looking for new chain, grade 30 or 40, hot dipped?

Cactus Sailing

Cactus Sailing

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right im no chain expert so now thats out there, im looking for some new chain ours is getting a little rusty and needs replacing soon...

so i dove straight in and found varying info on different grades and methods of galvanizing.

as far as i can work out hot dipped and grade 40+ is better, but realistically will grade 30 be alright?

boat is 30ft - weight 4t

prices i've found so far for 50 meters (8mm) is;

~£290 Grade 30
~£300 Grade 40 questionable how its galvanised it just says galavanised.
~£360 Grade 40 hot dipped
~£390 Grade 43

or the local chandlers will charge me £570 for grade 40 :O, now im all for supporting local businesses but wow...

is the increase in cost worth it? am i best buying it online? any advice from the collective is welcome :)
 
I suggest you look at my website. Chinese chain from reputable importers is nominally grade 30 but tests as 40. Bainbridge from chandlers is good as is William Hackett.

All marine chain will be hot dipped. Some Italian made stuff has a poor reputation for life of the coating.
 
5/16" (8mm) is plenty for a 30' boat. No need for anything more than grade 30.

G43 and G70 are hot in the US, but in part that is because 1/4" is widely available and that extra strength matters.

Do you have a windlass? Make sure it is compatible. In fact, I can't imagine hauling chain without windlass unless someone was paying me to do it. Ick.
 
You should be able to buy unpainted lifting chain - but I would talk to Geoff first. Lifting chain is quench and tempered and the heat of galvanising re-tempers the chain (and reduces its strength). Peerless take their G70 chain, (a Transport chain - that's a technical grade - with a defined specification). They Hot Dip Gal the chain and it comes out with a strength of about a G55. Maggi seem to take a G100 chain and galvanise it and come out with something that is a genuine or near genuine G70 - but the galvanising has been questionable. Both are called G70! Maggi went into some form of administration - I don't know the current situation but reports are they have solved their galvanising issues - but this is anecdotal - and I will not believe it until someone independent tests it.

Most, or all, European lifting chain will run through a metric windlass - so its is possible. I did something similar with G80, 6mm, and made a chain with a strength of the 8mm G30 it replaced. Subsequently I was also involved in making a 8mm chain to be as strong as 10mm G30. I confess I don't know which metric 10mm lifting chain equates to, ISO or DIN.

Europeans and Australians until very recently all used a G30 anchor chain and reports of chains breaking have been like hens teeth. There has been a move to G40, and this move is more accelerated in America where they don't have G40- but a G43 (sometimes and confusingly called G40) - this adds extra safety - but seems unnecessary. If you can buy G40 for the same price as G30 and both come from a reputable source - take the G40 (obviously)

Viv mentions that G30 strengths are nearly as good as G40, I can confirm that we have the same situation here. I have heard that some importers having bought G30 (from China) and found it to be 'so good' have marketed it as G40 - another anecdotal tale.

If your sizing is marginal and you are torn between 6mm and 8mm G30 - then I would look at 6mm G40.

All anchor chain is Hot Dipped Galvanised, for short HDG or simply galvanised. G40 has the same treatment as G30. Geoff recently made a long post on galvanising - within the last week - check his profile page and you will find it.

The chains I made are a different galvanising process (available in the UK) Thermal Diffusion Galvanising.

Most anchor chain is unmarked. American anchor chain is all marked - so you can identify quality. Maggi mark their chain. Often the marks are difficult to see. CMP under their Titan brand market the whole range of anchor chain, imperial and metric and their chain is well marked. Quality is good. Lofrans have entered the market selling chain - they claim they make it - I'm a cynic and think it comes from China - but never assume - I really don't know.

G43 is an imperial size - it will not fit a metric gypsy.

If you have a windlass then the size of the gypsy will determine the chain that will fit. It will be marked on the gypsy or chain wheel (sometimes on the interior face plates - you need to take it off - but it might be on the side of the gypsy). Gypsies are expensive - you will not really want to buy a new one. If you have no windlass I would look at 6mm chain - it will be strong enough and your back will thank you.

If you cannot find the size on the gypsy - take it to your chandler when you buy - and check for fit. Too many assume they know that chain size (easier if its metric chain) but imperial standards vary and their, say nominal 5/16th BBB, G30, G43 and G70 will have different gypsies.

There is no point in investing in G40 if you use some cheap and nasty shackle - you are wasting your money - buy decent shackles (but you should do that anyway) - Crosby G209a from Tecni in the UK.

Vyv's website is a very good place to start.

Jonathan

This blog mentions some articles on chain, simply google to find them.

https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/-11565-1.html

If you seriously wanted to investigate galvanising your own chain speak to Geoff, at Knox Anchor, or Highland Galvanisers or send me an email address and I'll email you a PDF of an article published here in Cruising Helmsman. My 6mm chain to the same strength as 8mm chain cost less than the 8mm chain I can buy here from a chandler. There will be an article in SAIL in the next couple of months on 3 years use of my 6mm chain. So I saved weight and had a chain of a strength a knew was correct and I also had all the connectors and other components of matching size and strength. Smaller chain takes up less room (important if your chain towers) weighs less, can use a smaller windlass (if you happened to be thinking of buying a new one) uses smaller power cables and uses less power.
 
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vyv_cox said:
I suggest you look at my website. Chinese chain from reputable importers is nominally grade 30 but tests as 40. Bainbridge from chandlers is good as is William Hackett.

All marine chain will be hot dipped. Some Italian made stuff has a poor reputation for life of the coating.
Click to expand...

Yes, Maggi is exceptionally bad, at least the 2 lots I've had were terribly. First lot started to rust after about 10 days and I was told colour change was normal. Pictures after 3-4 weeks left no doubt. I did manage to get it replaced after complaining. The second lot lasted a bit longer, approx. 1 month before showing signs of rust, pretty rusty after 2-3 months use.

Customer service was poor and they stopped answering emails or taking calls. This was in 2017-2018 but I'd still avoid Maggi Aqua at all costs.
 
I'd have said they went into administration in 2017 (which means, I believe, someone was sent in to try to save them). Your timing might have been unfortunate.

If they have sorted this out - and galvanising brought up to standard - then they need all the support they can get - they have an appalling, self inflicted, reputation. The CEO and part of the family was on the board of Maggi and the galvaniser (which might have been wholly owned subsidiary).

It was suggested the issue, galvanising, was limited to one quality - it appears it was common to both A4 and A7.

I too would not buy - but I would like to test some current production (a 1 metre length is all I need :) )

I bought 2 lengths of Maggi from Jimmy Green, one of A4 and one of A7. When I checked them - I had two lengths of A4. I was not impressed. I also bought a 8mm Omega link (used on A7 as an enlarged end link) - when it arrived it was 10mm. It was not only Maggi that needed a kick up the ...... They knew I was buying to test.

Jonathan
 
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thanks all - i wont be regalvanising my chain is too far gone, it will need weighing in i think!

we fitted a windlass recently and yes its a million times easier to click a button, i will double check the windlass gypsy but i should in theory be replacing 8mm with 8mm as i know that fits (its what i have now)

good to know on Maggi, ill avoid that, i was looking at marine scene (although no mention of brand, ill phone them to confirm) so if anyone has any info buying from them, alternatively there is Jimmy green and lofrans chain - more expensive but i've had a few things from them in the past, and its branded.

both chains are calibrated and measurements are same as existing chain.
 
I don't know the practice of UK chandlers - but you could ask them if they have an independent test certificate. If they don't I wonder how they are sure of the quality. Chain should be batch tested, but batches can be huge.

The more who ask for sight of a test certificate the more chance we have that chain is actually monitored

I am not aware of any publicly viewable specification for galvanising (and possibly it is too difficult to quantify) - but a simple coating thickness would be nice. You are almost on your own for quality -

but

Look at Vyv's site he has a simple 'cut and bend' test - brilliant. If you can get a link you can try that test. It not as simple as it seems, it is similar to an old Brit Standard test - good lateral thinking.

Galvanizing determines chain life - it pretty important.

Jonathan
 
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