How low does your bridle hang?

[HeadedToTexas]

We were at anchor Saturday night and the wind picked up to 10-15 as forecasted. It was off shore and our anchor was well set, but it kept me awake for a while thinking about the other boats nearby.

Escape swings what seems like a lot to me with (and without) the bridle and I wonder if that is because my bridle is too short. It hangs so that the soft shackle connecting it to the anchor chain is just above the water surface when the chain is slack. I see some whose bridle hook is well below the surface. Is there a correct length?

 

[luna]

The correct length of the bridal or snubber in my mind depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

If you are just looking to reduce the noise of the chain as it drags across the bottom, or take the chain load off of the windlass, then a few feet over the bow roller will do as long as you slacken the chain as well.

If you want to provide some needed elasticity to your anchor chain once the forces imposed have removed any catenary, then the longer the bridal the better, within reason.
My bridal's 2 lines are both about 35 feet long, are affixed to the midship cleats, out a forward hawse pipe overboard and then it connects to the chain about a foot below waterline.

Each line is sized to the working strength of the chain and needs to be that way, as when the boat veers at anchor, it's common to find one line of the bridal slack.

I'm still, after many years of use, not yet convinced that the bridal reduces the horsing around of the boat.

 

[Simi 60]

We don't use a bridle because one of the ropes is always chafeing the hull as she swings.

Single rope snubber for us, sails around less.
From Sampson post to a ft behind roller is 20mm nylon
Then there is 8mm dyneema going over the roller about a ft
Then 20mm nylon to the water for up to 25 knots using a victory hook to chain

If a sustained blow or storm the length from dyneema to the water gets changed out for around 40 ft of 20mm nylon and a soft shackle to chain.

Dyneema is there for chafe - even a smooth roller eats 20mm nylon under load.

Have a roll of 20mm nylon and a decent dyneema supply onboard so can splice up new ones as needed

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Very interesting approaches. We have chocks maybe 6 feet aft of the bow, so a bridle routed through them will not chafe on the hull at even very sharp angles. Our whole bridle is only 20 feet, so each "arm" is only 7 feet.

The single line means chafe protection is needed where the bridle passes through the soft shackle attachment to the anchor chain. I understand you guys both use separate lines to form the bridle. I see how separate lines would eliminate the potential for chafing, but how would two separate lines impact swing?

 

[Comodave]

One concern might be if the bridle is so short that it takes sharp turns around the chocks. If there is a sharp turn at the chocks it could cause wear in the line. If so a longer bridle may straighten out the lines of the bridle so as to prevent some wear. Think fairlead.

 

[boomerang]

We normally anchor in less than 20' of water here on the East coast. I pay out enough bridle line to keep the snubber hook just off of the bottom when the boat is at rest and the anchor chain vertical. It's a rarity that the hook is above the water and can be seen.
I do use chafing guards where the bridle lines come through the hawse holes. I don't have any idea if our method is optimal but it seems to work ok for us.

 

[O C Diver]

I have 2 bridles.

My normal (gusts up to 40 knots of wind in protected bay) bridle comes together from the two bow hawse pipes in a splice. The line continues forward to the hook. The hook is maybe a foot in the water when calm. From the hook to the hawse pipe is 8 or 9'. When I make my next one, I will probably lengthen it 2'. I find that splicing the lines together just forward of the bow has reduced the wandering, but not more than 30%. The big improvement came from splicing eyes in the ends that just drop over the cleats. The loops have chaffing sleeves on them and the splice is outside the hawse pipe. This makes it very easy to setup and always the same each time. With 2 lines going through the hawse pipe, there's no stretching (with the associated noise), no chaffing, and no worries about the sharp bends on cleats and hawse pipes.







My storm (steady winds over 30 knots) bridle is heavier lines out 25' to a chain plate that's secured to the chain (don't care if it hits the bottom). For that one I wanted more line to absorb more shock and any slacking of the rode to drop the chain to the bottom for more shock absorption on the next pull.

Ted

 

[Hippocampus]

Like so many things think -it depends.

If on a clean mud bottom in order to prevent hunting may let out enough bridle that a bit of chain is dragging on the bottom. If bottom is rocky or I’m in an old harbor where there’s 400 years of junk having been thrown in don’t want chain near the the bottom.

If it windy or theres a sea running will let out more bridle as well. But do the opposite on a mild day in a tight anchorage to decrease swing.

Might use the bridle but also add in a third or even fourth snubber if I expect high winds/seas. Will run one to our Sampson post and the others, including the bridle daisy chained to midship cleats so loading is on bow cleats, midship cleats and Sampson post while protecting lines from chafing.

Think you need to be flexible in your technique. Length, number and where you secure bridles/snubbers should fit the situation and forecasted future. There is no rule. Snubbers/bridles should protect your windlass, absorb shock loads and decrease hunting. Given the situation changes day to day so should your practice.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Given the breadth of approaches to bridle length and attachment points, it sounds like every boat is different and one must simply experiment to determine the best results, which in turn depend on one's objectives.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Thanks for the insights, Ted. Your photos really make a lot more sense now. On a related note, my somewhat casual approach to bridle attachment has been the soft shackle, but I do see some problems with that. Your approach of looping chain behind the hook to help secure it removes the big reason I chose the soft shackle in the first place.

I have also been using a single line bridle attached through chocks to cleats or my Samson post with the bridle passing through the soft shackle connected to a link in the chain. I have yet to see any wear, but I also have yet to anchor in challenging conditions or for extended periods. Improvements abound.

Is the preferred method to assemble the bridle from separate line, each with the appropriate eye sliced in each end with one end around a cleat or Samson post and each of the other ends through the anchor chain hook or soft shackle?

 

[SIBERNUT]

Old cowboy goes into hotel, says "just got married & we need a room" . Manager says, " would you like the Bridal?"
He says" Nah, if she gets frisky I'll just grab her ears".…..

Sorry guys/gals, couldn't help myself

 

[O C Diver]

Is the preferred method to assemble the bridle from separate line, each with the appropriate eye sliced in each end with one end around a cleat or Samson post and each of the other ends through the anchor chain hook or soft shackle?

I'm certainly not the norm in how I do it. This setup works well for me and I'm the only one I have to please.

While I can't speak to soft shackles, if you start with 2 lines and splice a thimble in each one, they can be combined with a metal shackle and the hook of your choice. While most will leave the lines long and cleat them off at the chosen length, I really like my spliced loops as it eliminates squeaking when they stretch through the hawse pipes.

A case can be made for 2 separate lines to the shackle. If one were to break, you don't loose your hardware.

Ted