Soft Shackle for Bridle Attachment?

[arsenelupiga]

to double strength, run thru chain twice. Need a bit longer shackle.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Hoofsmit

Good to hear the testament of you guys/ girls who have been using them for years, I always thought that these high strength Dyneemas were susceptible to abrasion

I have lost track now, but I think we have had about 1000 odd days and nights at anchor now using a soft shackle between the snubber and chain, in all conditions including 50+ knots at times. They are brilliant for this purpose.

Initially the design used was the original Colligo Marine style with a Diamond stopper, as shown in Cotemar's second photo in post #2. Then late 2015 I started playing with the variations, finally settling on making a higher strength version using the Button stopper.

Most have fallen overboard, but I think the longest we have used one was about a year and at that stage it was showing signs of abrasion and replaced for that reason. Over the years our snubber has occasionally snapped. Soft shackles have never failed.

This is what the abraded year old one looked like when it was retired from use:

[Hoofsmit]

Thanks Seaworthy lass
I am sure I have seen several threads that you have posted on splicing these but I am having problems searching them, could I bother you for a link? Please

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Hoofsmit

Thanks Seaworthy lass
I am sure I have seen several threads that you have posted on splicing these but I am having problems searching them, could I bother you for a link? Please

Soft Shackles

Better Soft Shackle | How to tie the Better Soft Shackle | Splicing Knots

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by Hoofsmit

Good to hear the testament of you guys/ girls who have been using them for years, I always thought that these high strength Dyneemas were susceptible to abrasion

Dyneema is actually the line least suceptable to abrasion. Technically the fiber itself is less suceptable to abrasion than 304 stainless steel. But in the real world size matters more than abrasion resistance. Even cutting dyneema is a pain, most riggers thes ever days are using ceramic knives since they are the only thing that isn't dulled too quickly by the line.

Large diameter dyneema line has been known to polish concrete docks without sustaining serious amounts of damage.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

to double strength, run thru chain twice. Need a bit longer shackle.

And longer/larger makes them easier to work with in most applications. Many of mine are massively over strength because smaller sizes are too small for my fingers.

[Hoofsmit]

Thanks thinwater

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Hoofsmit

Thanks Seaworthy lass
I am sure I have seen several threads that you have posted on splicing these but I am having problems searching them, could I bother you for a link? Please

Instructions for high strength soft shackles using the Button stopper were posted here:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ot-155591.html

And this is a variation that I call the BB soft shackle:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...le-155714.html

SWL

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

Here's the Soft Shackle that the big Yachts, Ships and Tugs use.

Is that shackle for real? To splice it looks like you wouldn't need a fid. Just take the tail and hand carry it as you walk it through the canyon made by the core.

[Hoofsmit]

Thanks Seaworthy and the other guys
Very grateful for the time you spent putting these posts together to share your knowledge

[surfmachine]

Hi Paul, what size soft shackle to thread through 10mm galv chain please?
I was going to order a 10mm one from china, 500mm long.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Recovery...sid=m570.l1313

Cheers from Keith.

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by surfmachine

Hi Paul, what size soft shackle to thread through 10mm galv chain please?
I was going to order a 10mm one from china, 500mm long.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Recovery...sid=m570.l1313

Cheers from Keith.

i use 6mm dyneema to make soft shackle and just fits thru 10 mm chain. Fine in up to 60 kn (so far).

Would be very cautious against button knot though for critical applications. It relies only on its tension to stay together. Loose button knot will collapse.

Loose diamond knot will not collapse.

Use diamond for better sleep.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

i use 6mm dyneema to make soft shackle and just fits thru 10 mm chain. Fine in up to 60 kn (so far).

Would be very cautious against button knot though for critical applications. It relies only on its tension to stay together. Loose button knot will collapse.

Loose diamond knot will not collapse.

Use diamond for better sleep.

I would strongly caution against using any kind of loose knot, regardless of the kind. Dyneema has a low melting point of around 140°C. If a shock load is applied while a knot is loose, the heat generated with friction as the knot tightens will cause failure at relatively low loads.

All soft shackles shown be pretentioned before use (and in the case of one made with a button stopper knot, this should be done prior to the tails being buried).

When considering well made soft shackles, ones made with a button stopper plus buried tails are approximately 30% stronger than ones made using a diamond knot. In an application such as snubber to chain connection where the diameter of dyneema used is limited by the size of the gap in the chain, this added strength is invaluable.

SWL

[surfmachine]

Thanks SWL, i was considering ordering this one from ebay, I am in country western australia.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3mm-10mm....c100284.m3505

Do you think it has a button or diamond knot?

Keith.

[arsenelupiga]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

I would strongly caution against using any kind of loose knot, regardless of the kind. Dyneema has a low melting point of around 140°C. If a shock load is applied while a knot is loose, the heat generated with friction as the knot tightens will cause failure at relatively low loads.

All soft shackles shown be pretentioned before use (and in the case of one made with a button stopper knot, this should be done prior to the tails being buried).

When considering well made soft shackles, ones made with a button stopper plus buried tails are approximately 30% stronger than ones made using a diamond knot. In an application such as snubber to chain connection where the diameter of dyneema used is limited by the size of the gap in the chain, this added strength is invaluable.

SWL

you absolutely correct but what I am saying is that button knot is by design less stable because it collapses unlike diamond.

if you are 100 % convinced that is tensioned properly and there is no irregularities in rope used for the knot portion then it is good. But if unsure then maybe not.