The cabin where we sleep is the v-berth, right behind the bow of the boat. Any small noise the anchor chain makes reverberates through the chain locker and sounds very loud in the v-berth. When we anchor, George attaches a line that goes from the anchor chain to a cleat. This line (called a snubber) takes the pressure off the anchor windlass (a motor that pulls the anchor up). You can see the anchor chain on the left in the photo below and the snubber line on the right. The snubber line is attached to the anchor chain below the water line. When it is windy Breeze On swings back and forth around the anchor chain. When that happens we hear a loud clunk, clunk, clunk as the chain rubs on the snubber and/or a loud "Creeeak!" as the snubber line rubs the boat and stretches. Not a recipe for a good night's sleep.
Over the past two seasons George has made several changes in the way he ties the snubber line. He has finally found the answer to a quieter anchor chain.
- Tie a long snubber line to the chain so that it goes below the water line.
- Attach a fender so that it sits between the snubber line and the boat.
- Use a smoother braided line instead of a 3-strand so that if the line rubs against the bow, it doesn't bump, bump bump.
- Attach another line to the chain to pull it away from the snubber. This way, when the boat swings the chain and snubber don't rub together causing the clunk-clunk-clunk. (You can see that line on the left). He puts a fender under that line as well to keep it off of the boat. This was his latest change and it makes a big difference.
Now the anchor chain is really quiet and we get a better night's sleep.
Posted with Blogsy
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