Anchor Chain from Marina Stores Greece

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ncahill99

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Has anybody on the forum purchased 10mm x 30mm ISO calibrated anchor chain from the Marina Stores in the Ionian area during 2011/12 ? if so has it been okay, are there any signs of rust etc.

I suspect that this chain is Chinese as its 6.50 Euros a metre. Can anyone recommend alternative suppliers that they KNOW supply quality chain at reasonable prices? As we all know its difficult to verify the manufacturer and quality of any chain just by looking at it.
 
I wouldn't hold your breath about the galvanising being any good. I bought the supposedly 'superior' of two grades of chain from an Ionian chandler three years ago: the galvanising barely lasted two years (albeit with very many nights dipped in the oggin).

I would, though, tentatively question the widespread presumption that Chinese chain is necessarily rubbish (and equally that any chain that's rubbish must therefore be Chinese). I think I remember seeing an oblique reference to the galvanising on some Chinese chain recently tested by Vyv Cox actually being better than some European samples. I haven't read the article so can't confirm this. However, this from a post of Vyv's three years ago, on the subject of re-galvanising chain:
"an excellent job, visibly far better than the original, which was either Italian or French and I suspect spin galvanised."

I realise that none of this helps you in your quest for good replacement chain. Sorry.
 
Based upon the testing I did on a good number of chain samples, printed in Jabuary's Yachting Monthly, you are far better off buying Chinese made chain than most European stuff. Since writing the article I have received several e-mails from other testers, who have found exactly the same facts.

The quality UK suppliers, such as Bradney and William Hackett, buy from China, where the chain is manufactured on the world's most modern equipment, from steel stock that exceeds the minimum strength requirements of Grade 30 by a healthy margin. There could be some concerns about galvanising, some was good and others less so, but no worse than the European.

I believe that there is Greek-manufactured chain, so your example may be local.
 
2009 I replaced the stern anchor 8mm chain with what I was told was heavy quality galvanized from IGR at Nidri the cost was considerable, during the same season I decided to replace the main anchor chain, as the price of the chain from IGR was so high I decided to shop around, the least expensive chain to be found at the time was at Marina Stores Lefkada so I took a chance and purchased it, three years later the "high quality" chain from IGR is rusted to the extent that it could not be used on a windlass whereas the low cost chain from Marina Stores is still in good condition with galvanizing intact.
 
ncahill99 said:
Has anybody on the forum purchased 10mm x 30mm ISO calibrated anchor chain from the Marina Stores in the Ionian area during 2011/12 ? if so has it been okay, are there any signs of rust etc.

I suspect that this chain is Chinese as its 6.50 Euros a metre. Can anyone recommend alternative suppliers that they KNOW supply quality chain at reasonable prices? As we all know its difficult to verify the manufacturer and quality of any chain just by looking at it.
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I have no experience of Marina Stores but I did try and buy anchor chain from several Greek suppliers. They all claimed the chain was Itallian and not Chinese but as we now know the Chinese product is probably superior. The price was eyewatering and they were a little confused about how to size chain.

I ordered from a outfit in Athens who seemed to know what they doing, faxed and e-mailed them the dimensions, 10 x 30mm grade 30 or 40, they sent 9.5 x 28 (but it was excellent quality the welds were uniform and galvanising suberb) claiming its all the same, but eventually agreed it was no good for my windlass. The solution they proposed was for me to sell the chain for the best price I could get and send them the money (I had not paid anything at this point) I cancelled the order and sold their chain for an agreed reasonable price and sent them the money - I think they still made a profit.

Unhappy with the service and the fact they did nt know what sized chain they were selling I returned to the UK and bought some from Bradney Chain easy to deal with and they know their trade, it was considerabley cheaper but the galvanising isnt as good, but its been on for two seasons and is still OK.
 
I bought a holding tank from Marina stores that had a manufacturing fault - leaked in 2 places - they refused to honour the warranty.

I now will walk past them and refuse to support them in any way !
 
krissteyn said:
I bought a holding tank from Marina stores that had a manufacturing fault - leaked in 2 places - they refused to honour the warranty.

I now will walk past them and refuse to support them in any way !
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Is that the "Snazzy" looking place in Nidri, visible from the water when exiting Vlikho Creek?
 
the owner of (I believe) the Patra Marina store also owns the Limassol branch - the local employees were very helpfull but took great pains to tell me it took the bosses approval and he refused my personal call and refused outright to honour the warranty - I had to buy another one.
I tried to contact the head office - but - this is greece ....
 
I think you will find that Marina Stores are a franchise operation. The service you get from one has no relationship to the service you get from another except where 2 stores have the same owner. The head office is only concerned with supplying the stores, not interacting with retail customers. They don't do mail order because it would interfere with area based franchises. The chain looks good.
 
blue elephant said:
I think you will find that Marina Stores are a franchise operation. The service you get from one has no relationship to the service you get from another except where 2 stores have the same owner. The head office is only concerned with supplying the stores, not interacting with retail customers. They don't do mail order because it would interfere with area based franchises. The chain looks good.
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They certainly do mail order!

I have bought several items from the Athens store via mail order for delivery to Crete.

You can download their full catalogue from their web site: www.marinastores.gr

John
 
Thanks for all your contributions, as the OP I wanted to hear what other peoples views were. It seems there is little point in paying twice the price as others have stated, no one appears to think the chain may break so I might as well buy some and report back in a couple of years. The chain is definitely Chinese but I am told its used by several European boat builders. We anchor every night (140 nights) so the 5 years use of the original chain I suppose is fair use.

Thanks to you all
 
macd said:
Quite so, about 400m west of the bus station.
One thing I will give them is that they stock a lot of Lalizas kit: 19mm anti-siphon for around 8 euros compared to what...triple that for Vetus?
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I think that Marina stores IS Lalizas.
 
Glyka said:
I think that Marina stores IS Lalizas.
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You may be right*, although that's not evident from their catalogue, which I have in hand (but in Greek, oddly enough). They certainly carry a lot of Lalizas kit, perhaps not surprising since Lalizas is a Greek company.

Incidentally, I was wrong about the vented loops: the 19mm loop is a mere €3.50; 38mm loop €6.10. The equivalent Jabsco items in the UK seem to be around £20 and £30 respectively.

* You are. See year 2007 at: http://www.lalizas.com/history.php
 
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