[Bene505]

This fall in Port Washington, our dinghy painter picked up a huge amount of growth, much more than the anchorages we usually visit. That place really grows things fast.

So I tied a light bungie line to the middle of my dinghy painter and then to the end that gets looped over a stern cleat. It keeps the painter out of the water when the wind isn't blowing. (The painter already stays out of the water when the wind is blowing, due to tension.) The bungie-on-painter is definitely a part of our normal setup now.

Not so much for snubbers, but something similar could be done for mooring pennants. We had one side of our pennant wrap around the buoy and get eaten-up by rubbing against the chain this windy fall. They get wrapped when the wind is light and the buoy is right below the bow of the boat. A bungie would has prevented this and helped to keep the pennant free of barnacles and other growth.

Regards,
Brad

 

[Bene505]

I believe the length and thickness of a needed snubber changes with the conditions.

But only in tight quarters, right? Reason I ask is that we prep for the strong winds. Then if it's light winds, we don't change anything. We just stay prepared for strong winds.

Regards,
Brad

 

[Bene505]

My snubber is about 20 feet long; when deployed, the point attaching to the chain is under water about ten feet in light winds/currents (I cannot see it, but the water here is very polluted). The main reason for the "snubber" (for me) is to take all the load off the windlass and put it on the main deck cleats, not to snub the anchor chain (absorb tension in the rode). I let out more chain (have more scope) for that purpose.

I believe something to be careful about is when there is enough fetch such that strong winds means waves in the anchorage.

Then when the wind is strong enough you have both waves and a tight chain. So there will be jerking without any catenary to protect your windlass or cleats. IMHO, that is what a snubber is for, when the conditions are bad, expecially when there is fetch.

Regards,
Brad

 

[Bene505]

I know someone who snapped a snubber line while setting his anchor.

Now he makes extra sure that he backs down slowly to pick up tension before increasing the RPMs (in reverse). And he uses a snubber line that is in better condition.

Regards,
Brad