Jaluda
New member
Can you put stainless steel shackles on anchor cable?
Anchor shackle
- Thread starter Jaluda
- Start date
Bobc
Well-known member
I do. Never had any problems.
NormanS
Well-known member
It's pointless if your chain and anchor are galvanised. Some stainless shackles are not as strong as you might think. I can't think of any advantage.
paulajayne
Active member
Yes but remember to lockwire them. Also rope for last 5 metres or so to allow you to cutaway if required.
Jaluda
New member
Thank you. The shackle is too big and it doesn't come over the roller. I have a narrow stainless steel one.
Poignard
Well-known member
I used a s/s shackle seized with monel wire to connect a galvanised steel chain to a galvanised steel anchor and the first few links of the chain corroded.
I replaced the s/s shackle with a galvanised steel shackle seized with galvanised steel wire and had no further trouble
I replaced the s/s shackle with a galvanised steel shackle seized with galvanised steel wire and had no further trouble
ctva
Well-known member
Have you checked the narrow ones SWL?
vyv_cox
Well-known member
I have been using a Wichard 17/4PH (marketed as HT) countersunk pin shackle to join my galvanised chain and anchor for more than 20 years. This grade of stainless is stronger than 316 and has proved to be excellent in service. The only galvanic effect is that the zinc on the last couple of chain links is lost over about five years.
Mousing not possible of course but Loctite has worked well over many years.
Mousing not possible of course but Loctite has worked well over many years.
Whitlock
Active member
Why not? I do.
noelex
Well-known member
Whatever the material, it is better to use a good quality name brand shackle with a published load rating. Ideally the load rating should be well above the strength of the chain, as the shackle can be subject to side loading that reduces the strength.
If a shackle is too wide it can be modified by drilling a small hole (so it can still be moused) and cutting off most of the head of the pin. The photo below shows the modification, although it is better to also round the edges:
If a shackle is too wide it can be modified by drilling a small hole (so it can still be moused) and cutting off most of the head of the pin. The photo below shows the modification, although it is better to also round the edges:
Neeves
Well-known member
Unless you follow Vyv's advice and use a brand name shackle whose strength is defined - I would not do it.
Most shackles you see in chandlers are ostensibly 316 and though their Ultimate Tensile Strength may actually be quite high, and high enough, they will yield, bend, at quite low tensions. It will be the pin that bends and then you cannot release the anchor from the rode without use of bolt croppers. I have tested 316 shackles and often they do not fail as a decent galvanised shackle might fail but they yield and the pin is 'extruded' through the eye of the shackle, so both the eye and the pin distort. If you cut off the pin end as Noelex suggests you remove some of the 'support' and the part of the pin at the eye can pass though the eye more easily.
Either use a good stainless shackle, which will cost you, or use a rated galvanised shackle, a Crosby G209a from Tecni in the UK. Remember that any shackle strength will be reduced by 50% if side loaded at 90 degrees and by 25% if side loaded at 45 degrees. I've tested both stainless, 316, and galvanised rated shackles and can confirm the data is correct.
You could use a CMP Titan Black Pin shackle but note they are specified to an Imperial strength, I'm twitchy about their testing protocols and find selling a product marked 2t, meaning 4,000lbs rather than 2,000kgs and doing so in a metric market - slightly questionable. CMP originally sold these shackles as metric - until it was shown they did not meet their own metric specifications. They then changed the specification but continued to sell, what seems to be, the self same shackles. They are very clear that strength is imperial on their website - but who reads the website when in a chandler? For these reasons I will not endorse them - stick with Crosby.
Ketten and Welder, the Cromox people sell a range of stainless G60 product for lifting and make stainless Omega links. Have a look at them, or their hammerlocks. Unfortunately they do not come cheap. From memory their distributor in the UK (based in Newcastle) whose name I forget ?) also sell rated stainless shackles, (independent of the ones from K&W). Omega links tend to be the same sort of size as shackles and the eye of the links matches chain and is likely to be too narrow to fit on your anchor.
Jonathan
In Australia I have seen galvanised 'D' shackles on new yachts at boat shows. I don't recall which yachts, but either Jennys or Bennys, so the implication might be French sourced shackles (Plastimo?). The shackles come with the yacht and are sometimes paired with Kobra, Brittany or Spade. These 'D' shackles have had no marks (I have looked), so they are not rated (or not obviously so) but they have recessed cotter pins with the recess taking a decent sized Alan key. The fact they are not rated with embossed marks does not mean they are not made to a specification - it does mean they are not sold to the lifting industry (maybe because the lifting industry does not allow Alan key recesses). I'm not advocating the use of 'D' shackles but it would not stretch the imagination to think maybe the shackles comes as bow shackles, also. It might be worth contacting the Benny/Jenny importer to the UK and looking at the catalogues of French component suppliers, like Plastimo, to ascertain possible supply and define specifications. I might also have thought the likes of Jimmy Green might be another contact worth tapping.
Most shackles you see in chandlers are ostensibly 316 and though their Ultimate Tensile Strength may actually be quite high, and high enough, they will yield, bend, at quite low tensions. It will be the pin that bends and then you cannot release the anchor from the rode without use of bolt croppers. I have tested 316 shackles and often they do not fail as a decent galvanised shackle might fail but they yield and the pin is 'extruded' through the eye of the shackle, so both the eye and the pin distort. If you cut off the pin end as Noelex suggests you remove some of the 'support' and the part of the pin at the eye can pass though the eye more easily.
Either use a good stainless shackle, which will cost you, or use a rated galvanised shackle, a Crosby G209a from Tecni in the UK. Remember that any shackle strength will be reduced by 50% if side loaded at 90 degrees and by 25% if side loaded at 45 degrees. I've tested both stainless, 316, and galvanised rated shackles and can confirm the data is correct.
You could use a CMP Titan Black Pin shackle but note they are specified to an Imperial strength, I'm twitchy about their testing protocols and find selling a product marked 2t, meaning 4,000lbs rather than 2,000kgs and doing so in a metric market - slightly questionable. CMP originally sold these shackles as metric - until it was shown they did not meet their own metric specifications. They then changed the specification but continued to sell, what seems to be, the self same shackles. They are very clear that strength is imperial on their website - but who reads the website when in a chandler? For these reasons I will not endorse them - stick with Crosby.
Ketten and Welder, the Cromox people sell a range of stainless G60 product for lifting and make stainless Omega links. Have a look at them, or their hammerlocks. Unfortunately they do not come cheap. From memory their distributor in the UK (based in Newcastle) whose name I forget ?) also sell rated stainless shackles, (independent of the ones from K&W). Omega links tend to be the same sort of size as shackles and the eye of the links matches chain and is likely to be too narrow to fit on your anchor.
Jonathan
In Australia I have seen galvanised 'D' shackles on new yachts at boat shows. I don't recall which yachts, but either Jennys or Bennys, so the implication might be French sourced shackles (Plastimo?). The shackles come with the yacht and are sometimes paired with Kobra, Brittany or Spade. These 'D' shackles have had no marks (I have looked), so they are not rated (or not obviously so) but they have recessed cotter pins with the recess taking a decent sized Alan key. The fact they are not rated with embossed marks does not mean they are not made to a specification - it does mean they are not sold to the lifting industry (maybe because the lifting industry does not allow Alan key recesses). I'm not advocating the use of 'D' shackles but it would not stretch the imagination to think maybe the shackles comes as bow shackles, also. It might be worth contacting the Benny/Jenny importer to the UK and looking at the catalogues of French component suppliers, like Plastimo, to ascertain possible supply and define specifications. I might also have thought the likes of Jimmy Green might be another contact worth tapping.
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LadyInBed
Well-known member
I've always used a ss shackle but I use a short length of nylon water pipe as a washer in the last chain link and in the anchor eye as insulators.
Neeves
Well-known member
We use and have used for decades galvanised chain, galvanised shackles and a galvanised anchor. The anchor is made from mild steel and Bis 80 (a higher tensile steel), the shackle is a G80 alloy shackle and ought to be similar in chemistry to the Bis 80 shank. We used to use a G30, mild steel, chain and now use a HT alloy chain (which again should be a 'similar' chemistry to the shackle and shank. I must admit that since we changed to the 6mm HT chain 'corrosion' of the links at the beginning of the chain, attached to shackle and anchor, has disappeared, but the new chain is 'only' 4 years old (and retains its galvanised coating despite the horror stories deampt up by the gurus that small chain wears preferentially). Previously I would chop of the first few links of chain every 2-4 years as they were beginning to rust. A stainless shackle might cause corrosion - but so does having mixed chemistries of 'conventional' steel. Chopping off 3 or 4 links in a multi-meter rode is neither here not there. Its hardly an onerous task.
Personally I think the fears of corrosion are overstated, it will happen whatever you use. There may be other reasons not to use a stainless shackle but personally corrosion of the chain would be down my list of worries.
Jonathan
jdc
Well-known member
A decade ago I followed Vyv Cox's advice and fitted a Wtchard Stainless Steel shackle countersunk Allen head (plus loctite) and have no cause to regret it whatsoever. It's the mut's nuts! No more corrosion visible either to the anchor or the chain than we used to have with a galvanised one.
Wichard - 12mm Self Locking Allen Head D Shackle - 316 Grade Stainless Steel
Wichard - 12mm Self Locking Allen Head D Shackle - 316 Grade Stainless Steel
vyv_cox
Well-known member
Just one note of caution about this. When I bought mine it was made to Wichard's HT spec, which is 17/4 PH, a higher strength stainless. Since then, as in the link, they have stopped producing the countersunk pin version in this material and make it in 316. They still make other shackle designs in HT.
Neeves
Well-known member
The other note of caution would be that good galvanised shackles, say a Crosby 3/8th" shackle, G209a (Campbell and Peerless also make them) have a safety factor of 5;1 allowing a Min Break Load of 10t vs a WLL of 2t. The shackles appear to be based on an expectation they will be used in an environment similar to lifting, or actually lifting. Some shackles are quoted at a 6:1 safety factor.
These Witchard shackles are being quoted based on an approximately 3:1 safety factor.
G30 and G40 anchor chain (and lifting chain, usually now G80 or G100) is commonly quoted to a safety factor of 4:1. There are exceptions Maggi's G70 was quoted at a 5:1 safety factor and, from memory, G43 and Peerless galvanised G70 was quoted with a 3:1 safety factor.
I did ask a then senior executive at Peerless, he has since retired, why the differences for G43 and, say G30 and he said he had actually investigated and the basis has been lost in the mists of time. It merits note that reports of chain failure due to actual breaking of chain in use as an anchor rode are as common as hen's teeth. Galvanising might be an issue - but chain strength is not. I'm not saying it does not occur - but reports are minimal to almost non- existent. This suggest the 4:1 (even 3:1 for G43, as American increasingly use this grade) is near right for strength on the basis of the rather crude spreadsheets of chain size vs vessel size and maybe comfortably too high. As historically Europe (and Oz/NZ) have used G30 for decades any move to G40 is unnecessary (but gives an even bigger margin for safety).
I know of more shackle failures than chain failures - so over specifying shackles appears to be a sensible practice (though the failures of which I know have been of shackles from nefarious sources).
Shackles are relatively cheap - don't skimp.
Another source for stainless shackles are Petersen in Newcastle, your Newcastle not ours
About Us - Petersen Stainless Rigging Limited
I believe Petersen in the UK are also distributors for Ketten and Waelder's G60 Cromox chain and components..
Their website implies they make a range of shackles and they also supply individual shackle pins of various designs one of which includes an Alan keyed recess pin. The implication might be that you can buy their shackles with different pins, based on your specific application needs. Its slightly inconvenient from me to investigate - maybe someone could have a look and post relevant information
Jonathan
These Witchard shackles are being quoted based on an approximately 3:1 safety factor.
G30 and G40 anchor chain (and lifting chain, usually now G80 or G100) is commonly quoted to a safety factor of 4:1. There are exceptions Maggi's G70 was quoted at a 5:1 safety factor and, from memory, G43 and Peerless galvanised G70 was quoted with a 3:1 safety factor.
I did ask a then senior executive at Peerless, he has since retired, why the differences for G43 and, say G30 and he said he had actually investigated and the basis has been lost in the mists of time. It merits note that reports of chain failure due to actual breaking of chain in use as an anchor rode are as common as hen's teeth. Galvanising might be an issue - but chain strength is not. I'm not saying it does not occur - but reports are minimal to almost non- existent. This suggest the 4:1 (even 3:1 for G43, as American increasingly use this grade) is near right for strength on the basis of the rather crude spreadsheets of chain size vs vessel size and maybe comfortably too high. As historically Europe (and Oz/NZ) have used G30 for decades any move to G40 is unnecessary (but gives an even bigger margin for safety).
I know of more shackle failures than chain failures - so over specifying shackles appears to be a sensible practice (though the failures of which I know have been of shackles from nefarious sources).
Shackles are relatively cheap - don't skimp.
Another source for stainless shackles are Petersen in Newcastle, your Newcastle not ours
About Us - Petersen Stainless Rigging Limited
I believe Petersen in the UK are also distributors for Ketten and Waelder's G60 Cromox chain and components..
Their website implies they make a range of shackles and they also supply individual shackle pins of various designs one of which includes an Alan keyed recess pin. The implication might be that you can buy their shackles with different pins, based on your specific application needs. Its slightly inconvenient from me to investigate - maybe someone could have a look and post relevant information
Jonathan
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