On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 17:39:34 -0500, Courtney Thomas
wrote:

I fail to see how to utilize a mounted stopper unless it's forward of
the windlass,.....

====================================

That is correct, a mounted stopper must lie along the path of the
chain between the windlass and the anchor roller. If you have no
space available along that path, or if the space is not structurally
strong enough to support high lateral loads, then a stopper is out of
the question. A chain hook is certainly a reasonable alternative,
with or without the bridle.

Comments below.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...
Doug,

One final query....

Please don't regard my enquiry as being argumentative, rather a grasping
by an inexperienced chain stopper user :-)

Wouldn't a fixed stopper be better in that... [it conceptually seems to
me]... the chain could "fall out" of the grabber [I realize it's under
tension] in that it has no restraining "lock", as do the fixed ones [in
effect] ?

The purpose of the grabber is to distribute the load across the
bow cleats. This reduces swinging at anchor. The chain would have to fall
up in order to exit the grabber. A good sized loop of chain is left
between the grapper and the bow, this keeps it in place.

I guess you use it with the "slot" up ?

Correct.

Appreciatively,
Courtney



Doug Dotson wrote:

Comments below.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...

Doug,

I don't see a chain grabber in the current W.Marine catalog buy do see a
chain grabber for $20 in Hamilton Marine's.


West Marine catalog page 723 lower right corner.


The add says the shackle holes are 1/2", which apparently requires a
shackle to use.


Two shackles, one for each side to connect to a eye in the
line.


How exactly does the manufacturer intend that it be used, assuming it's
like yours ?


It is a bridle. A short line from each side of the Grabber (maybe 6-8')
goes to each bow cleat. Chain is grabbed in the slot. It distributes the
load across both bow cleats. Also helps to reduce swinging on
anchor.



Thanks,
Courtney


Doug Dotson wrote:


West Marine sells something called a Chain Grabber for $20.
We have used one for years and love it. Not sure if this is
what you are after. Ours is just galvanized.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...


I've seen chromed ones that are quite high but would prefer to buy a
sturdy plain one.

Same for Samson post, etc..

BTW, what's a devil's claw ?

Gratefully,
Courtney
--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619





--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619






--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

One more thing. The nice thing about the Grabber is that it eliminates
the noise of the chain rattling around on the bow roller all the
time as happens with a stopper. The stopped is alot easier to
use though.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...
Doug,

One final query....

Please don't regard my enquiry as being argumentative, rather a grasping
by an inexperienced chain stopper user :-)

Wouldn't a fixed stopper be better in that... [it conceptually seems to
me]... the chain could "fall out" of the grabber [I realize it's under
tension] in that it has no restraining "lock", as do the fixed ones [in
effect] ?

I guess you use it with the "slot" up ?

Appreciatively,
Courtney



Doug Dotson wrote:

Comments below.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...

Doug,

I don't see a chain grabber in the current W.Marine catalog buy do see a
chain grabber for $20 in Hamilton Marine's.


West Marine catalog page 723 lower right corner.


The add says the shackle holes are 1/2", which apparently requires a
shackle to use.


Two shackles, one for each side to connect to a eye in the
line.


How exactly does the manufacturer intend that it be used, assuming it's
like yours ?


It is a bridle. A short line from each side of the Grabber (maybe 6-8')
goes to each bow cleat. Chain is grabbed in the slot. It distributes the
load across both bow cleats. Also helps to reduce swinging on
anchor.



Thanks,
Courtney


Doug Dotson wrote:


West Marine sells something called a Chain Grabber for $20.
We have used one for years and love it. Not sure if this is
what you are after. Ours is just galvanized.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...


I've seen chromed ones that are quite high but would prefer to buy a
sturdy plain one.

Same for Samson post, etc..

BTW, what's a devil's claw ?

Gratefully,
Courtney
--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619





--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619






--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
One more thing. The nice thing about the Grabber is that it eliminates
the noise of the chain rattling around on the bow roller all the
time as happens with a stopper. The stopped is alot easier to
use though.


Well, perhaps, but I found the jerking which occurred if there was no give
in the line annoying and also felt it couldn't be doing the boat any good.
Thus my use of the nylon and hook whenever I thought it might help (waves,
mostly, though a strong enough wind will take the catenary out of the
longest chain)...

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

A good long nylon snubber is essential with an all chain anchor
system. It eliminates the "snatching" when you bounce up and down, it
takes the strain off the windlass, and it adds some elasticity to the
line not to mention the lack of clacking. I use a 30 ft snubber,
increasing the length as the conditions worsen. Usually only 10 feet
or so's out.
Rick Itenson
Breathless
Toronto

Right, that's why a chain grabber does a good job. Plus, a
grabber uses 2 lines so one has redundency if one chafes
through.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Skip Gundlach" skip make this all one word with my last name next to my
first gundlach@adelphia dot fish catcher net (sorry bout the spamtrap!)
wrote in message ...
"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
One more thing. The nice thing about the Grabber is that it eliminates
the noise of the chain rattling around on the bow roller all the
time as happens with a stopper. The stopped is alot easier to
use though.


Well, perhaps, but I found the jerking which occurred if there was no give
in the line annoying and also felt it couldn't be doing the boat any good.
Thus my use of the nylon and hook whenever I thought it might help (waves,
mostly, though a strong enough wind will take the catenary out of the
longest chain)...

L8R

Skip

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

Right, and a grabber gives you 2 nylon lines which not only
gives the shock absorbing quality but also some redundancy.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Rick Itenson" wrote in message
...

A good long nylon snubber is essential with an all chain anchor
system. It eliminates the "snatching" when you bounce up and down, it
takes the strain off the windlass, and it adds some elasticity to the
line not to mention the lack of clacking. I use a 30 ft snubber,
increasing the length as the conditions worsen. Usually only 10 feet
or so's out.
Rick Itenson
Breathless
Toronto

Details of the snubber itself as well as it's deployment would be
appreciated.

Cordially,
Courtney



Rick Itenson wrote:

A good long nylon snubber is essential with an all chain anchor
system. It eliminates the "snatching" when you bounce up and down, it
takes the strain off the windlass, and it adds some elasticity to the
line not to mention the lack of clacking. I use a 30 ft snubber,
increasing the length as the conditions worsen. Usually only 10 feet
or so's out.
Rick Itenson
Breathless
Toronto



--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...
Details of the snubber itself as well as it's deployment would be
appreciated.

Cordially,
Courtney


In the case of the chain grabber of the prior discussions, you hook it into
the chain before you're finished running out the rode, and pay out the two
lines from the cleats until you have enough. That provides a
shock-absorbing snubber

In our case, the nylon rode with the chain hook as snubber, I hook the chain
hook on led out through the chock and take a single turn around the cleat so
I can maintain tension on the chain as it pays out. When I get enough out
(I usually use it all - perhaps 50 feet - I cleat it off, and then let out
another 10' or so of chain and use my caribiner (again as described in other
threads as my on-board stopper) as security against a pull against the
gypsy. The added length of chain makes it largely stay under water, unless
the pull is very strong. You could also do what many do for docking
snubbers and add a rubber length with several twists of line around it,
exiting both ends in line, providing the rubber stretch in addition to the
much stronger nylon stretch. Because I use so much length on my nylon, I've
not found it necessary. Of course, I also use a great deal more scope than
many ("ain't drug yet!")...

In any event, there's no sensation of yanking due to all the nylon rode, but
it's an all-chain rode in the event of severe conditions (severe enough to
part the nylon rode snubber). Effectively what I've got is a very long
chain leader to a nylon rode, vs the common 10-20-30 feet of chain followed
by nylon The only downside (which would be cured with the chain grabber,
which is symmetrical) is the slight port offset due to the actual pull on
the boat being from the single cleat rather than the anchor roller.

Retrieval is with the chain gypsy, and I just pay it in and coil the nylon
as I go. When the hook arrives at the roller, I take it off and complete the
retrieval.

HTH

L8R

Skip


--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain



Rick Itenson wrote:

A good long nylon snubber is essential with an all chain anchor
system. It eliminates the "snatching" when you bounce up and down, it
takes the strain off the windlass, and it adds some elasticity to the
line not to mention the lack of clacking. I use a 30 ft snubber,
increasing the length as the conditions worsen. Usually only 10 feet
or so's out.
Rick Itenson
Breathless
Toronto



--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619

Courtney,

You might want to invest in a copy of The Complete Book of
Anchoring and Mooring by Earl R. Hinz. Well worth having.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...
Details of the snubber itself as well as it's deployment would be
appreciated.

Cordially,
Courtney



Rick Itenson wrote:

A good long nylon snubber is essential with an all chain anchor
system. It eliminates the "snatching" when you bounce up and down, it
takes the strain off the windlass, and it adds some elasticity to the
line not to mention the lack of clacking. I use a 30 ft snubber,
increasing the length as the conditions worsen. Usually only 10 feet
or so's out.
Rick Itenson
Breathless
Toronto



--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619