Snatch Strap Recovery

[jeverich]

Now I have some Spectra from my dad's boat.

DON'T USE SPECTRA (AMSTEEL) AS A SNATCH STRAP!! That material works great for a tow strap; you're liable to do severe damage to either vehicle using a low stretch rope like Spectra (Amsteel). That when recovery points get ripped off.. Amsteel is pretty much analogous to wire rope. You wouldn't use that for a snatch strap would you?

Not trying to sound like a ******** - just would hate for you to get hurt/do damage.

Did you splice that yourself? My dad has been a sailor for 50+ years. He can do some nice work. Something I need to learn.

Thanks! Yes, I did a group buy on custom winchlines on another off-road site a year ago (3,500 Feet sold total). See if your dad can get you any Samson "Double Braid", I made up a 150' chunk of 7/8" with gusseted thimbles on either end; it gets used a lot. Up to 30% elastic elongation and 29,000 Lb. Avg. Breaking Strength.

I'm a commercial fisherman on the Bering Sea, it's nice to have access to A LOT of line.

The Double Braid splice takes some time to learn - but, it's insane the prices that some of the major vendors charge.

 

[jeverich]

Absolutely. Good video.

That's a very valid point; the amount of kinetic energy created and suddenly released has the potential to do a lot of damage to the weakest link in the chain.

Luckily his rig had two front recovery points.

I'm still impressed with the quality of ARB, the chafe guard and eye size on that strap is just about perfect.

Same applies to winch lines. Synthetic stores far less kinetic energy than wire rope - although, I had the pleasure of having to re-rig a main winchline on the boat I work on, in a storm, twice within an hour. It was on our 50,000 Lb. hydraulic winch - 1 1/4" Hampidjan DYNEX Dux.. Threw a 75 Lb. hook 100 feet into the air, and took out every single navigation light in the rigging.

Not fun.

Maybe it's my background - but it always bothers me seeing people not take this seriously. Friends have been killed and severely injured as the result of wire rope failure, and unforeseeable mechanical failure. There's risk in everything - but, there's a lot that can be done to mitigate that risk. Don't be an idiot.

 

[smiper]

This has been a grade thread. Thanks to all who contributed so far.

Nothing to add here- move along.

 

[Wainiha]

Bering Sea? I sailed with my dad from Oakland through Unimak, down past Kamchatka to Japan, Taiwan and China. Cold cold cold.

He has good line. "Rope is for landlubbers." He must have spent $10,000 on line alone rerigging his boat. Sundeer 63'

He has taught me a lot about knots, but I'm trying to learn some splicing. And navigation too!

 

[jeverich]

Thanks All!!

Ready to get back West; at this rate I may be using that snatch strap at some point as I drive across the US..

 

[robert]

The only thing I'd add is to put something over the snatch strap in case something lets go. I've seen where a shackle broke and the strap with broken shackle smacked the tailgate of the pulling truck hard enough to put a big dent in it (came up on them right after it happened); luckily the pulling truck was at a higher elevation pulling a guy out of a mud hole so the strap didn't come back into the cab. I usually just take my 8' tree saver strap and wrap it once around the winch cable/snatch strap with the ends trailing out to the sides; anything to act as a damper.

ETA- If you've got a line (pun intended) on some more of that Amsteel I'd love to get a piece to use as you have!

 

[jeverich]

The only thing I'd add is to put something over the snatch strap in case something lets go. I've seen where a shackle broke and the strap with broken shackle smacked the tailgate of the pulling truck hard enough to put a big dent in it (came up on them right after it happened); luckily the pulling truck was at a higher elevation pulling a guy out of a mud hole so the strap didn't come back into the cab. I usually just take my 8' tree saver strap and wrap it once around the winch cable/snatch strap with the ends trailing out to the sides; anything to act as a damper.

ETA- If you've got a line (pun intended) on some more of that Amsteel I'd love to get a piece to use as you have!

That's why I like my setup; no shackles in places that would cause damage if there was a structural failure within the chain.

But yes - a dampener is definitely a great idea - I was a bit concerned that the stock tow point on the front end of the 4Runner may have let go... Which would have very quickly become a projectile.

You'll have a PM shortly.