swell by the time we woke up and prepared to leave. The anchor had dragged under a rock overhang as we changed direction and was under huge strain. Probably 10m scope in 8m depth as the rock acted like a concrete mooring. The snubbing line broke as I was getting ready to release it and the chain hook arced through the air. I'd never have been able to release a hitch easily and would probably have spent time cutting off the remains to allow it to pass around the gypsy.

I could only find very expensive devices in Sardinia and mainland Italy, nobody seemed to have heard of a simple chain hook. Some other sailors said it would fall off and the expensive ones were better. I don't think they understood the simple technique of keeping it under slight tension when deploying the snubber.

I did use a hitch for the next few months and kept a knife at the bows until I could buy an ordinary S/S chain hook in the UK. However, I was much happier going back to a chain hitch. I now keep a spare and also clip a light line from the hook around the chain. A little extra work unclipping it but the hook should just slide down the chain if the snubber breaks again. The line is light enough to ignore in an emergency as it would simply break in front of the gypsy even if it couldn't be removed.