Attaching a snubber to the anchor chain

[Tricefield]

I have recently acquired a Ranger 29 CB with 50 ft of chain and the usual rode attached for anchoring. We typically anchor here in Florida in 10-15 feet in relatively sheltered water, so I routinely deploy all but a small length of the chain when I anchor. Since the chain should not pull directly on the windlass when at anchor, I attach a snubber consisting of a metal chain-claw with two lengths of rope attached, bringing one line from the attached claw up to the stbd side bow cleat and the other up to the port side. We then slack the chain so that some 6 feet or so of the lines leading over the bow to the claw take the strain. Attaching the claw is the problem, as direct access to the chain over the bow is blocked by the forward-protruding bow ladder structure (I have no idea why it is there--casual beaching of a boat this size and weight seems like a bad idea to me). To attach the claw requires that I lie on my stomach and lean as far over the side as I can without sliding over in order to hook the claw to the chain between the inaccessible bow roller and the water, while my mate attends the line on her side of the bow and advises me to be careful.
Surely the designers of this otherwise cleverly-built boat, which we love, had something else in mind - what am I missing?

Jay Plager, Longboat Key

 

[j&lgray]

Here a couple of ideas for you to consider:

We typically have a light duty snubber and a heavy duty one. The light duty one is for light winds, 10 knots or less, and is a single line, about 4 feet long, with a chain hook at one end and a loop in the other. Put the loop over the cleat at the windlass and put the chain hook on at the easiest and closest link. Pay out the chain, line goes taut and put out enough more for a good sag in the line. Ta-da, done.

The heavy duty snubber is much like your description. Put the chain hook on early while it is close, and pay out the chain as you normally do. Saves on the full body stretch.

Finally, we have anchored on both coasts of Florida and in the Keys and St. Johns River when we spent the winters there. Fantastic boating! Many times the wind was light enough, that we did not use a snubber.

 

[batate]

I like the idea of having a light snubber and a heavy one. That's what we're going to do on the loop this year.

 

[S. Todd]

Jay, I feel your pain about the bow ladder and huge bow pulpit on the R29 and the ability to reach the anchor. I agree that I would never beach a boat this big and heavy so that bow ladder is mostly a waste. At 5' 7" I find the biggest drawback to the pulpit is the way it blocks the view forward when the boat is accelerating. The only positives to that large pulpit and ladder is that sometime it comes in handy when launching the boat from a ramp that has no dock and it is helpful to run the power cords to the dock when you are in a slip bow first. I try to focus on those positive aspects.

 

[Someday*]

Here a couple of ideas for you to consider:

We typically have a light duty snubber and a heavy duty one. The light duty one is for light winds, 10 knots or less, and is a single line, about 4 feet long, with a chain hook at one end and a loop in the other. Put the loop over the cleat at the windlass and put the chain hook on at the easiest and closest link. Pay out the chain, line goes taut and put out enough more for a good sag in the line. Ta-da, done.

The heavy duty snubber is much like your description. Put the chain hook on early while it is close, and pay out the chain as you normally do. Saves on the full body stretch.

Finally, we have anchored on both coasts of Florida and in the Keys and St. Johns River when we spent the winters there. Fantastic boating! Many times the wind was light enough, that we did not use a snubber.

Did you purchase each of these snubbers or make them yourself? I am interested in that light duty one.

 

[j&lgray]

We made all of our snubbers. Just use a braided line because that type of line stretches the most and that is what you are creating - a shock absorber. Get a chain hook that fits your diameter chain, 3/8" is most common, tie it with a bowline and put another loop with bowline on the other end that goes around the cleat by the windlass. Voila!

 

[Wee Venture]

Get a chain hook that fits your diameter chain, 3/8" is most common

It’s probably 5/16”. I made the same mistake. I didn’t have a caliper on hand so used an open end wrench: 5/16” = no go; 3/8” = go—must be 3/8. But then I couldn’t figure out why the chain hook I ordered from Mantus (the old style) was so big. Bottom line is I didn’t account for the galvanizing on the chain. Unless someone has installed an oversized chain and switched out the gypsy it’ll be 5/16”.

John

 

[Grubin]

Has anyone figured out a way, on a new RT29 to keep the port and starboard achor snubber lines from fouling on the anchor cradle? In strong blows, as the boat swings thru 90 degrees, the snubbers alternately stand straight out, usually above the s.s. cradle, then catch on the vertical sides or on the movable bale, then abraid themselves as they snap straight. In lower winds, the snubber lines stay below the cradle, and are not as big a problem.

Does Ranger designers ever test their boats in actual conditions? Seems like they missed this.

 

[Sandro]

I have a 29cb. Since a snubber is only needed when all chain. I just let out the chain until rode and then cleat the rode off. Even in just 10 feet u will use the 50 feet of chain at 5:1. For a lunch hook it doesn’t really matter .. if all chain just wrap the chain around the cleat in front of the windlass to take the load off. That cleat, while smaller, is through bolted to the reinforced deck in that area.