Always use a snubber or your boat could end up like...

[daletournier]

I've recently gone away from a hook as its fallen of a couple of times, using a soft shackle now, so far so good.

[SVRocinante]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

...I do use one of the simple hooks as my chain stop, so it wasn’t a waste.

I too switched off using a chain hook to using a simple rolling hitch a bunch of years ago and have never looked back.

My apologies if you’ve discussed elsewhere Mike, my search skills are seriously lacking! Can I assume that your chain stop is used to hold the chain while you tie on the snubber or does it serve a purpose beyond that? If so, how/where is it belayed?

Many thanks!

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Group9

We have the end of our chain attached to inside the chain locker with about ten feet of 3/4 inch nylon line. If we ever need to cut the chain loose in a hurry, I want to be able to do it with any kind of knife, instead of a pair of bolt cutters or a hacksaw.

I actually have the end of my chain attached to 40 feet of orange dyneema which is secured inside locker. So there’s a safety, but in an emergency i can cut the dyneema and end will float on the surface as long as not too deep. So no need to spend time rigging a float.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Delfin

I guess I am flummoxed on why one would want to spend $200 on a device weaker than a $20 soft shackle that is no easier to attach. Beats me, but I guess I am missing something.

I don’t think it was close to $200 and it’s not weaker, but to answer your question I’d say chafe.
The M2 is stronger than my G43 chain and attaches very easily and has yet to fall off, but I do zip tie it on, the little rubber strap broke first use when I tried taking it over the roller.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I've recently gone away from a hook as its fallen of a couple of times, using a soft shackle now, so far so good.

This intrigues me Dale. I’ve not used any soft shackles anywhere, but I’d like to. Maybe next season...

Originally Posted by SVRocinante

...My apologies if you’ve discussed elsewhere Mike, my search skills are seriously lacking! Can I assume that your chain stop is used to hold the chain while you tie on the snubber or does it serve a purpose beyond that? If so, how/where is it belayed?

No apologies necessary SVRocinante. Happy to share.

You are correct, my chain stop* is locked onto the chain while I’m tying on the snubbers. I set my anchor using the chain stop, then I tie on the snubbers. I then release the chain lock and let the snubbed chain out till the snubbers take up the load. After that I reattach the chain stop.

*Which is really a chain hook that is attached to a well-backed hard point ahead of my windlass.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I always find the anchor ball thing amusing, I may of seen a dozen? during my cruising years, definitely wouldnt be much more, most wouldnt know what they actually are outside of Europe.

I bought a Davis radar reflector before I read the literature. *sigh* So I spray painted it black and host it as an anchor ball when I'm in a roadstead or anchorage where there is commercial traffic.

[SVRocinante]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

...You are correct, my chain stop* is locked onto the chain while I’m tying on the snubbers. I set my anchor using the chain stop, then I tie on the snubbers. I then release the chain lock and let the snubbed chain out till the snubbers take up the load. After that I reattach the chain stop.

*Which is really a chain hook that is attached to a well-backed hard point ahead of my windlass.

Thanks Mike!

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don’t think it was close to $200 and it’s not weaker, but to answer your question I’d say chafe.
The M2 is stronger than my G43 chain and attaches very easily and has yet to fall off, but I do zip tie it on, the little rubber strap broke first use when I tried taking it over the roller.

The one for 1/2" is $199. Maybe so on the chafe, except Dyneema is really resistant and so much stronger than the chain it's hard to see that as a problem. But, to each his own...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

. . . You are correct, my chain stop* is locked onto the chain while I’m tying on the snubbers. I set my anchor using the chain stop, then I tie on the snubbers. I then release the chain lock and let the snubbed chain out till the snubbers take up the load. After that I reattach the chain stop.

*Which is really a chain hook that is attached to a well-backed hard point ahead of my windlass.

FWIW, that is identical to my setup.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Delfin

The one for 1/2" is $199. Maybe so on the chafe, except Dyneema is really resistant and so much stronger than the chain it's hard to see that as a problem. But, to each his own...

Not sure where your looking. I have 5/16” chain and they run about $70 which isn’t cheap, but nothing good in anchoring is. My chain stopper is over $200 for example.
Windlass over $4,000, anchor alone about $1,400 and then pay shipping.
Nothing cheap about ground tackle, $70 is a drop in the bucket.

[Simi 60]

Over 1200 consecutive nights at anchor and not once has the chain dropped out of the hook unless its on retrieval where it falls off as soon at it hits the roller.


https://victory-products.com/products/ch2303

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Delfin

I guess I am flummoxed on why one would want to spend $200 on a device weaker than a $20 soft shackle that is no easier to attach. Beats me, but I guess I am missing something.

Why would a boater spend $200? Easy, in my cynical world view of cruisers:

They've got $200 burning a hole in their pocket, the salesman describes all the ways it is better, and yeah, it's shiny. And if you're at the boat show you've got to buy something.

Boaters, and cruisers in particular, will buy anything which costs more because they've been convinced that if it costs more it must be better. Especially if it is pitched to cure something scary, like a chain hook falling off, AND THEN WE ALL DIE!

I've met a few guys who measure their seamanship by how much their stuff cost (either that or they are bragging).

Now me, well I've got a couple of these old fashioned chain hooks. Stainless steel, forged. Didn't know what was best, didn't care. This was all they had in the store the day I was buying. They have never fallen off (though I don't use them a lot).

I might try a soft shackle, but I'm not sure how to attach it to the rope, (certainly not a steel thimble, wouldn't that cut the dyneema?) or the chain (through a link, or rolling hitch?).

Still got lotta learn evidently, which keeps things interesting.

Originally Posted by cyan

Bingo.
The long rollers arriving on the West Coast from thousands of miles away demand a certiain ground tackle attention, and snubbers fill the conventional wisdom...

Not sure that's it cyan although it would support a theory that West Coast sailors respond to needs and seamanship, not just being followers, like lemmings. You see, the thing is, most all of the popular anchorages either have no swell (Sea of Cortez) or a very gentle swell. We don't anchor much where the swell is an issue, though some do.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Not sure where your looking. I have 5/16” chain and they run about $70 which isn’t cheap, but nothing good in anchoring is. My chain stopper is over $200 for example.
Windlass over $4,000, anchor alone about $1,400 and then pay shipping.
Nothing cheap about ground tackle, $70 is a drop in the bucket.

That's the price on the Mantus website for a 1/2", which would have the same strength as the chain. But it's not the price that dissuades me - as you say, compared to other costs it is irrelevant. What is persuasive is the significantly greater strength of a soft shackle, the ease of attachment and detachment, and the fact that it is one less thing to bang into the hull on retrieval. Not to criticize the Mantus product which I am sure works great, but it doesn't really seem to any advantage over a soft shackle, and some disadvantages, IMHO.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Why would a boater spend $200? Easy, in my cynical world view of cruisers:

They've got $200 burning a hole in their pocket, the salesman describes all the ways it is better, and yeah, it's shiny. And if you're at the boat show you've got to buy something.

Boaters, and cruisers in particular, will buy anything which costs more because they've been convinced that if it costs more it must be better. Especially if it is pitched to cure something scary, like a chain hook falling off, AND THEN WE ALL DIE!

I've met a few guys who measure their seamanship by how much their stuff cost (either that or they are bragging).

Now me, well I've got a couple of these old fashioned chain hooks. Stainless steel, forged. Didn't know what was best, didn't care. This was all they had in the store the day I was buying. They have never fallen off (though I don't use them a lot).

I might try a soft shackle, but I'm not sure how to attach it to the rope, (certainly not a steel thimble, wouldn't that cut the dyneema?) or the chain (through a link, or rolling hitch?).

Still got lotta learn evidently, which keeps things interesting.



Not sure that's it cyan although it would support a theory that West Coast sailors respond to needs and seamanship, not just being followers, like lemmings. You see, the thing is, most all of the popular anchorages either have no swell (Sea of Cortez) or a very gentle swell. We don't anchor much where the swell is an issue, though some do.

Regarding attachment, I spliced a yachtsman thimble onto the end of the snub line. It's very smooth, so no issues with chafe, and the wrap of the line around the thimble keeps the metal of the thimble from clonking on the hull. One could also just splice a loop into the end of the snub line with similar effect.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Not sure that's it cyan although it would support a theory that West Coast sailors respond to needs and seamanship, not just being followers, like lemmings. You see, the thing is, most all of the popular anchorages either have no swell (Sea of Cortez) or a very gentle swell. We don't anchor much where the swell is an issue, though some do.

Fair enough. Honestly, I think our anchorage choices have been questionable all too often... outside of the SOC that is.
I do think West Coast (North America) sailors are a bit more independent than average, for a lot of reasons.