Powerful Tips for Successful Bridle Anchoring Strategy

[@BostonClipper]

Great anchoring video! Some mooring techniques: We use a spare dock line to grab a mooring for a short stay. On the cabin top, we have a long storage box accessible from the bow. Stowed in the box is a Robship Hook & Moor Telescoping Boat Hook. So we attach the dock line loop to one side, snap the line through the mooring ball eye with the "Hook & Moor", and cleat the bitter end. The process takes only seconds which is important in a typically tighter mooring field. We have over 4 feet of freeboard at the bow, so the "Hook & Moor" makes this process VERY fast and easy. The easier something is the more we are likely to do it. To get off the mooring, we release the bitter end cleat and retrieve the dock line. If grabbing a mooring for a longer stay we grab the mooring ball eye at the stern swim platform. As a recreational boater, the bridle connection to the eye is a quick heavy-duty load-rated carabiner. The other end of the bridle has both loops pre-strung with the spare dock line running through. Depending on the sea state we motor or, just simply walk the bridle forward with the dock line sometimes utilizing the dock line loop with the mid-cleat. At the bow, we retrieve and connect the bridle. To get off the mooring we string the bridle loops (outside the bow pulpit) again and walk the tackle astern.

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

Great tips!! Thanks for watching!

[@stevenhorwood1300]

Nice job Martin. Love the Heavy Duty Mantis snubber and bridal. I made my own that works but will definitely end up with the Mantis system. I have found that at times clipping one of the bridal ends to a mid cleat and the other to the bow cleat holds the boat at an angle to the seas and reduce my swing.

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

That's a great tip. I'll try that out next time I'm anchor.

[@mikemoren532]

Thanks much for this video, Martin & LaZina. We have yet to spend a night on anchor (lack of confidence and desire to sleep soundly:), but it's a goal of mine to become comfortable with anchoring before next spring. Hope to meet you at the Rendezvous in a couple of weeks!

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

We'll be at the Rendezvous Wed - Sunday. Be sure to stop by and say hi.

[@dougodysssey]

Great video and timely as we just anchored our CW 30 for the first time this past weekend. We were in shallow water with a muddy bottom so I got by with just letting chain out. I am curious how the transition is from chain to rope as I know some windlasses have trouble handling that transition. It did not seem to phase you.

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

The rode is connected to the chain with an 8 strand splice. Came from the factory that way. The splice run through the windlass without issue.

[@KevinFlockton]

Hi Martin Nice video as usual. Question: Did you add the bow cleats to your 27? My 25 does not have them. It just has the cleat behind the windless

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

The R25 has a port and starboard bow chock with a center cleat. You'd use the cleat for both sides of the bridle and run the bridle through the port and starboard chocks on the boat. The R29, Cutwater 28, all do this as well.

[@KevinFlockton]

@@Letsgochannelsurfing Yes, that's What I do now. I was thinking about adding a couple of cleats also and was wondering if that's what you did. Thanks

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

The r27 comes with a port and starboard cleat, and the slightly off center anchor rode cleat. Factory standard.

[@michaelbartyzal1306]

Just out of curiosity why don’t you leave the clip connected to the bridle eye all the time, then just clip to the snubber pendant when anchoring? That way you don’t have to mess with the shackle and lock wire every time you anchor, furthermore this way the clip is always attached to the bridle when you want to use the clip for a mooring ball as well. If you go to the Mantus Mooring Snap Shackle web page they have a picture at the top showing it being done as I describe.

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

This is a great suggestion. I'm now doing it as you suggest, using the mooring ball snap shackle to connect to the snubber. Thanks!

[@ds3552]

Having those long legs on that bridle may cause problems in calm condition with the boat riding over it. I had the same bridle and used to tie them off to the bulwark cleats instead of using the eyes at the ends of the bridle just so the bridle and anchor line were just a few ft below waterline. Moved the chafe guards so they were in the correct spot. On the Ranger it would be nice to have larger cleats for that bridle. I also use the snubber but generally just use a single line to one of the cleats.

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

Thanks for the great feedback!

[@BostonClipper]

Comparing notes. When I use a bridle attached to the anchor rode I consider it a “belt and suspenders” situation. The anchor/belt is what I count on, the bridle/suspenders makes it better. I removed the shackles from the bridle and snubber pendant. I do not want the shackles flipping around damaging the gelcoat. I do not want an untethered tool on a bouncing foredeck. I do not want to mouse a shackle. And yes I have seen an unmoused shackle pin/bolt back out OVERNIGHT. It is also much, much easier to tie a Prusik Knot without an attached shackle. Keeping the “suspenders” ethos in mind I connect the bridle to the snubber pendant with a high quality carabiner with a twist or keystone gate. I do not like heavy, sharpe edged snap shackles. BTW not to criticize but rather from admiration that your videos have becomes part of the human knowledge base. It is possible a viewer could think the chain is not part of the rode. Funny there was a TV program called the “The Beverly Hillbillies”. A character call Jethro would refer to the swimming pool as the “cement pond”. Ever since Americans have confused cement for concrete. For viewers reading this; cement is a powder and an ingredient in concrete, just like flour (powder) is ingredient in bread. FYI concrete is made from water, cement and aggregate (gravel). Mortar is made from water, cement and sand.

[@Letsgochannelsurfing]

Great feedback!