Anchor Bridle
Anchor Trip Line
Sea Anchor
Hurricane Preparedness
Fortunately we have never needed our sea anchor. For 5 years we carried a 350’ length of 3/4" nylon line to use with the sea anchor but finally the weight, bulk, inconvenience of storing it and tangles led me to find another method should I need it.
I now have an easily stored 150’ length of 5/8" nylon line with a 5 ‘ section of 5/16" chain spliced to one end and just a thimble on the other end. To use the sea anchor I will shackle the end with just a thimble to the sea anchor swivel while the end with the short section of chain will be shackled directly to my primary anchor a 55 lb. delta. The short bit of chain is just to prevent the anchor flukes chafing the line itself.
When veered out then I would have first the sea anchor, then the 150’ length of nylon followed by the 6’ of chain, followed by the 55lb. delta and its 250’ of 5/16" chain rode. I now have shock absorption from the nylon, catenary from the chain and anchor and no worries of chafe at the bow roller as that will be chain. If I need to rig a bridle to change the angle of how the bow rides to the wind I do so as described in
rigging a rolly anchorage bridle.