[k7cej]

When preparing to teach the Icicle Hitch to fellow yacht club members, I could heartily recommend it for temporarily taking the strain on a jammed jib sheet or shroud with a damaged swage, both of which I have used it for successfully. But I hesitated at talking about using it for bridling the rode for the drogue or sea anchor, because I haven't actually tested it myself.

The question is: What is the best knot for tying a bridle line onto an anchor rode?

On our Outbound 44, Sequoia, we carry both a Galerider drogue and Fiorintino sea anchor and while having practiced deployment, we haven't actually used either in heavy weather. Available rodes include 5/8" and 3/4" three-strand and 1" Megabraid nylon. The heavier line is in 3 x 200' sections with heavy SS eyes on the ends and I have always assumed that I would use 2 or 3 lengths as the conditions dictate for the sea anchor. The likely rode for the drogue would be the 3-strand.

For a fixed installation, I would just splice onto the 3-strand. But in practice I want to tie the knot as we deploy the line. I think the icicle hitch is certainly more secure than a rolling hitch, but will it stay secure with a fluctuating load?

Has anybody got real-world experience with this?