Where to secure anchor chain.

[Dockhead]

Well in nearly 40 years I've never had one fall off the chain once it was set up. It might happen occasionally as the snubber is first being deployed but not if a light tension is kept on the line until the weight of the chain loop takes over. I have seen boats with too little slack chain let out when the snubber is set, in that case yes heavy pitching could dislodge it but that is operator error in my book.

Keep your rolling hitch method by all means but do keep a sharp knife handy, because one day (or night) you may need it in a hurry. The combination of a wet line and hefty snatch loads should pull that knot nice and tight.

To each his own, of course. For what it's worth, the rolling hitch is not a knot which binds up at all under load (one of that ingenious knot's many glories), so I've never had any problem undoing a snubber in decades of use and never heard of such a case. That's because the locking turn of the knot is above the direction of pull, and so is not directly loaded. But in any case, I do always have a knife on my belt, as all good mariners should . . . the snubber is not the only line you might need to cut in an emergency . . . there's also the bitter end, in case you have to ditch the anchor in a hurry. For example.

Nobody has mentioned chain-stoppers -- are these not used in the UK? We always had them on our boats, to take all load off the windlass and to back up the snubber. The most recent boat, acquired in the UK, inexplicably does not have one.

 

[Robin]

To each his own, of course. For what it's worth, the rolling hitch is not a knot which binds up at all under load (one of that ingenious knot's many glories), so I've never had any problem undoing a snubber in decades of use and never heard of such a case. That's because the locking turn of the knot is above the direction of pull, and so is not directly loaded. But in any case, I do always have a knife on my belt, as all good mariners should . . . the snubber is not the only line you might need to cut in an emergency . . . there's also the bitter end, in case you have to ditch the anchor in a hurry. For example.

Nobody has mentioned chain-stoppers -- are these not used in the UK? We always had them on our boats, to take all load off the windlass and to back up the snubber. The most recent boat, acquired in the UK, inexplicably does not have one.

As you say rolling hitches don't usually jam but just maybe when the rope is wet and the hitch is around lumpy chain links and it is a dark and stormy night....


Chain stoppers are available over here, I have one I bought to fit our then Westerly 33 about 12 years ago but never did, nor to the last boat just sold. I'm planning now to take it with us to fit our next boat in the USA!

 

[john_morris_uk]

As you say rolling hitches don't usually jam but just maybe when the rope is wet and the hitch is around lumpy chain links and it is a dark and stormy night....


Chain stoppers are available over here, I have one I bought to fit our then Westerly 33 about 12 years ago but never did, nor to the last boat just sold. I'm planning now to take it with us to fit our next boat in the USA!

We have a chain stopper fitted and I even use it - but I am still fascinated how people say that their chains fall off a chain hook!

Leave a decent loop of chain hanging down from the hook and even the most violent pitching has never thrown ours off! The weight of the boat hanging on the chain keeps it secure. Of course, the chain is made off with the stopper and then onto the windlass and the bitter end secured in the locker, so I am not worried about losing the anchor or not being anchored if the hook were to somehow fall off...