When anchoring up, it is simply good seamanship to protect your boat and supply comfort to your crew. And just as there is no single anchor for yacht owners to use in every situation, there isn’t a single best way to set an anchor rode - each boat owner requires a bespoke solution.

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The set-up on many yachts these days is to have an all-chain rode. The ‘bitter end’ is secured on the boat, with the metal going right to the seabed, the last link connected to the anchor.

Partly to introduce the capacity to absorb shocks from wind and wave, skippers will typically pay out a rode that’s at least five times the depth of water. While the chain itself has no shock absorption, the weight of the catenary curve dampens shock from the movement of the boat.

Sudden jolting can still occur, though, especially when the wind picks up, and it’s bad news – for crew seeking comfort, but also for anchor, chain and bow roller. And shock-loading the rode can in some circumstances break the anchor out, meaning you’ll start dragging. That’s not conducive to calm, say in a crowded anchorage like Osborne Bay in summer.

Here’s where snubbers come in. They are designed to absorb this sudden snatching on the rode, sparing your boat and giving you and your crew a measure of serenity.

A snubber will also go some way to eliminating that squeaking sound of bar-tight chain on your bow roller. A quieter solution for everybody.

Essentially a rope snubber engages with the outboard, downward-going links of an all-chain rode. Once the snubbing rope is under tension and the chain is slackened sufficiently, your snubber will be taking the strain. Providing it’s of a diameter and length conducive to stretching under load, it is ‘snubbing’ any jolt that comes along.

There are various options available in deciding which is the best snubbing solution. The first choice could be characterised as: ‘one end or two’. You can have one snubbing rope made fast at one end on a bow cleat and then taken outboard either through the bow roller or fairlead to the chain. This option is commonly known as the ‘strop’.

Alternatively, you can have the ‘bridle’ V-shaped snubbing rope: the bridle’s ends will come inboard through fairleads on opposite sides to each forward mooring cleat. With the bridle you are always avoiding any pressure on the roller.

Another question is what kind of rope will be required, in terms of the line’s composition and construction. LIROS Nylon is a good choice. It stretches up to a fifth more of its original length before parting. Generally, the rope needs to be of comparable strength to the anchor chain.

A slightly thinner line might be stretchier but it may have a shorter working life as a strop. For a single-line snubber, either Anchorplait (eight-strand) or three-strand rope can be used. For a V-shaped bridle, Anchorplait is regarded as the only workable solution. There is no discernible difference in elasticity between eight and three strand.

Also to be decided is the length of the snubbing line. Seamanship guides will say ‘plenty of chain and rode’ but this quantity depends on your boat and where you sail. A longer snubber supplies more elasticity, but it is good to factor in how long you want the crew on the foredeck paying out a long length in deploying it, and again dragging it all back in when recovering.

Another choice is how to attach the snubber to the chain. The snubber rope can be bound to a hook, or a gripper. The options are categorised as ‘captive’ (that is to say ‘retentive’, where the connection stays on when the snubber goes slack), or ‘non-captive’ (also called ‘plain’), where the connection is open to release when the snubber goes slack. In practice, when correctly deployed and loaded, a ‘non-captive’ hook or grabber shouldn’t detach itself, but a long, heavy loop of chain will be necessary to keep the hook engaged if the rode goes completely slack, e.g. when the tide overrides the wind. Because of the calibration of most modern chain, the links are not entered, with hooks and grabs designed to fit over a link in one dimensional plane and rest on the next link, which will naturally lie transverse to it.

Aside from hooks and grabs, knots are at times employed. For a small craft, a Lark’s Foot hitch can be used; for yachts, a Rolling Hitch, with no movement in the direction of pull, is a surefooted solution. The cautions with knots are that they weaken the line, and whereas the nub of the knot might be both secure and relatively easy to undo, there could be pressure on the loop or bight, caught between links, so that only a relatively short amount of time at anchor can give enough chafe to sever the line.

There are choices to be made depending on how long you usually spend at anchor and where you drop the hook. It might go without saying, but long periods at exposed anchorages would call for a relatively long, heavy snubber line with heavy-calibre attachments. And of course several anchors would require several snubbers…

Many boat owners might not be aware of the online availability of tailored solutions. Strops and bridles can be custom-made for you by Jimmy Green Marine.

Anyone who would prefer not to order online can specify their requirements and complete a purchase via phone or email.

For a comprehensive round-up of information: jimmygreen.com/content/190-anchor-chain-snubbing-guide