Stainless anchors and chain

ashtead

ashtead

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A simple question hopefully -can you attach normal galvanised chain to a stainless anchor ? Does it need a swivel to connect if so? I know nothing of stainless anchors but apart from bling and having the lead in the anchor tip what benefits do they add?
 
My galvanised anchor is attached to three galvanised chain links by a stainless steel shackle. Next comes a stainless steel swivel, then galvanised chain. In 5 years of frequent and long-term anchoring the only galvanic effect is loss of the zinc from a few links of chain. Even for semi-liveaboard use there is insufficient immersion time for serious galvanic corrosion.
 
If you are going that route you need Cromox, duplex stainless - it not only 'seems' a large investment it 'is' a very large investment - and apart from bling really offers no advantage (except mud is more easily washed off). Cromox is a G60 quality meaning you could downsize the chain from say 10mm or 8mm to 8mm or 6mm - so if you are costing check the smaller sized Cromox, not the same. You still need the same sized shackle with is then difficult to attach to the smaller chain - but possible, I've done it (with smaller gal HT chain).

Jonathan
 
Apart from lack of rust, stainless steel chain has a lower angle of repose than galvanised. It is less susceptible to piling up and blocking the windlass. If you have a shallow chain locker it offers a lot more than just "bling".
 
If I was at the start of my sailing life instead of the end of it I would buy a decent length of Cromox as an investment. Over the years I have bought many lengths of galvanised, had them regalvanised, etc. Probably spent at least as much as the Cromox would have cost.
 
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vyv_cox said:
If I was at the start of my sailing life instead of the end of it I would buy a decent length of Cromox as an investment. Over the years I have bought many lengths of galvanised, has them regalvanised, etc. Probably spent at least as much as the Cromox would have cost.
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Knowing what I know now, I would have done the same. Trouble was, in the early days of my sailing, I didn't have any money. 🙁
 
I have stainless chain, swivel, and anchor .... advantages are, it doesn't pile up in the anchor locker, the anchor comes out of the mud relatively clean but for stubborn stuff a quick circle in reverse with the anchor dangling in the water cleans it off, and finally, my anchor locker is rust free so no rusty streaks out of the drainage holes on the bow.

The chain came with the boat, the anchor and swivel were recent purchases. Buying the chain again would make me cry, but I'd probably do it anyway if it ever needs replacing.
 
Chiara’s slave said:
We have stainless chain, but alloy anchor. 15m, then nylon warp, us being a multi. The clean-ness is the 8th wonder of the world. Our chain was an offcut, no banks were broken.
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Being an off maybe you had no choice but...

Was it an offcuts of Cromox which being a G60 would allow you to down size the link size and save weight.

Or maybe it was 316 in which case there is no sensible way to downsize and it does not incur the wallet slimming ability of Cromox

Thermal Diffusion Galvanising (TDG) polishes with use and looks like black stainless, is better than HDG in mud and is slightly stronger than similarly sized and more expensive Cromox. You can also TDG your anchor. Polishing of TDG is a known practice for some applications.

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Jonathan
 
316 for us, it’s only a short length, we felt that the weight down there was a good thing. Our previous galvanised chain was probably original, 21 years old, and whilst structurally ok, was rusty and nasty to handle. The stainless is always clean by the time it gets up to my hands. No windlass on a Dragonfly 920.
 
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