Kelpie
Well-known member
I'm surprised people are quoting re-galv ast such a high cost. I was able to get my 40m done for £25 but had to club together with a few other people to get that price.
How long do your anchor chains last
- Thread starter Roberto
- Start date
OldBawley
Active member
Very well possible the discarded chain came from a Turkish owned yacht or small gullet. They are used to put enormous amounts of chain. Turks depend on loads of chain and a old fashioned fisherman's anchor. Zig zag on the rocky bottom, holds everything.
They used to have locally made capstans who ware very fast, took in 100 yards of chain in the time I recover 25 meters.
Two hundred and fifty meters of chain make a big pile, towering is unavoidable. Big bucket of grease and a chain monkey. ( The boy in the chain well )
They used to have locally made capstans who ware very fast, took in 100 yards of chain in the time I recover 25 meters.
Two hundred and fifty meters of chain make a big pile, towering is unavoidable. Big bucket of grease and a chain monkey. ( The boy in the chain well )
Carmel2
New member
Twice in 17 years.
Neeves
Well-known member
Anchoring daily, 365; or just the odd weekend?!!
Carmel2
New member
6-8 months of the year.
Neeves
Well-known member
Based on responses so far - decent life, above average.
Source of chain?
Source of chain?
Carmel2
New member
1st came with the boat, that one wasn't knackered just way to short, 25m from memory, second one 100m came from Spain, if it was manufactured in Spain is questionable mind, I think one thing that has helped over the years is our fresh water tank over flow is directly above the chain so quite often it gets a wash down even if it doesn't need it.
Neeves
Well-known member
One of the tricks toward chain longevity - wash with fresh water and, another, leave the locker hatch open (to allow the chain to be washed with rain and hopefully also dry out).
edit - and, check constantly that the drain at the base of the locker is free, nothing shortens chain life quite as efficiently as a rank puddle of concentrated brine and mud in a warm (sealed) locker. close edit
edit - and, check constantly that the drain at the base of the locker is free, nothing shortens chain life quite as efficiently as a rank puddle of concentrated brine and mud in a warm (sealed) locker. close edit
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Carmel2
New member
I cut up a wood palate into V to fit the locker so the chain is off the bace of the locker all the time.
Neeves
Well-known member
Our chain locker base is flat and slightly slopes aft to 2, visible, drain holes. We have a similar solution to yours - a perforated, rubber, door mat with dimples in the base sitting on the locker sole to allow free flow of water.
OldBawley
Active member
Many days our chain gets down ( free-fall ) three times a day, is hauled three times. Guess that weirs down also. I use a SL 550 Seatiger winch so it wears myself down also. Bow roller is cast iron, has developed chain link nests from use.
Most of the time we sail from the anchorage, I take the chain in while the lug yawl sail is sheeted to one side to force a start in the right direction the moment the anchor breaks free from the bottom. So hauling the chain is not as with a yacht motoring up to the anchor. Lots of side way pull on the chain while I take the chain in.
Most of the time we sail from the anchorage, I take the chain in while the lug yawl sail is sheeted to one side to force a start in the right direction the moment the anchor breaks free from the bottom. So hauling the chain is not as with a yacht motoring up to the anchor. Lots of side way pull on the chain while I take the chain in.
Roberto
Well-known member
Has anyone experiences with higher grade chain, just from the point of view of corrosion?
As I am now to replace chain, instead of 10mm I am considering 8mm higher grade chain: do the two types of steel corrode differently?
I guess they do not, so losing 2mm on 10mm seems preferable to losing a similar amount on 8mm..
As I am now to replace chain, instead of 10mm I am considering 8mm higher grade chain: do the two types of steel corrode differently?
I guess they do not, so losing 2mm on 10mm seems preferable to losing a similar amount on 8mm..
Neeves
Well-known member
I have only seen people guessing at wear of high(er) tensile chain. Guessing might equal gut feel - but hardly something to depend on.
HT chain is harder (the steel) thus more abrasion resistant. (Even higher hardness steels, and higher tensile, are used for their abrasion resistance in the mining industry (and as armour plating on military vehicles).
HT chain sits on the seabed for less time, being lighter.
Being lighter maybe does not abrade so quickly (if abrasion rate is also a function of weight)
HT chain is, usually, thinner than the replaced chain thus has less steel - so any wear will more quickly reduce wire diameter.
Edit - I have read, from people's gut feel, that HT chain corrodes more quickly - I don't know if this is the case (or whether the differences might be great or even noticeable in the real world). But the same sort of people would also say that HT chain is brittle - and this proven to be a load of rubbish - so gut feel is not always useful. close edit
Take your pick.
its something worth testing - but I'm not sure how to do it.
Dashew has been using American G70, I think, since the 70's - its not something he has ever mentioned. G70 is more common in N America (one reason being Maggi has only been making for a few years) and comments about 'steel' wear have not been mentioned, but easy to miss, the big issue is galvanising - and Maggi comes in for a lot of stick. Peerless/ACCO is not prominently above the horizon, in terms of poor gal.
We are using a 6mm G80 with a special form off galvanising, harder than HDG, have not worn the gal off yet so don't know about wear of the steel. It was installed back end of 2015. The latest iteration is to galvanise 8mm G100, it will go into service early next year, catamaran being built. Finally it should be possible to galvanise G100, say 8mm, to the same strength as G30 12mm. The US Navy and Marines are using this form of galvanising for their chains because of its abrasion resistance over HDG - but this is for tie downs on landing craft - different application. I think they have some anchor chains similarly treated but have seen no performance info.
Jonathan
HT chain is harder (the steel) thus more abrasion resistant. (Even higher hardness steels, and higher tensile, are used for their abrasion resistance in the mining industry (and as armour plating on military vehicles).
HT chain sits on the seabed for less time, being lighter.
Being lighter maybe does not abrade so quickly (if abrasion rate is also a function of weight)
HT chain is, usually, thinner than the replaced chain thus has less steel - so any wear will more quickly reduce wire diameter.
Edit - I have read, from people's gut feel, that HT chain corrodes more quickly - I don't know if this is the case (or whether the differences might be great or even noticeable in the real world). But the same sort of people would also say that HT chain is brittle - and this proven to be a load of rubbish - so gut feel is not always useful. close edit
Take your pick.
its something worth testing - but I'm not sure how to do it.
Dashew has been using American G70, I think, since the 70's - its not something he has ever mentioned. G70 is more common in N America (one reason being Maggi has only been making for a few years) and comments about 'steel' wear have not been mentioned, but easy to miss, the big issue is galvanising - and Maggi comes in for a lot of stick. Peerless/ACCO is not prominently above the horizon, in terms of poor gal.
We are using a 6mm G80 with a special form off galvanising, harder than HDG, have not worn the gal off yet so don't know about wear of the steel. It was installed back end of 2015. The latest iteration is to galvanise 8mm G100, it will go into service early next year, catamaran being built. Finally it should be possible to galvanise G100, say 8mm, to the same strength as G30 12mm. The US Navy and Marines are using this form of galvanising for their chains because of its abrasion resistance over HDG - but this is for tie downs on landing craft - different application. I think they have some anchor chains similarly treated but have seen no performance info.
Jonathan
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temptress
Well-known member
Temptress,
That's a good life, 12 years at 80%, do you recall where the original chain was from (if you ever knew) and who made the new chain (you are very cagey!
Jonathan
HI the original chain was purchased in the UK. It was as far as I can recall also made in the UK.
Current chain was bought from Jessie's in Singapore. CALIBRATED AND CERTIFIED, made in China. Not the cheapest option we found (more than twice the price actually) but will let me sleep comfortably at anchor.
Neeves
Well-known member
There is a current thread on Cruisers Forum:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/re-galvanizing-anchor-chain-177674-2.html
It appears that finding anyone to regalvanise chain in America is becoming increasingly difficult. The biggest galvaniser Valmont pulled out some months ago. It is worth noting the reason given for the denial of the service. It is still possible in Australia and (from reports on YBW) in the UK.
But do not leave regalvanising too late, you may lose significant base steel - and the chain may fail.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/re-galvanizing-anchor-chain-177674-2.html
It appears that finding anyone to regalvanise chain in America is becoming increasingly difficult. The biggest galvaniser Valmont pulled out some months ago. It is worth noting the reason given for the denial of the service. It is still possible in Australia and (from reports on YBW) in the UK.
But do not leave regalvanising too late, you may lose significant base steel - and the chain may fail.
TRUNDLETRUC
Member
My problem with new anchor chain in Greece is that at the end of the season when I lay it out on a wooden pallet for the winter there is always one link that is rusty! The last time it was at 40metres on 80m chain, so I demanded a replacement.
The replacement has a link at about 25metres with what looks like a thin layer of galvanise! I can't see I will get this replaced so as we only use the boat 3 months of the year I will put lots of paint and grease on the link.
It is as if the manufacturers join lengths together and then do a light galvanising on that link or something?
I would not have noticed if I had not laid the chain outside the locker.
The replacement has a link at about 25metres with what looks like a thin layer of galvanise! I can't see I will get this replaced so as we only use the boat 3 months of the year I will put lots of paint and grease on the link.
It is as if the manufacturers join lengths together and then do a light galvanising on that link or something?
I would not have noticed if I had not laid the chain outside the locker.
Neeves
Well-known member
Chain hooks, used on your snubber, will take the gal off.
We tend to use the marked lengths, 10m intervals, as the point to apply the hook - so the chain around where we mark it has the hook more frequently. If you were to anchor for any length of time, using a chain hook, and the weather was a bit iffy - so the hook worked hard - then expect wear, on the galvanising, at that point.
Some hooks are worse, much worse, than others.
Chain is normally made 'automatically' and a batch can be 3,000m long. I would think it unusual, but possible, that a chain was 'made up' by hand from short pieces.
We tend to use the marked lengths, 10m intervals, as the point to apply the hook - so the chain around where we mark it has the hook more frequently. If you were to anchor for any length of time, using a chain hook, and the weather was a bit iffy - so the hook worked hard - then expect wear, on the galvanising, at that point.
Some hooks are worse, much worse, than others.
Chain is normally made 'automatically' and a batch can be 3,000m long. I would think it unusual, but possible, that a chain was 'made up' by hand from short pieces.