Stainless question

[Tiger Rag]

Am having a blonde moment here and need assistance. I was speaking earlier with a client about replacing his anchor and chain and he mentioned that he liked the idea of stainless anchor and chain, so I said I would get some prices for comparison with galvanised.

After finishing the conversation, I had an inkling that someone had explained to me that stainless was not ideal for anchors / chains, but I can't remember why not. I then started to think that even ultra high budget mega yachts dont have them, am I missing something blindingly obvious or just being paranoid?

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[jimg]

I have a stainless anchor that came as a standard fitting, in fact I have seen them on quite a few boats. However I have never seen stainless chain in use.

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[DavidJ]

I've just finished reading Brian Fagan's book on the Art of Anchoring and all he says about SS chain is to use it if you are 'incredibly affluent'. Nothing about SS anchors though.

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

The Med is full of expensive boats with s/s anchors and jolly smart they look too but I dont know about the chain. Seems to be a bit of an overkill for something thats hidden 99% of the time

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[jfm]

Lots of boats have ss anchors and chain. Even on lowly fairlines it is an option, though quite spensive. Eg on midsize squadron the ss anchor and chain upgrade is about £3.5k (possibly also includes a counter, but still spensive)

I cant think of an engineering reason not to use it. S/s is genrally much stronger than ordinary mild steel

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[tcm]

I have just has a note thaty due to something to do with electrolysis, bertholders in la napoule in france are barred from attaching anything made of stainless steel (ie shackle) to the underwater chains. Dunno quite what tho. It'll obviously bugger things up, they think.

Long term, stainless steel underwater will rust cos erm it needs air. Ooh yes - look you know how the rails are made of stainless steel - and don't rust? Well, the guardrail is also made of stainless steel too BUT it always goes rusty just around the end of the plasticky covered bit . Well, that's summink to do with it. It's not exposed to the air properly. A bit like nappy rash.

Probaly fine for anchors though which are either in the water or not in the water, so stuffit, sellim the nice expensive stuff and tellim to rinse down now and again.

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[Alpha22]

I think the bigest worry about a stainless anchor would be somone nicking it!!

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<hr width=100% size=1>Last weekend was shopping darling........ so this weekend is boating. (Duck!)

 

[Tiger Rag]

I knew i could rely on you, that was my thinking, if you have a stainless anchor then the chain should be stainless as well other wise dissimilar metals rusting right where you don't want them to i.e. the anchor swivel, plus you don't get all the rusty flakes buggering up the teak when you drop/retreive the anchor, seems a bit of an extravagence but definietly looks the biz.

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[tcm]

yes yes, he has perhaps seen the targa 62 at SBS which had stainless anchor and chain, the whole lot. Posh yet pointless, so, kerching. Perhaps also sellim some stainless steel preserving lotion too. And maybe a specially made stainless steel plate on the front where it might bash, and some more bits of s/s around the cleats so the lines don't rub away the grp. The excellent news about this is that none of it can really go wrong. I nearly had a stainles steel snchor once, but bought the wrong sodding one and it didn't quite fit properly...

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