# Anchor Snubbers Redux



## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

I saw in the archives a hotly contested thread about anchor snubbers:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/49719-what-kind-anchor-snubber-6.html

No-one mentioned a simple chain hook that screws as a way to fix the snubber to the chain.
Cequent Quick-Link Chain Hook-Up 10000 lbs. 1/2 49135

Wouldn't one of these solve the hook-falling-off-chain problem?


----------



## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

vtsailguy said:


> I saw in the archives a hotly contested thread about anchor snubbers:
> http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/49719-what-kind-anchor-snubber-6.html
> 
> No-one mentioned a simple chain hook that screws as a way to fix the snubber to the chain.
> ...


Do not use one of those. Trying to remove one at 3 am in a squall when you are dragging will not be fun. Especially if it has been strained by a week at anchor with squalls coming through.

I am in my 11th year as a liveaboard and almost always anchor out. I have always used a simple hook and can not remember a single instance of it falling off. But when I NEED it off a 3 am off it comes.


----------



## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

They have a real tendency to jam if they've loaded hard. You'll need 2 wrenches, which will making holding on the chain and boat difficult. Yes, I suppose it would come up through the roller, but still a pain. I do use them on a few things that I don't expect to take apart for years.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

TQA said:


> Do not use one of those. Trying to remove one at 3 am in a squall when you are dragging will not be fun. Especially if it has been strained by a week at anchor with squalls coming through.
> 
> I am in my 11th year as a liveaboard and almost always anchor out. I have always used a simple hook and can not remember a single instance of it falling off. But when I NEED it off a 3 am off it comes.


Totally agree and I use a hook too.

I keep my hook on by using a cheap elastic band. You could break it with your hand if you wanted. It holds no strain, only keeps the hook on in slack tide.

As TQA said, good anchoring isn't just about an anchor that sits well, but one that that can be weighed quickly in a blow. And I will tell you from experience, when that boat is pitching and the wind is howling, it is not easy and verges on dangerous.

Brian


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Just so you know, my sunbber is a bit odd but I love it. I will try and get a pic of it up sometime.

It is basically a Y. Each part of the Y ties to a cleat. At the bottom of the Y is a chain hook. However, I also use a rubber snubber on the bottom part of the Y to really take the shock load out. We ride very comfortably.

Brian


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Cruisingdad said:


> Just so you know, my sunbber is a bit odd but I love it. I will try and get a pic of it up sometime.It is basically a Y. Each part of the Y ties to a cleat. At the bottom of the Y is a chain hook. However, I also use a rubber snubber on the bottom part of the Y to really take the shock load out. We ride very comfortably.Brian


I'll have you know young fella that posting pictures of your wonky snubber will be frowned upon by the Moderators.

Now we see why the once mighty USA is in such dire straits. Use a quality Made in the US elastic band you cheapskate.

We use one of these. Can fall off when first setting due to gravity and lack of tension but that is simply a matter of getting the technique right and/or blaming your other half. Has never let us down under load but is easy to remove. I think CD and us use same setup. Essentially a Y shape from cleats either side of the bow rather than through the anchor roller. Only negative with that is possible noise and chafe so you need to have some kind of cover where line passes over the side(s).










Previous boat we had one of these ..... Making sure size matches chain is very important but they work well.










vtsailguy's method scares the pants off me quite frankly. You most need your snubber as the wind pipes up. Whatever method you use it is far better to have the thing fall off occasionally in light winds than jam solid when you are in an "oh crikey" situation.


----------



## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

I completely did not even think about problems getting it off. Totally agree with the posts here. I'll ponder some other technique.

I use hooks, but with my bow set up, it's difficult to keep tension on so it stays hooked. I'll try the rubber band trick.


----------



## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

vtsailguy said:


> I use hooks, but with my bow set up, it's difficult to keep tension on so it stays hooked. I'll try the rubber band trick.


You might consider one of these chain hooks from Wichard, with a spring-loaded locking pin...

They're a bit pricey, but very slick, well worth it IMHO.... And, they can be very useful if trying to set a Bahamian moor by laying a snatch block for the secondary rode near the bottom...


----------



## downeast450 (Jan 16, 2008)

tdw said:


> I'll have you know young fella that posting pictures of your wonky snubber will be frowned upon by the Moderators.
> 
> Now we see why the once mighty USA is in such dire straits. Use a quality Made in the US elastic band you cheapskate.
> 
> We use one of these. Can fall off when first setting due to gravity and lack of tension but that is simply a matter of getting the technique right and/or blaming your other half. Has never let us down under load but is easy to remove. I think CD and us use same setup. Essentially a Y shape from cleats either side of the bow rather than through the anchor roller. Only negative with that is possible noise and chafe so you need to have some kind of cover where line passes over the side(s).


Me, too! It works very well and allows for some useful adjustments.

Down


----------



## jimjazzdad (Jul 15, 2008)

The coolest way to hook a snubber line to an anchor chain is using a Dyneema soft shackle (thanks to Evans Starzinger for the idea and photo!). I have tried it and will not use any other way now.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

tdw said:


> I'll have you know young fella that posting pictures of your wonky snubber will be frowned upon by the Moderators.
> 
> Now we see why the once mighty USA is in such dire straits. Use a quality Made in the US elastic band you cheapskate.
> 
> ...


Dear Furball...

As I have shared with you in the past, please remember I do not speak Her Majesty's English. I speak Bad English and ******* (with ******* being one level under Bad English). I never said rubber band. I said Elastic Band. In Bad English we call it a Thingy. In Red Neck we call it a Doolie Whopper. As such, here is our setup...



This is basically two separate lines. One has the Chain hook on the bitter end, a rubber snubber between, then leaves open the loop. On the loop, slightly off center (explain in a moment), is a second line with loop and bitter end.

Why is it off center? Good question (and no, alcohol was not involved, well, it might have been, but that's not the point). Ever get a current running one way and the wind another? Sometimes it makes the boat sit funny. So I use this to try and kick the boat over slightly to one side or the other. It works 'ok', not great, because my cleats are so far forward, but I suspect that if I was really interested, I could run a leader off of one side to midships to present a different angle. Generally too much trouble for me.

To hold on the hook, I use a Doolie Whopper (illustrated below).



Note, some people call this a Watcha-ma-callit. That is incorrect. It is, in fact, a Doolie-Whopper (technical term). This is nice because it keeps the hook on the chain, but gives a bit without snapping when pressure is put on. As you can see, both of these have spent a lot of time under water! However, in a pinch, this comes off very easy.

Y'all let me know if ya have any questions.

Brian


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

A poxy looking old snubber you have there BBQ and you need a new rubber.


----------



## MastUndSchotbruch (Nov 26, 2010)

Cruisingdad said:


> Dear Furball...
> 
> As I have shared with you in the past, please remember I do not speak Her Majesty's English. I speak Bad English and ******* (with ******* being one level under Bad English). I never said rubber band. I said Elastic Band. In Bad English we call it a Thingy. In Red Neck we call it a Doolie Whopper. As such, here is our setup...
> 
> ...


Thanks for the linguistics lesson. But how actually do you use the, ehm, Doolie-Whopper? How does it hold the hook on the chain?


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I just use a length of 3-strand tied to the chain with a rolling hitch and then back to a bow cleat. 

The angle from the bow roller to a side cleat will often cause a chafe point, as they aren't aligned. To correct, you leave a long enough bitter end (ie many feet long) to tie to one side cleat, cross to the other and then back to the line to secure with a half hitch to pull the snubber to the center of the boat.

Maybe this winter, I will splice up a fancy snubber like everyone else it seems.


----------



## flandria (Jul 31, 2012)

MastUndSchotbruch said:


> Thanks for the linguistics lesson. But how actually do you use the, ehm, Doolie-Whopper? How does it hold the hook on the chain?


Ditto for me... Also, why? I have sort of given up on them. Is it to reduce noise from a chain scraping the bottom? Reduce or eliminate strain as the boat swings into the wind?


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Cruisingdad said:


> .....As you can see, both of these have spent a lot of time under water!.....


Why is the snubber hook under water? I only drop mine a few feet below the bow roller, tie it off and then release tension on the chain.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

tdw said:


> A poxy looking old snubber you have there BBQ and you need a new rubber.


Hahaha!!!!


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

MastUndSchotbruch said:


> Thanks for the linguistics lesson. But how actually do you use the, ehm, Doolie-Whopper? How does it hold the hook on the chain?


Just wrap it around the hook and connect the ends. Comes off very easily. Since it is elastic, it will will stretch as the hook takes pressure.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

flandria said:


> Ditto for me... Also, why? I have sort of given up on them. Is it to reduce noise from a chain scraping the bottom? Reduce or eliminate strain as the boat swings into the wind?


When a strong wind hits, this acts as a shock reducer. The line (and in my case snubber) make it ride better without putting a huge jolt on the anchor and boat. It also allows you to distribute the load to cleats and get it off your windlass or a single anchor cleat. I would not (and do not) bother with anchor snubbers for day trips or when i know the weather is light. But when i am anchored somewhere for longer periods or uncertain about the weather, it comes out.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Minnewaska said:


> Why is the snubber hook under water? I only drop mine a few feet below the bow roller, tie it off and then release tension on the chain.


I like a long snubber with lots of room to accept the shock.


----------



## tjvanginkel (Sep 26, 2006)

I too have been using the rolling hitch to attach my snubber to the chain. So far I much prefer this method to the chain hook we had previously. With its associated shackle and thimble clanking around on deck and when setting up it also limited us to that particular line.
With the rolling hitch we can pull any good dock line out of the locker to use. 

One other bonus to using a rolling hitch is that if you find yourself in a position that you need to let out more chain you can just uncleat the one line and let it go in the water, tie your new snubber where you need and retreive the old snubber when you pull up anchor. I have never had to try this so I can't comment on how well that works.

I am still working on my rolling hitches as we rarely use a snubber because we only have 100' of chain, so when we do I am up on the bow with my knot book to make sure I get it right. I am sure our anchorage neighbours are comforted by watching this 

So far it has always stayed tied and stayed in place and no clanking hardware!

PS, pretty sure I picked this method up from the previous anchor snubber thread and decided to try it, and found I like it.


----------



## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Make sure you have a good bread knife aboard.

If that rolling hitch gets subjected to a long period of load it may be very difficult to undo. Ask me how I know this.


----------



## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Minnewaska said:


> Why is the snubber hook under water? I only drop mine a few feet below the bow roller, tie it off and then release tension on the chain.


There are 3 schools of thought on bridles:
1. Short, just to unload the windlass. Your school.
2. Longer, to provide shock absorption. If anchored in shallow water and a strong wind and swell moves in, you'll be glad you have 20-30 feet of shock absorber. Otherwise, once the wind straitens the chain you have no shock absorption for wave impacts and the ride gets jerk and the forces skyrocket. Been there. One disadvantage is that the snubber may lie on the bottom in slack wind, falling off (chain hook), suffering wear or cutting. Kinda defeats the purpose of an all-chain rode.
3. Multihulls, which need long snubbers led to the bows.

There is certainly nothing wrong with school #1 if you never anchor in shallow water or in the open. But when you do, have a longer line available so that you can abandon the short snubber and connect a long one.

There is actually a 4th school, which I've been plying with. More complex, but the best of both worlds if the anchorage is shallow, the wind variable, and there is anything sharp on the bottom.

4. A long bridle anchored mid-ships or stern, then led forward to the bow. Chafe is an issue, but it allows the shock absorption of a long line without the snubber touching bottom in slack wind. It's simple to switch from #4 to #2/3 if the wind picks up.

Sail Delmarva: Long Bridles


----------



## tjvanginkel (Sep 26, 2006)

TQA said:


> Make sure you have a good bread knife aboard.
> 
> If that rolling hitch gets subjected to a long period of load it may be very difficult to undo. Ask me how I know this.


So I take you prefer the simple chain hook? You have lots more experience than me so I am interested to hear your opinion on the pros and cons.

Regards,
Tanya


----------



## JonEisberg (Dec 3, 2010)

tjvanginkel said:


> So I take you prefer the simple chain hook? You have lots more experience than me so I am interested to hear your opinion on the pros and cons.
> 
> Regards,
> Tanya


I really prefer a simple hook, or a similar 'grabber', that can be slipped in an instant...

The main downside with a knot like a rolling hitch, or a soft shackle, is if it has to be undone in an emergency, when conditions are deteriorating... In a situation where your chain could be subject to snatching loads that could bring it bar-tight momentarily and unpredictably, one could easily be risking a serious hand injury having to deal with undoing a knot, especially when in an awkward position at the sharp end of the boat, or in the dark, and so on...

Here's a pic of my setup - the chain hook from Wichard, the snubber is a Yale Polydyne mooring pennant, coupled with a 'Cyclone Mooring Pendant' from NER:

New England Ropes Cyclone Mooring Pendant

Maxi-Moor II \ Nylon Core Polyester Sleeve Double Braid Rope | Yale Cordage

All I need is a quick tug on the lanyard to the locking pin, and the hook is free...


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

tjvanginkel said:


> So I take you prefer the simple chain hook? You have lots more experience than me so I am interested to hear your opinion on the pros and cons.
> 
> Regards,
> Tanya


I would hate to get that off in a hurry in a storm. In a storm or blow, the bow is pitching up and down and spray is going everywhere. Not a place you want to be for long. And as jon mentioned, the torque on that chain is easily enough to remove a finger, especially if caught in a gypsy. I like jon's setup, or you can just go cheap and get a hook like i did. I personally believe the hook is preferential to a rolling hitch.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

JonEisberg said:


> I really prefer a simple hook, or a similar 'grabber', that can be slipped in an instant...
> 
> The main downside with a knot like a rolling hitch, or a soft shackle, is if it has to be undone in an emergency, when conditions are deteriorating... In a situation where your chain could be subject to snatching loads that could bring it bar-tight momentarily and unpredictably, one could easily be risking a serious hand injury having to deal with undoing a knot, especially when in an awkward position at the sharp end of the boat, or in the dark, and so on...
> 
> ...


Nice setup jon. My only concern is corrosion over time on the pin. No issues there?


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Cruisingdad said:


> I like a long snubber with lots of room to accept the shock.


Skipper makes the rules. I get what you're trying to do. However, seems like a bit of overkill with that rubber snubber on there. The corroded chain hook seems like a potential failure that could cause a much greater shock.


----------



## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

tjvanginkel said:


> So I take you prefer the simple chain hook? You have lots more experience than me so I am interested to hear your opinion on the pros and cons.
> 
> Regards,
> Tanya


Yes I like the hook.

When I started out I knew very little about anchoring and copied what I saw the majority doing which was a chain hook on nylon line. On reading the gospel according to Lyn and Larry Pardey I tried a rolling hitch which works fine and as they say if you need to let out more scope you can just let the inner end of the snubber go and retrieve it when you retrieve your anchor.

But it was one wild night on the west coast of Scotland when I had been at anchor for a day or two and the wind changed and I was getting too close to another boat so I had to move. I could not undo the hitch and it would not go down through the hawse hole. It was an anxious 20 minutes as I ran back wards and forwards trying to find something to cut the knot while goosing the engine to keep us off the other boat.

So now it is a chain hook on 3 strand nylon rope. I use it over the bow roller. I have used it through fairleads but it creaks and groans more when it is blowing hard as the rope works over the fairlead. I have tried a V bridle and it is OK but still creaked and groaned so back to the single line. I usually have it adjusted so the hook is just above the water hanging down. Less corrosion. I have it on about 20 feet of rope and the plan is to use all 20 feet in bad conditions but I have never actually done this. My current one is stainles but galvanized hooks are fine and seem to last about 3 years before going rusty. Which is odd as the chain usually does 7 years.

I am currently at anchor in Grenada with many fellow cruisers and I think I see 3 maybe 4 hooks for every rolling hitch.


----------



## vtsailguy (Aug 4, 2010)

pdqaltair said:


> There are 3 schools of thought on bridles:
> 1. Short, just to unload the windlass. Your school.
> 2. Longer, to provide shock absorption. If anchored in shallow water and a strong wind and swell moves in, you'll be glad you have 20-30 feet of shock absorber. Otherwise, once the wind straitens the chain you have no shock absorption for wave impacts and the ride gets jerk and the forces skyrocket. Been there. One disadvantage is that the snubber may lie on the bottom in slack wind, falling off (chain hook), suffering wear or cutting. Kinda defeats the purpose of an all-chain rode.


S have been pondering this, and I think there is another school, that I think I am going to use next year.

Go short, have snubber tackle above the water, but use a Shockle as the shock absorption. They now have an anchor version that's rated pretty high.


----------



## sully75 (Jun 17, 2013)

This looks pretty good as far as hooks go, no? Price is reasonable too....

Mantus Chain Hook | MantusAnchors


----------



## MastUndSchotbruch (Nov 26, 2010)

sully75 said:


> This looks pretty good as far as hooks go, no? Price is reasonable too....
> 
> Mantus Chain Hook | MantusAnchors


Indeed, looks very interesting. Anyone has experience with it?


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

sully75 said:


> This looks pretty good as far as hooks go, no? Price is reasonable too....
> 
> Mantus Chain Hook | MantusAnchors


I just ordered one, as it seems like the least likely to fall off and doesn't require a moving part, like the wichard.

I'm going to make a winter project to make a custom bridle. I'm going to dust off my old three strand splicing skills (been a long time) and make a long bridle that will go over the bow roller, down about 4 feet and back to the center of the foredeck. Then I'm going to splice in two legs, one to each side cleat, with a spliced eye to lay over each cleat. It will require some measuring, as the roller is not centered. Theoretically, I would only have to attach the hook fore of the windlass and lay the two eyes over the cleats, let out enough chain to take up the bridle and done. We'll see.

Something to do over the winter. If it isn't fantastic, I'm going back to the rolling hitch.


----------



## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

MastUndSchotbruch said:


> Indeed, looks very interesting. Anyone has experience with it?


Yes.

Easy on, easy off. Stays on the chain well, even with sloppy deployment, so long as the hook does not rest on the bottom.


----------



## sailak (Apr 15, 2007)

I've been using the Mantus hook and like it. Doesn't fall off, yet is easy to remove when you want to.


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

*Mantus hook*



Minnewaska said:


> I just ordered one, as it seems like the least likely to fall off and doesn't require a moving part, like the wichard.
> 
> I'm going to make a winter project to make a custom bridle. I'm going to dust off my old three strand splicing skills (been a long time) and make a long bridle that will go over the bow roller, down about 4 feet and back to the center of the foredeck. Then I'm going to splice in two legs, one to each side cleat, with a spliced eye to lay over each cleat. It will require some measuring, as the roller is not centered. Theoretically, I would only have to attach the hook fore of the windlass and lay the two eyes over the cleats, let out enough chain to take up the bridle and done. We'll see.
> 
> Something to do over the winter. If it isn't fantastic, I'm going back to the rolling hitch.


Update.

My Mantus hook just arrived. We have 1/2" chain and the hook for it is HUGE! 8 inches x 5 inches. That's not fully bad, but I am now wondering if it will go through and over the bow roller. I will have to measure.

My real concern is for the galvanizing. I didn't want stainless, as it should be weaker. That may have been a mistake. It appears the casting wasn't perfect, so someone hit it with a grinder. With it all bright and new, I can't really tell if the galvanizing was ground off or not. If it was, it will rust instantly. Further, its very clear that the galvanizing didn't take well to the raised lettering on the hook.

Given all the compliments this company has been given, I was surprised at the poor quality so far.


----------



## MastUndSchotbruch (Nov 26, 2010)

*Re: Mantus hook*



Minnewaska said:


> Update.
> 
> My Mantus hook just arrived. We have 1/2" chain and the hook for it is HUGE! 8 inches x 5 inches. That's not fully bad, but I am now wondering if it will go through and over the bow roller. I will have to measure.
> 
> ...


Doesn't sound too good.

Based on the discussion on this group, I also ordered the Mantus Hook but in stainless (I am not too concerned about breaking strength for a snubber). I ordered this a week ago. They seem to take their sweet time about it: I ordered it on Amazon a week ago and it is still listed as 'being prepared for shipping.' Not a problem, I am snowed with work and can't go sailing this week or next but usually stuff ordered through Amazon is shipped within a day or two.

I will let you guys know how it looks like when it gets here.


----------



## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

*Re: Mantus hook*

1. Get stainless. It's pretty and will outlast you.

2. They are VERY overbuilt. Strength is not at issue.

3. It doesn't have to be as strong as the chain--they are rated to G5--only as strong as the snubber, which should be considerably lighter to allow stretch.

4. It will not go through the rollers.


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

*Re: Mantus hook*



pdqaltair said:


> 4. It will not go through the rollers.


If that proves true, it's a deal breaker. No way one can get around the pulpit and reach down to the chain on our boat. Presently, we tie a rolling hitch on the chain coming off the windlass and let it run through.

I may have to return it.


----------



## manatee (Feb 27, 2013)

vtsailguy said:


> I saw in the archives a hotly contested thread about anchor snubbers:
> http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/49719-what-kind-anchor-snubber-6.html
> 
> No-one mentioned a simple chain hook that screws as a way to fix the snubber to the chain.
> ...


 ...or you can go old-school: mouse the hook with a bit of tarred marline: waterproof, easy, cheap, fast, removed with one swipe of a good sharp knife*: 
http://bowsprite.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/mousing.jpg

*(which you should wear anytime you are on deck):

Top 10 sheath knives tried and tested by CB | Classic Boat Magazine

The Arts of the Sailor: Knotting, Splicing and Ropework - Hervey Garrett Smith - Google Books


----------



## sully75 (Jun 17, 2013)

Sorry, why would you need it to go over the roller? Can't you pull the chain in on the windlass and when the hook gets close detach it? There shouldn't be tension on it at that point, yeah?


----------



## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

Cruisingdad said:


> ...




I use one of those rubber things (it seems the same) on one cleat connected to the chain trough a shackle. I don't trust hooks and I had bent some other apparently more friendly connections. I use also a big swivel. The shackle is pretty easy to take off.

When the wind blows over 20K I use two, one on each side of the boat. I don't pass those cables on the the bow roller. One on each side. I can take on anchor considerable winds without too much discomfort. This year I had been at least 4 days in two occasions waiting the Meltemi to go away (35K on the anchorage).

Regards

Paulo


----------



## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

I'm sort of between Minnewaska and TQA on this.

I use about 2 metres of nylon 3-strand with a stainless chain hook.

I set the anchor completely done. When it is fully set, I hook the chain hook onto the chain and let the chain out. As the hook goes over the roller, keep tension on the line, pass it around the front and lay it over the other bow roller. Then it goes onto to mooring cleat and the chain runs out until a decent loop of chain hangs below the hook and the snubber line is taught.

I have never in decades of anchoring, had it unhook. And even if it did, so what?

For me it's about sound insulation, not shock absorbtion. If you have your anchor set with the right amount of scope, the catenary of the chain should provide all the shock absorbtion one should need.

When weighing anchor I ignore the hook completely and reel in the chain. As the chain loop disappears, the hook just drops off and hangs there until the anchor is stowed. When the anchor is safely stowed, pull in the snubber and put it away.

It's hard to make this sound complicated, it's too easy.


----------



## MastUndSchotbruch (Nov 26, 2010)

*Re: Mantus hook*



MastUndSchotbruch said:


> Doesn't sound too good.
> 
> Based on the discussion on this group, I also ordered the Mantus Hook but in stainless (I am not too concerned about breaking strength for a snubber). I ordered this a week ago. They seem to take their sweet time about it: I ordered it on Amazon a week ago and it is still listed as 'being prepared for shipping.' Not a problem, I am snowed with work and can't go sailing this week or next but usually stuff ordered through Amazon is shipped within a day or two.
> 
> I will let you guys know how it looks like when it gets here.


The hook is here!

As promised, here is my impression: It is a beautiful piece of hardware!

I originally thought of buying the galvanized version but it turned out that S/H on the stainless was free and on the galvanized not, so the price difference was small so I bought the stainless. I am glad I did. None of the problems reported with the galvanized apply to my stainless version. The casting is flawless. And with a WLL of 5400Lb for the 3/8" hook, I am surely not concerned about its strength. It fits beautifully on the chain and seems to hook on very securely.

You can tell I am VERY happy with it, so far.

I put on a good-sized SS shackle on it and I plan to splice an 1/2" three-stranded nylon on it (although Mantus recommends 5/8"; I think 1/2" is strong enough and has more flex). I was thinking of about 15' or 20' long.

Only question remaining: should I make it a bridle or just a single line? I used single lines so far (lead through a chock) which worked fine but perhaps I missed something?


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

My Mantus hook went back. It was HUGE and would not fit through the bow roller. Between my furler and pulpit, it is not possible to reach around them to attach the hook to the chain in front of the bow roller. You must hook it on the deck between the windlass and roller and let it pay out. 

I'm ordering the Wichard Chain Grip next.

My winter project is going to be splicing some three strand into a custom bridle.


----------



## MastUndSchotbruch (Nov 26, 2010)

Minnewaska said:


> My Mantus hook went back. It was HUGE and would not fit through the bow roller. Between my furler and pulpit, it is not possible to reach around them to attach the hook to the chain in front of the bow roller. You must hook it on the deck between the windlass and roller and let it pay out.
> 
> I'm ordering the Wichard Chain Grip next.
> 
> My winter project is going to be splicing some three strand into a custom bridle.


Yes, NO WAY this would fit through a bow roller! But it never occurred to me that the hook should do that, I always detached it before it reached the roller, even when I had a small standard chain hook.

Still not sure whether to splice up a bridle or just a single line. May even go one size smaller; I saw the people on Morgan's Cloud use a single 3/8" line for a 30,000 Lb boat, which is more than twice my displacement.


----------



## l_lym (Aug 15, 2004)

Been using the Mantus Hook all summer on our bridle and find it secure and easy to use, generally reaching over the pulpit to unhook once we've brought in some chain. HOWEVER I've never fully considered the points brought up earlier and the need to unhook and move quickly in difficult conditions. This needs some thought.


----------

