Single Line Bridle Rigging

[jaybird1111]

If you're making your bridle from brait, you could conceivably splice what would end up being a Brummel eye with two long tails

You could also weave in some Amsteel to the strands of 3-strand and make a loop to which you attach your hook

[anacapaisland42]

NB: Chain should not go around windlass but be attached to cleats

[roland stockham]

Some slight error in knot strength here. The alpine butterfly is not the strongest knot in this situation, a fig 8 or Fig 9 would be better. Climbers use the alpine butterfly to form a loop which may take a load across the knot. an example would be forming hand/foot loops to make a ladder. You would never get a load across the bridle so it isn't needed The critical point with a bridle is the angles which must be more than 120deg. 2 spliced loos would indeed be the strongest way to do this, about +20% on a fig 8 or + 40% on the butterfly

[sailor_pr]

We use the carabiners for quick release, when my wife is picking up the mooring line for me I need to make it easy on her. We tie the line to one side with the carabiner, run it through the mooring and tie it to the other side. It eliminates chafing on the line, splicing to the line would be preferred. Our Helia doesn't have cleats on the front crossbar so this way we tie to the eyes under each bow.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by colemj

We used to have a single line bridle and I just put a figure 8 bight in the middle of it. I don't know how much that decreases the strength of the rope, but I can't imagine that it is a significant enough loss in practical use - our 5/8" nylon has a 12,000lb breaking strength. Even cut in half, that is a lot for a bridle.

Mark

Agree, I think anchor road loads are way overstated, esp at lower wind speeds. I know at about 25 knots I can still pull slack into my bridle by hand...so can't be all that heavily loaded. Would take a hell of a lot more wind to get to 6K lbs and above that load level I expect other stuff would start breaking anyway. Even in 50-60 kts of wind I dont think I have anywhere near 6k lbs load.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Nice clean solution.

A rolling hitch used to be my method of choice too, but when I replaced my chain last year I got a fancy chain grabber. This was one motivation for going to a single line bridle.

A prusiks hitch tail, with appropriate chafe protection, could be connected to a chain hook also.

I've been toying with the idea of getting a Mantus chain hook to replace my rolling hitch for the sake of speed. Do you find that the chain grabber is worth it?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

I've been toying with the idea of getting a Mantus chain hook to replace my rolling hitch for the sake of speed. Do you find that the chain grabber is worth it?

I've got a Mantus. It is quick and easy, but then so is a rolling hitch. The Mantus is just a bit more convenient, but not dramatically.

Maybe better if someone else is working the bow who may not know how to tie a rolling hitch.

I like the idea of metal to metal for long term anchoring, but have never had a chafe problem with a rolling hitch.

Bottom line: not a huge difference.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by sailor_pr

We use the carabiners for quick release, when my wife is picking up the mooring line for me I need to make it easy on her. We tie the line to one side with the carabiner, run it through the mooring and tie it to the other side. It eliminates chafing on the line, splicing to the line would be preferred. Our Helia doesn't have cleats on the front crossbar so this way we tie to the eyes under each bow.

Keep an eye on those carabiners...it is possible for them to open accidentally. In decades of using them I've only had it happen once, buy it can happen...that's why climbers use locking ones.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Some slight error in knot strength here. The alpine butterfly is not the strongest knot in this situation, a fig 8 or Fig 9 would be better. Climbers use the alpine butterfly to form a loop which may take a load across the knot. an example would be forming hand/foot loops to make a ladder. You would never get a load across the bridle so it isn't needed The critical point with a bridle is the angles which must be more than 120deg. 2 spliced loos would indeed be the strongest way to do this, about +20% on a fig 8 or + 40% on the butterfly

Do you have a good reference for breaking strength on the Alpine Butterfly? So far I've not found much.

I did read that it supposedly has different breaking limits depending on how its loaded (loop & one leg vs both legs), but nothing that appears to me to be definitive.

[0urh]

Here is my bridle set. Use 1 clip on anchor chain when anchoring, 2 clips when on mooring. Have used this knot for several years with no problems.

[FamilyVan]

Interesting discussion, I operate a decent sized Cat (700 passenger) at my day job. I needed to develop self rescue capabilities for my SMS. I hired a consultant to advise on best practices and what was recommended was two identical length lines, each with an eye splice in either end and a soft shackle at the bridle (if a line parts this should greatly reduce the recoil preventing passengers and crew from being decapitated).
Has anybody towed a Cat in dicey conditions using a bridle? Single or double?

[Double-Wide]

Why not put a seizing below the thimble in the center of the bridle? That would eliminate the need to tie the overhand knot which tends to weaken the line.


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[Benz]

Hi Belizesailor,
The last post before this answered your question before I could: a seizing below the thimble would do. You could also splice two ends of line to one bow shackle (spliced like a rope-to-chain; make sure the shackle is nice and smooth), and attach that to your chain hook. I don't know much about the amounts that various knots weaken line, but I know that a figure-8 that's been pulled super tight can be impossible to undo, while an alpine butterfly is far less prone to jamming. Again, I thing a solution that involves splicing is by far the best.
Ben

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Double-Wide

Why not put a seizing below the thimble in the center of the bridle? That would eliminate the need to tie the overhand knot which tends to weaken the line.


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I wouldn't think that typical siezing, like marlin,.would be strong enough (at least it would keep me awake at night), but if you siezed with something like spectra then I expect bridle line strength should still be near 100% (no knots, no splices).

The pursik hitch approach should also have little or no effect on line strength.

I siezed the thimble into my Alpine Butterfly set up, but the siezing is not load bearing, just there to keep the thimble from shifting.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

I wouldn't think that typical siezing, like marlin,.would be strong enough (at least it would keep me awake at night), but if you siezed with something like spectra then I expect bridle line strength should still be near 100% (no knots, no splices).

The pursik hitch approach should also have little or no effect on line strength.

I siezed the thimble into my Alpine Butterfly set up, but the siezing is not load bearing, just there to keep the thimble from shifting.

Oops, should read "...would not be strong enough..."