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Harbor practice · Posted by the MoorSafe team · · 3 min read
Why a swivel doesn't stop chain wrap
Swivels and bridles reduce twist in the chain. They do nothing about the vertical post the chain wraps around.
Every season someone tells us they solved chain wrap with a swivel. They reduced it — for a while. A swivel lets the chain unwind itself above the swivel. Below it, on the anchor side, the stem is still a vertical post and the chain still rotates around it as the boat swings.
The wrap forms where the swivel cannot reach. That is why the fix has to be on the anchor: remove the catch point and there is nothing for the chain to do but slide off.
See the anchor and the full test results
Three bars turn the stem into a cone that significantly reduces the risk of chain wrap. Tested at Yale Cordage in Saco and for 28 days in Casco Bay. Made in Maine.