Anchor Chain Snubbing Guide

Chain Snubbers are essential for taking the strain off your windlass and providing additional shock load absorption while at anchor on an all-chain rode.

There are multiple options for snubbing solutions - stainless steel chain hooks, grippers and grabs with or without a nylon tail or twin tails (V bridle) – select Three-Strand or Anchorplait for single strops or Anchorplait for V-bridles.

Single-line strops can be used over the bow roller or, as a temporary solution, offset via the forward mooring fairlead. Twin strop lines (V-shaped bridles) are ideal for leading through handed deck fairleads and mooring cleats.

Deployment:

Once the desired length of chain has been paid out, secure the end of the snubbing line or bridle on deck and attach the hook/gripper/grab to the chain with slack in the line.

Ease off enough chain so that the strop is taking the load. Remember to allow for the rope to stretch.

Rope Fibre Selection:

LIROS Nylon will stretch approximately 20% at the breaking point. There is no material difference in elasticity between Three-Strand and Anchorplait construction. The aim is for the rope to take the strain.

The chain should be secured to a cleat or post if practicable or in a Chain Stopper just in case the snubbing line or the snubbing bridle fails. The windlass should only be the strongpoint of last resort.

Choose a rope diameter comparable to your bower anchor warp size.

Remember that an oversized nylon line will not stretch as much as the correct size.

A slightly undersized nylon line will provide more shock absorption but may ultimately prove sacrificial.

Factor in:

• the type of anchoring
• the length of time at anchor
• whether the yacht is unattended.

Selecting your Chain Snubbing attachment: Hook, Grab or Gripper (Shackle)

Chain Hooks and Grabs are designed to achieve a simple but strong means of securing a line to a length of chain under load.

The internal dimensions of each link in a modern calibrated anchor chain are not large enough to facilitate a strong internal connection.

Chain hooks and grabs are designed to fit over a link in one plane and rest on the next link, which will naturally be at right angles.

The link on which the hook or grab rests, therefore, takes the load.

Hooks and Grabs can be divided into two broad categories:

• Retentive - featuring a mechanism for remaining attached when the line is slack.
• Plain - no retention mechanism but simpler, less fiddly to attach and detach.

There are other options for securing the snubbing line to the chain:

• Fasten the line to the chain with a rolling hitch. An extra half hitch or two is advisable for extra security. A rolling hitch should present no problems regarding release, even after extended exposure to heavy loads, providing it is tied correctly. N.B knots have a detrimental effect on rope strength: Strength loss through tying knots
• Make up a suitably strong, spliced endless loop, i.e. a Prusik Cord from, e.g. 100% Dyneema SK75, 78 or 99 braided line and connect it to the chain using a Prusik Hitch

Bear in mind that the attachment and detachment of the snubbing line to the chain by whatever means you select may mean stooping or kneeling and leaning out over the bow roller.

Jimmy Green Advisory

Attaching the hook or grab with a shackle may seem a little clunky, but it does mean that the hook can be removed for a mooring application and replaced if required

Choosing between a Single Strop and a Twin Tail V Bridle:

Single-Line Chain Snubbing Strop

Single snubbing lines address the issue of snatch loading associated with all chain anchor rode systems in the shape of a single stretchy nylon line, taking the strain to moderate any sudden surges in the load. The snubbing line can be led offset through a port or starboard fairlead, but for longer-term anchoring, it should pass over the bow roller, through the stem head fitting and attach to the most suitably positioned strongpoint. This will require a careful, precautionary appraisal of any potential wear points and preventive action where necessary, e.g. Anti-Chafe Tubular Webbing or PVC hose.

Single Line Snubbing, Facts and Features:

• A snubbing line can be approximately 3 metres to 10 metres in length - the longer it is, the more it will stretch, but the more unmanageable it may become.
• The strop is attached to the chain with a rolling hitch or a spliced chain hook/grab, which can be retentive. The other end is made off to a strongpoint on the foredeck.
• The strength (diameter) of the rope should be comparable with your main anchor rode.
• Splicing retains far more of the rope strength than tying a knot - knots can reduce the break load by as much as 50%, while a professional splice will generally retain approximately 80-85% of the original load capacity - both these percentages may vary according to the rope fibre, rope construction, type of knot and the splice construction.
• Adding a mooring compensator will increase the elasticity of the strop - this extra shock absorbing capacity could be utilised to reduce the length of the line.
• Adding anti-chafe webbing will protect the line where it leads over the bow roller, through the stem fitting and where it may come into any abrasive contact from there to the strongpoint.

V-Shaped Bridles for Anchor Chain Snubbing

Twin tail snubbing bridles provide an excellent shock-absorbing solution where the forward deck layout or the stem head and bow roller design/dimensions are not conducive to the successful arrangement of a single snubbing line.

Jimmy Green V-Shaped Twin Tail Snubbing, Facts and Features:

• A Jimmy Green V-shaped bridle is based on the Anchorplait centre eye splice (with or without a thimble/chain hook).
• The bridle consists of a continuous line, made into a soft loop around the eye of a fitting or formed around a hard thimble eye with a Brummel locking tuck splice.
• The strength of the bridle is therefore not reliant on splicing two separate ropes together, i.e. a Y Joining Splice 
• The maximum deployment angle must always be set up with caution, but the centre eye splice is much less prone to failure at a wider than optimum angle than any joining splice between two separate ropes.
• It is impossible to successfully put a centre eye splice in a rope of three-strand construction.
• The strength (diameter) of the rope should be comparable with your main anchor rode.
• Splicing retains far more of the rope strength than tying a knot - knots can reduce the break load by as much as 50%, while a professional splice will generally retain approximately 80-85% of the original load capacity (this percentage does vary with the rope and splice construction).
• Each tail (leg) of a Jimmy Green snubbing bridle should be approximately 3 metres to 10 metres in length - the longer it is, the more it will stretch, but the more unmanageable it may become
• Adding a mooring compensator will increase the elasticity of the strop - this extra shock absorbing capacity could be utilised to reduce the length of the line.
• Adding anti-chafe webbing will protect the lines leading through the forward fairleads and onto the mooring deck cleats.

Selecting the Correct Rope Construction for Anchor Snubbing:

Select Three-strand Nylon or Anchorplait Nylon for Single Line Snubbing, according to your budget and handling preference

Anchorplait Nylon (Octoplait Eight-Strand Construction) is the only rope option to consider for making a V-Bridle:

Jimmy Green Anchorplait Splicing Important Plus Factors for V-Bridles:

• A Jimmy Green V-shaped bridle is based on the Anchorplait centre eye splice (with or without a thimble/chain hook).
• The bridle consists of a continuous line, made into a soft loop around a fitting or formed around a hard thimble eye with a Brummel locking tuck splice.
• The strength of the bridle is therefore not reliant on splicing two separate ropes together, i.e. a Y Joining Splice, which will fail at alarmingly low load, especially at a wide angle
• The maximum deployment angle must always be set up with caution, but the centre eye splice is much less prone to failure at a wide angle than any joining splice between two separate ropes.
• It is simply impossible to successfully put a centre eye splice in a rope of Three-Strand construction.

LIROS Three-Strand and Anchorplait Nylon, Rope Construction and Properties Comparison:

LIROS 3-Strand Nylon Article 00110

• Thermofixed twisted lay construction 100% high tenacity Nylon (Polyamide)
• Manufactured to DIN EN ISO 1140 (previously DIN EN 696, DIN 83330)
• Spliceable to chain
• Dependable strength
• Excellent durability
• UV and abrasion resistant
• Excellent shock absorbing elasticity >20% working load stretch
• LIROS Break Load: 10mm 2400kg ~ 12mm 3300kg ~ 14mm 4400kg ~ 16mm 5600kg ~ 18mm 7000kg ~ 20mm 8140kg ~ 24mm 11800kg ~ 30mm 17400kg

LIROS 3-Strand Nylon has the same strength and stretch properties as the octoplait version and is less expensive, but the twisted lay shrinks when drying out after immersion in water, causing it to go stiff, especially in the larger diameters.

Overall, a very strong and stretchy mooring warp that represents exceptionally good value when used for semi-permanent mooring but is not usually recommended for frequently adjusted and stowed mooring warps due to the stiffening of the line over its lifetime. 

Anchorplait^® is a UK-registered Trademark

LIROS Anchorplait^® White Nylon Article 01058JG is manufactured EXCLUSIVELY by LIROS Ropes with Easy Splice Markers for Jimmy Green Marine.

The eight-strand construction, two pairs left hand, two pairs right hand, delivers a balanced performance and no undesirable twist under tension.

Anchorplait is the rope that won't cockle.

In fact, it falls and flakes like a chain.

Anchorplait makes an ideal snubbing line because it will stay supple for the duration of its working life.

LIROS Anchorplait White Nylon Article 01058JG Facts, Features and Plus Factors:

• Jimmy Green Exclusive
• 100% Nylon (Polyamide)
• UV stabilised
• Square braid construction
• Non-kinking
• Balanced braiding
• The eight-strand construction - two pairs left hand, two pairs right hand - ensures a balanced performance and no twist under tension
• Dependable strength
• Excellent durability
• UV and abrasion resistant
• Zero possibility of cockling
• Falls and flakes like a chain
• Excellent weathering and wear resistance properties
• Superb handling, manageable in long lengths
• Excellent Shock Absorbing Elongation, >20% working load stretch
• Remains supple for the duration of its working life
• Splice-able to chain - very strong 1-link splice to chain or flexible 11-link splice to chain
• Available from 10mm up to 20mm diameter

LIROS specify their manufacturer minimum break loads in Deka newtons = DaN

1 Deka newton DaN = 1.01971621297793kg (approximately 1.02kg)

LIROS Break Load converted to Kg from DaN at 1:1.02 

Read our article Anchor Snubbing - A Guide to taking the shock Load off your Windlass and Chain

Shop for Chain Snubbers