Bow anchoring

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by fallguy, Oct 10, 2020.

  1. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    So; you set the anchor, then temp tie off the anchor rode to a cleat on deck, then tie the bridle to the slack rode; then release the rode until the bridle has the tension. I can see how this could be fun in a stiff wind, bit doable.

    Also, the cleats on my boat are dead centered on the middle of the hull top deck about a foot back. The bridle rope would be easy to access, but chafe the boat bad. Is this just a chafing guard or would you relocate the cleat? It is all foam core; so I already decored the areas before laminating. The roller might be in the way of the current cleat..and the front of the hull has about 8" of foam, so installing the roller might be hard to do as well...and relocating the cleat a need.

    Finally, for the bridle cleat, if I end up installing a better placed cleat, what is the backup psi used? My boat will be under 10,000 pounds, but that is a good design number. My hull is 12mm san core with 22 to 24 oz glass in the area of any future cleat. I do have an area where there is the 22 oz core with two 25 oz tapes outside and 3 25 ounce tapes outside that would be really strong for the connections before backing up. I would need to decore the inside some. I can add a picture of what I did vs what might be in the morning.

    Further, is there a better way to attach the bridle to the boat if I am redoing it all? Like an eyebolt or shackle or some such? My cleats are a bit tight to the deck.

    thanks so much for all the replies
     
  2. bajansailor
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    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    Sailing cats often have eyebolts attached to the inboard sides of the bows, with the bridle ropes permanently attached to them.
    One advantage of this would be no need for fairleads or chafing guards on the deck edges.
    If they have an all chain cable then they usually have a chain hook attached to the bridle, rather than having to lash the rope on to the chain, although it is still possible to use a rolling hitch on to a chain.

    Rather than having your anchor mounted on a roller on the port bow, it might be easier to simply have it on a roller on the centreline, on the forward side of the bridgedeck. The advantage of having the weight of the anchor and cable further aft would probably be greater than the advantage of having it to port to offset the extra (so far) weight to starboard.
     
  3. Smj1
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    Smj1 Junior Member

    Our old Cherokee 35 catamaran when anchored of one bow sat very well at about 10-15 degrees of the wind in any strength wind, no bridle needed. Maybe you will be as lucky?
     
  4. Blueknarr
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    Blueknarr Senior Member

    If the rhode is heavily loaded then I bend on the bridle to the tensioned rhode outboard of any cleats or the windless, then ease things out.


    Line chocks both inboard and outboard (for docking) are probably in order.
     
  5. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    I want to keep the netting clear of lines for a nice tanning deck.
     
  6. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    I don't see how I would toe the bridle to a chock.
     
  7. bajansailor
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    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    If you do have the anchor roller on the centreline, on the bridgedeck, you could maybe build a tubular S/S guard around it - the netting could then attach to this locally (rather than the forward side of the bridgedeck), and then you still have a large tanning net (you would only lose a couple of square feet at the most) ?

    I am sorry, but I am a bit baffled here.
    Regarding chocks (also known as fairleads), my other word for them is 'unfairleads', as I have seen so many that were doing a good job of chafing through mooring or anchor warps.
    If you do run your bridle from cleats on the bows, I would just have chafing plates (rather than chocks or unfairleads) on the gunwhales on the inboard sides of the hulls, where the bridle ropes will be in contact with the gunwhales.
     
  8. Blueknarr
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    Blueknarr Senior Member

    Since those chaff strips are not changing the line direction,. There will be no lateral load on them. Only a slight compression into the deck. There is no need for heavy duty fasteners.
     
  9. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

  10. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    Two places will chafe. If I put a padeye or cleat 875AC5A9-5620-41FC-BBB8-A92489BC9E7D.jpeg on the lower chine pictured; no chafing.
     
  11. bajansailor
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    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    Would it be feasible to attach a bridle rope on to the pad eye / eye bolt in the stem?

    And then you would not have to worry about chafe from a rope leading over the edge of the inboard gunwhale.
     
  12. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    perhaps...

    the bow eye goes through 5# core and is backed up with a plate about 42" square...I put a butterflied section of 316 tube there to provide some lateral strength if we ever need a tow-those eyes were very expensive and custom built and the bolts are 10" long!

    In a more perfect world, I would have backed them up with a higher density core...but there is no access to this area; it is simply too tight to change it now...
     
  13. Blueknarr
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    Blueknarr Senior Member

  14. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    There is another problem I just realized. The netting beam and netting cut that cleat off from working for the bridle. (not installed, yet)..

    perhaps I will try the bow eye

    can I put a snubber in the system?
     

  15. Blueknarr
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    Blueknarr Senior Member

    Absolutely put snubbers into the system. Bridling snubbers onto an all chain rhode is how I developed the habit of bridling anchors.

    Perhaps an eye could be built into the forward netting attachment system?
     
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