Anchor Bridles 12 Strand

Introduction

Our new 12 strand nylon bridle is unique, innovative, compact and super strong. The idea for this bridle came to us in 2023 but it took a year to source the ideal rope, thimbles and anti-chafe, and it took another year of iteration and testing. While we believe our 3 strand bridles are comparable to anything in the marketplace, it's difficult to say it's a superior product (other than maybe our workmanship). However, we can honestly say this new 12 strand is the best bridle on the market. Why?

Strength - 12 strand nylon is 30% - 40% stronger than comparably-sized 3 strand nylon lines (see spec tables below)
Compact - Since 12 strand is significantly stronger, a smaller diameter can be used (e,g, a 1/2" 12 strand bridle is stronger than a 5/8" 3 strand bridle).
12 strand is also non-torsional, so it can be folded instead of coiled. Between smaller diameter lines and the ability to fold it, 12 strand bridles can be stowed in 30% less space. This is a big deal to larger yachts where hauling 50' 1" lines overwork the ol' biceps.
Durability - Our 12 strand is Samthane coated to improve resistance to UV, abrasion and snagging. This coating should last several years.
Handling - This stuff feels like silk pajamas. It's more supple than double braid making it easy to deploy and cleat.
Design - One word: clean. There are no more big, honking splices, with burnt tails to work through cleats, rub on chocks or snag in bow roller assemblies. Smooth, baby, smooth.

Ok, what's the downside?

Price - The line is stupid expensive, but the upside is it takes one-third the time to make a bridle, so, all-in-all, the final price is roughly 15% more than our comparable 3 strand bridle.
Color - When it's wet, it ain't shiny white. Dingy white comes to mind. For you fancy yacht owners, you might want to keep the dang thing out of sight when fancy dinners guests dinghy up.

Select Options

Anchor Bridle 12-Strand 1/2" (equivalent to 5/8" 3-strand)

$115.00

In Stock

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Anchor Bridle 12-Strand 5/8" (equivalent to 3/4" 3-strand)

$165.00

In Stock

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Anchor Bridle 12-Strand 3/4" (equivalent to 7/8" 3-strand)

$375.00

In Stock

Specifications

Strength

	Avg Break Strength (lbs)			Avg Break Strength (kgs)
Construction Type	1/2"	5/8"	3/4"	12mm	16mm	20mm
3 Strand	6,300	10,000	13,500	2,900	4,500	6,900
12 Strand	10,000	16,000	21,000	4,500	7,200	9,500

Elasticity

	@ Percent of Break Strength
	10%	20%	30%
3 Strand	5.5%	10%	12.1%
12 Strand	4.7%	6.9%	7.7%

[Specifications per Samson Rope]

Components (and the story behind them)

Rope

After researching rope and going through a dozen samples of 8 and 12 strand plaited rope, the most logical alternative to 3 strand, we determined the high cost of the line combined with the higher labor costs to splice it, the final product would be too expensive. The search for a better alternative continued when we discovered 12 strand nylon single (hollow) braid. The rope specifications met our requirements but initially the cost seemed prohibitive until we worked with it. The time to fabricate a bridle fell by more than half so the reduced labor cost made the line a viable candidate. After load and field testing it for several months, and using it for 3 months on our Inside Passage trip last summer, we were sold.

Thimbles

Finding the right the thimble for this line was a journey as well. Since the chain hook end needs a thimble, we went through the full gambit - thimbles with long and short aprons, high and lowshoulders, cast and wire thimbles - but none were ideal. After finding a source for captive thimbles we discovered in testing they collapsed under heavy loads. In speaking with an engineer at Samson on finding the optimal thimble for use with Dyneema (a different issue), he recommended a captive, gusseted thimble. I tried one for use on this bridle and, wallah, it was perfect. I could use a locking Brummel splice and maintain the large radius needed retain the strength. Sourcing them was a 6 month adventure but it paid off. Like the perfect line for the application, we now have the perfect thimble.

Anti-Chafe

I'll make no bones about it, I like Chafe-Pro better than any other anti-chafe sleeves out there, but the cost of the stuff is ridiculous when compared to everything else on the market. Chafe-Pro is thick, long-lasting and supple so I use it consistently for soft eyes (loops that go around bow cleats). I use another product, Chafe Master, for the bridle legs as it's less expensive but equally durable. The only issues is it's stiff as heck. I couldn't afford to use Chafe-Pro on this bridle and didn't want the stiffer Chafe Master on such a supple line, so the quest was on for another product. Tough specs like abrasion and UV resistance and supple hand eliminated most products out of the gate, but it was through this process of elimination that I found an industrial hose protection product that is supple and made specifically for highly abrasive, exterior environments. It meets the abrasion and UV specs as part of standardized testing, however, it's only been in field testing for 5 months. My excitement is reserved until it's been out there a year or more and proves its salt. I'm confident enough in the product to use it now, but will be relieved when it shows limited wear after a year.

Finish

For bridles with soft eyes, we use a Class I eye splice as specified by the manufacturer for the soft eyes then lock stitch as per the manufacturer's specifications. For bridles without soft eyes, we heavy-melt the ends, dip them, then hand-whip them to prevent fraying. Probably overkill. We use a locking Brummel to capture the thimble on the chain hook end.

Like anything, perfection is in the eyes of the beholder. I'm not proclaiming this is the perfect product, but it's the result of thoughtful and deliberate effort over two years to make a product one-better than the high-quality 3 strand bridles 48º North Marine and the broader industry offers today.

Anchor Bridles 12 Strand

Introduction

Products [3]

Specifications

Strength

Elasticity

Components (and the story behind them)

Rope

Thimbles

Anti-Chafe

Finish

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