Snap shackle or carabiner for the end of my bridle

[StuM]

Originally Posted by jbinbi

Was thinking of using a soft shackle rather than snap shackle, but worry about them opening without large load? If little wind at night, the mooring lines are slack, not really any tension on the soft shackle. Easy to come open? Not that experienced with them in these situations.

I've never heard of any case of a soft shackle coming undone accidentally when not under load.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by StuM

I've never heard of any case of a soft shackle coming undone accidentally when not under load.

And I have certainly heard of snap shackles (on spinny sheets) coming open when flogging under low/no load.

Soft shackles of adequate size should do very well in the OP's application.

Jim

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Moontide

If short term don't really need to bother with a line to each bow. Just take one line cleated off on one bow, through the loop and back to the same bow. Boat will lay a little angled to the wind (helps get air in the portholes) and acutally sails around a bit less.



For longer times go with two lines. One from each bow and back to the same bow. When departing just drop one, pull it aboard then saunter over to the other bow and do the same.



When picking up I just attach to one bow and, if I want to tie to both bows, I just do that after everything is shut down. If I tied the first line very short I have never had a problem getting the second line through the loop and then using the 2:1 purchase to center the boat.


Single line has worked even in "tight" mooring fields.
Bill

Bill is correct. Don't complicate any more than you have to.

[Training Wheels]

I always put 2 lines slip lines on a mooring ball, one to each hull, set so that the ball can’t hit our hulls. Do you really want to be woken up in the middle of the night to the sound or the mooring ball hitting your hull?

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by Shrew

....There is no 'sawing' when done this way. Each loop is static...

This is critical. A single line run from one bow, through the mooring, and up to the other bow will chafe. Surprisingly quickly in some cases.

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

I would trust a well made soft shackle much more than a carabiner or snap shackle.

In our experience a soft shackle is easier and stronger than a (quick opening) metal one for this type of use. We use one for our bridle to anchor chain connection, and have used it on moorings when we use the bridle eyes rather than looped lines.

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

I always put 2 lines slip lines on a mooring ball, one to each hull, set so that the ball can’t hit our hulls. Do you really want to be woken up in the middle of the night to the sound or the mooring ball hitting your hull?

In addition, two lines provides redundancy. If one chafes through, or a knot/hitch wasn't tied properly then you still have the second line keeping the boat attached to the mooring.

[Mike Banks]

Not good enough for anything carrying a heavy load. There are trip shackles and pull-release bolts available that are very strong, but this is simply not good enough.

I use these for fastening awnings etc, a quick-release for securing life-rings, lanterns etc.

[waterman46]

To save on wear on nice long mooring lines, tie a bowline on bight in middle of line. Use soft shackle to connect loop of bowline on bight to mooring ring, then lead half of same line thru ring also and back to same bow, untensioned but cleated, to avoid wear on the line, as backup if soft shackle slips open.

This assumes you can reach mooring ring from deck at bow. My boat, no way.

[Whomda]

Many years ago I rented a bareboat in the BVI. This boat came with a huge carabiner at the end of the bridle to make it easier for charterers to hook up to mooring balls (as you may know, BVI is riddled with mooring balls).

This was super convenient until it wasn't. Sure enough, after one night of heavy winds, when we recovered the bridle in the morning the carabiner was bent and close to failing. I never trusted one again.

[MartinR]

These are purpose made for this application. They lock automatically.

[Mirage35]

Originally Posted by Whomda

Many years ago I rented a bareboat in the BVI. This boat came with a huge carabiner at the end of the bridle to make it easier for charterers to hook up to mooring balls (as you may know, BVI is riddled with mooring balls).

This was super convenient until it wasn't. Sure enough, after one night of heavy winds, when we recovered the bridle in the morning the carabiner was bent and close to failing. I never trusted one again.

Curious what the "heavy" winds were - can you give a rough estimate? It would help me get my head around the issues. I have used a similar arrangement but never in more that 20 knot winds.

[PJHoffnet]

By simply running a line from each bow cleat through the mooring pennant and then back to the cleat you create a good hold with little chance of significant chaffing, but you can and I do put chaffing guards around the lines where they pass through the pennant because many are barnacle scared, or just rough. The advantage of this method is that you can easily come off the mooring without having to pull up to the ball and undo the shackle.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by PJHoffnet

By simply running a line from each bow cleat through the mooring pennant and then back to the cleat you create a good hold with little chance of significant chaffing, but you can and I do put chaffing guards around the lines where they pass through the pennant because many are barnacle scared, or just rough. The advantage of this method is that you can easily come off the mooring without having to pull up to the ball and undo the shackle.

What can be used as a chafing guard in this situation? Needs to be very flexible so it can make the sharp bend through the pennant or eye on the buoy. Think I saw somewhere, some thick fabric strips with velcro on the edges to wrap around the line. And they must be kept from sliding along the line, perhaps by sewing to the line, so they stay in place and don't slide off the line while retrieving the line from the buoy.

Maybe a pair of 60' lines, each with a 6' length of fabric water hose permanently secured by heavy stitches at the midpoint of each line.

[Whomda]

Originally Posted by AnglaisInHull

Curious what the "heavy" winds were - can you give a rough estimate? It would help me get my head around the issues. I have used a similar arrangement but never in more that 20 knot winds.

Heavy, as in moderate winds you would normally not worry about, probably 18-20 knots. I was surprised to see the carabiner damage in the morning.

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Amen. 20K bouncing on a chop is way over a carabiner's design load. From the centerpoint of the bridle (Bowline or bowline on a bight) take a line or doubled line through the mooring ball and back to a cleat. Use tightly laid nylon for shock and abasion resistance. Check for abasion by slipping the line out a bit so the "bearing" surface changes and you can see dangerous wear. If your cleat is on the centerline, it should not rub at the mooring ball. To really avoid rubbing, bring the mooring line back to the bridle center instead of to a cleat.

Any other "riggers" have an idea?

Not visualizing this. Could you describe in a little more detail for dummies?

[JamuJoe]

Originally Posted by jbinbi

Am trying to make things easier for attaching to a mooring on my catamaran. I use a bridle, a line attached to the 2 bow cleats.

For moorings, I normally take a line, double it, and then take the lines through the looped end through the mooring ring and bring each end back a bow cleat. The issue is that when leaving in the morning, it is sometimes difficult to loosen this line at the ring. (Sometimes I just pass the end of the line through the ring so it can slide, but I am afraid that friction against the line will saw through it).

I was thinking that either a snap shackle or carabiner would make life easier, but am concerned that either they won't lock well, or could open under stress.

For instance Mantus has this carabiner, but it looks like it could easily open
https://www.mantusmarine.com/product/carabiner/

Was thinking about a snap shackle or possibly a climbing carabiner, but not sure how strong one I would need.

Appreciate if anyone has comments on using this type of HW, and if so, what size (20 k lbs loaded 38' cat). Thanks.

One line from each bow cleat, through the mooring eye and back to same bow cleat. There no reason such should chafe in the mooring eye. This is the required technique in many mooring fields. No need for hardware.