Anchoring Mooring

Weve sewn our fair share of eyes in nylon webbing, but heres an easy no-sew alternative for creating a webbing strap with a buckle (shackle) that can be used for easily lashing down the dinghy, a battery, or even holding up your pants in a pinch. It is based on stuff a sailor has on hand-webbing, a chain link, and a shackle-and is as strong as professionally sewn ends, plus it can be untied after loading. It has tested at greater than 85-percent breaking strength and 100 percent of minimum rate strength, and it works on both nylon and ultra-high strength materials like Vectran webbing.

When researching Changing Views on Chain Hooks (see PS, March 2016 online), we were surprised to discover that some chain hooks greatly reduced the breaking strength of a chain. Unless the hook itself broke, we assumed its effect on chain strength would be very minor.

In our recent article on anchor swivels (see PS September 2015 online), we reiterated our view that swivels are unnecessary in most anchoring situations. For those who insist on using one, we suggested staying away from cheap varieties, and using only load-tested designs that exceed the rating of the anchor chain from every angle of pull. (None of the ones we have found that meet this criteria are cheap.) Shortly after that article, Mantus Anchors, a relatively new maker of anchors and anchoring accessories, introduced its swivel, which it claims is as strong as an ordinary shackle and priced in a range that ordinary cruisers can stomach.

We know the theory behind using anchor swivels: The swivel releases any twists in the chain when an anchored boat swings through 360 degrees or more. Still, we question the logic of using them. Our skepticism is supported by our own experience, previous testing, and input from long-term cruisers, but we wanted to devise a test to investigate chain twisting.

There are a number of ways to attach a snubber to an anchor chain. A gripping hitch, a soft-shackle, or a chain hook are the most common. Of the three, Practical Sailor has a strong preference for a camel hitch or similar gripping knot, but for the many who seek a faster, simpler way to attach a snubber, here is a look at chain hooks.

When it comes to snubber sizes and diameters, catamarans present special challenges, and usually require a bridle, with separate lines leading from the hook to each hull. Heres an example of the bridle-type snubber that PS contributor Jonathan Neeves uses on his seven-ton, 38-foot catamaran that he lives aboard and cruises in Australia.

During our research, nearly every maker of industrial chain offered the same caution: Using a generic chain hook can reduce the link strength by 20 to 25 percent. The generic style of chain hook, familiar to most sailors, resembles an elongated fish hook. As we found in this test, some other hook types are potentially more harmful.

Sailors spend considerable time pondering their anchoring arsenal for the mothership, but what about the dinghy? With the new Mantus Dinghy Anchor, it seems that all of the design schools are now represented in small sizes. We were interested to determine which of these might offer the best performance.

Each anchor was pulled in both a straight line and at 90 degrees in both soft mud and firm sand at a 10:1 scope. All findings regarding load were recorded with a calibrated load cell. Testers performed the 90-degree test by lightly setting the anchor (with a 15-pound load in mud, 40 pounds in sand) and then slowly pulling at a 90-degree angle, as though the wind or tide changed. Additionally, each anchor was used day-in, day-out aboard an inflatable dinghy to evaluate ease of use and real-world effectiveness.

All testing was carried out at an approved test facility in Newcastle, Australia: J.L. Robertsons, which is adjacent to one of Australias large coal-mining areas. The test rig is used to certify lifting components for the local mining industry on a daily basis. The facility can test up to 95 tons, far more than we require. This is the same facility where we tested all of our anchor chains. (See PS June 2014, November 2014, January 2015, and March 2015 online.)