Bronze Thimbles with Keepers

[John Jamieson]

Anyone know of a source of supply for bronze thimbles with keepers. Need for 5/8" nylon line. Thanks - J.

[JimL]

Hi John, I got some solid bronze thimbles from this company in the UK a few years back, www.classicmarine.co.uk/prodtypelist.asp and they posted them out to me in Sydney Australia. You may have luck trying them. Cheers, Jim.

[Ian McColgin]

For use with 5/8" nylon? So not a rigging use then, but for anchor gear you'd not want bronze anyway and it's hard to see a reason for bronze in rigging/arborist/construction use.

Speaking of keepers, I make up mooring and anchor gear with both SS and galvi thimbles without keepers and have not had problems with an eye so poorly made that it streatched out enough to jump the thimble. Sometimes, if you reasonably expect the cordage to outlast the thimble, you might make a larger eye and sieze the throat and a bit of each leg, thus facilitating changing thimbles every year or so.

So, just wondering if perhaps you'd share more of why this unusual need.

G'luck

[John Jamieson]

Hi Ian,
I researched some archives on bronze thimbles on the Spar Talk archives and came across this from Brion, posted in 2005:
************************************************** *********************
"...the only boats that I've seen happy with nylon anchor thimbles are boats that don't anchor much, and/or under much load. But even stainless thimbles can be a problem, as they can get sideways in the eye (nylon rodes stretch, right?), and eat their way through the line that they were meant to preserve. Therefore, since you're not going to do a rope/chain splice, consider either a bronze ''keeper" thimble, with built-in straps to keep the thimble from rotating, or splicing directly to a shackle with a Crown Splice. I'd prefer the latter in most instances.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss
************************************************** *********************
I've captained many a boat with galvanized thimbles in the rodes: corroded, poorly cared for and chafing the line at the throat. You're absolutely correct about poor splicing being the main problem. Anyway, a friend with a 36' Cape Dory is asking about ground tackle and I told her about Brion's recommendation for thimbles. Source of supply is another matter. So far, I've directed her to contact the folks at Port Townsend Foundry for advice.

Best - J.

[Russ L]

Hi John,
Keepers if you must but there is a better way, according to Brion.
The Crown (shackle) splice.

Cheers, Russ

<...splicing directly to a shackle with a Crown Splice. I'd prefer the latter in most instances.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss>

[John Jamieson]

Thanks again. I saw the advice on the crown splice. I'll let them know about this.

[Ian McColgin]

Got it. Of course with a not too frequently used anchor or in fresh water, the electrolytic corrosion of the thimble on the chain would not be an issue. I sure agree that the plastic thimbles are worse than nothing. And I'm a big fan of the shackle (back) splice on a shackle or the chain itself. The former is easier for those who don't do lots of splicing as you can make the crown knot in the normal way but loosely, work the shackle bow in place, and then pull things right. Forming the crown knot around a closed chain takes a bit more concentration.

The shackle-back splice is far less subject to chafe than the line on an eye that's dragged over the bottom, it stows more neatly, and is far less likely to hang up when running the anchor.

G'luck

[John Jamieson]

Ian,
They're setting up a ground tackle system for a storm anchor for cruising. Great idea about the crown splice. I'll pass along all of you guys' excellent recommendations.
Best - J.

[Ian McColgin]

Remind them that more storm anchor gear fails at the chocks than anywhere else - fair leads and chafe gear.

By the way, a pair of anchors in series is exponentially stronger than a pair of anchors on seperate rodes. I try to put about the water depth of chain between the two for convenience in bringing the super-dug-in gear aboard at the end of the storm any you still want a trip line to the crown of the farther out hook. In situations where there's likely to be a large wind shift, better to have the anchors shaft to crown with but a short or even no chain between as they will then turn and reset better.

I am a big fan of the series anchor pair on a single rode. That means being very serious about protecting that rode but, think about it, what's you chance if you've two anchors out in the classic V and one rode fails? The other's likely to go pretty soon after.

G'luck

[John Jamieson]

Absolutely. I wrote them on the critical need to use chafing gear. Good stuff about the series anchors. I'm a big believer in this too. Nothing worse than fouled rodes. I'll send along your excellent advice.
Best - J.