5/16" Stainless G4 Anchor Chain for Bruce Roberts 44?

[GrowleyMonster]

Any opinions on this chain for this boat? I am thinking it is big enough and it is a lot cheaper and lighter than 3/8". Boat displaces about 14 tons. I want to have an all chain rode if practical. I subscribe to the school of thought that the chain holds the boat and the anchor just holds one end of the chain. Not that the anchor isn't important, but I think an all chain rode is a beautiful concept. But with 3/8" chain I think over 100 feet would put the boat noticeably down on her marks forward. What say you, anchoring experts?

[sailorboy1]

It's big enough

[thinwater]

Double check the specs. "G4" stainless chain normally is only G30 strength, but is made to G4 dimensions. A real slight of hand job.


G4 Type 316L Stainless Chain
Made to G4 High Test Dimensions
Working Load Limits (WLL) are less.

Made in USA
T=.32" L=1.02" W=.47"
WLL 2,400 lbs Wt .92 lbs/ft

[billknny]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

It's big enough

5/16 stainless chain might be "big enough" but it is not really strong enough. As has been pointed out, stainless is NOT "G4" in strength even if the links are made to fit a G4 gypsy.

Stainless 5/16 has a WLL of 2400 lbs. According to the ABYC tables on a 44 foot boat that is good for 30 knots, but not for 40knots. Those tables are very conservative, but shouldn't they be???

This has been debated here over and over, but in the real world stainless has no place in ground tackle. Not because of its strength, but because it fails in ways that are undetectable to routine inspection.

My recommendations are based on a boat that is a full time cruiser than needs to anchor in whatever comes at it. If you are a weekend warrior anchoring in well protected places for an overnight or weekend, then sure use a light weight lunch hook set up.

[HopCar]

Thinwater is right, as usual. I’ve never seen stainless chain much stronger than Proof Coil galvanized chain.

I like stainless chain because it doesn’t hold mud. It comes up much cleaner than galvanized. It is horribly expensive, especially if you’re going with an all chain rode.

Suncor Stainless is a good brand.

[GrowleyMonster]

Point taken. Specific suggestions on chain specification? This boat will be a cruiser and not a weekender, and anchoring for a potential 60kts of wind at some point could of course be a possibility that should be reckoned with.

[stormalong]

I have 300 ft of G4 galvanized aboard. The boat is 12 tons design weight, not counting live aboard weight. Windage is a huge factor.

It survived 72 knots with a CQR 60 anchor. Very long scope and catenary may have been a factor in that situation.

I would not trust stainless for the reasons posted by others, galvanized is a lot stronger and will give a lot of warning before it it weakened by rust.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Thinwater is right, as usual. I’ve never seen stainless chain much stronger than Proof Coil galvanized chain.

I like stainless chain because it doesn’t hold mud. It comes up much cleaner than galvanized. It is horribly expensive, especially if you’re going with an all chain rode.

Suncor Stainless is a good brand.

Right about the mud. I used about 40' of galvanized 1/4" and the rest nylon on my 27 footer and it was quite a mess in muddy ground. I was given a piece of stainless and tried it and it came up nice and clean generally.



Here is one vendor I was looking at earlier today.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-S...3bR:rk:10:pf:0


Stainless Steel Windlass 5/16" G4 Anchor Chain 316 5/16" by 100' in length ISO G4 with quality shackles


This 316 Stainless Steel Windlass 5/16" ISO G4 Anchor Chain has the same specifications as the Suncor S0604-0008 and is made to "G4" dimensions and complies fully with all requirements of the US National Association of Chain Manufacturers' (NACM) specifications.

This is a quality, high grade, marine stainless steel (AISI 316) ISO G4 chain suitable for use in a windlass as anchor chain or other marine applications where high corrosion resistance is desired. This listing is for 100' of windlass chain before the shackles are added. Two quality shackles are included with the chain. Superb for anchor chain and general heavy duty work in a marine or chemically harsh environment. This chain will fit many standard windlasses. Please consult your windlass manufacturer model manual for the ideal specification for your windlass. The 3 important figures for smooth running or your windlass is the Diameter (DIA), Inside Length (IL) and Outside Width (OW). More details are in the spec table below. This chain is 8.3*26*28.4 (DIA*IL*OW). The measurements of this chain are listed in mm and as G4 is generally considered an Imperial chain, the Imperial spec of this chain is 5/16"*1.02"*1.12".
The link size is 5/16" imperial. Every 3 feet links are hallmarked and stamped with 316.
More information on our ISO G4 windlass chains are as follows:
G4 Stainless Chain Specifications




US Stainless Stainless Steel 316

Size

Proof Load

Breaking Load

Wgt

G4 Chain 316

DIA mm

IL mm

OW mm

Test (lbs)

BL (lbs)

lbs/ft

1/4"

7.0

21.5

24.4

4000

8000

0.72

5/16"

8.3

26.0

28.4

4800

9600

0.98

3/8"

10.0

31.0

35.0

7100

14200

1.6

Legend:







DIA = Diameter of material (or wire size or D)BL = Breaking Load lbs (or Minimum Breaking Load)IL (max) = Inside Length (also commonly called Pitch or L)



OW (min) = Outside Width

[thinwater]

I repeated much of the ABYC-type testing for my book, as well as testing with snubbers and rope. Even with all chain, the load will generally be less than the ABYC table. With a proper snubber, 2-3 times less. But as a worst case (no snubber, some waves) the ABYC number are valid. I measured impact forces that high.


5/16" G43 should do fine, or 3/8" if you are set on stainless. The problem with stainless is that the working life is about the same as galvinized chain; yes, it will look good beyond that, but from a cracking and fatigue perspective, it becomes a big question mark past 5-7 years. It is shiny, comes up cleaner, and does not pile, but you need to go up a size and replace it on a similar rotation to galvanized. Lots of folks use stainless components, and if they are strong enough, failures are rare, but for example, expect to pay $100 for an SS shackle that is small enough to fit the chain and strong enough to match the rating.

[GrowleyMonster]

Okay, so realistically I am looking at 3/8" stainless and maybe 60 feet or less of it, making up the remainder of the rode with nylon, and getting a lot of convenience and aesthetics but not longer life, or sticking with 5/16" in galvanized, with a good strong pump for washdown, and saving a good deal of money. Starting to lean toward the galvanized, I think. Thanks, everybody.

[GrowleyMonster]

So, I found 143 feet of G43 5/16" for $410 shipped free, but the specs don't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. To wit, WLL 3900lb, BL 11600lb. So the BL of this galv chain is better than the stainless I was looking at, but the WLL is less than the stainless, by a good bit. Price is nice but the WLL is a bit low and is somewhat troubling, in light of the table posted by Thinwater. I will keep looking. There might be a local vendor in New Orleans where my boats are. I am on a ship currently rounding the southern tip of India right now and won't be home until Feb... and GF will get plenty mad at me if she has to go pick up a 100lb+ package anyway so I'm not biting yet.

[thinwater]

Will you be hauling by hand or with a windlass?



* If by hand, depending on water depth, anchor plus chain will be studly.
* If windlass, the transition from chain to rope can be problematic under load. A good long splice will help, but it it is nice to have enough chain so that most of the time you are anchored on all chain.

[GrowleyMonster]

Yeah once I have the chain picked out, I will be shopping for a windlass. The boat doesn't have one. Doesn't have a lot of things, actually. I just bought it and though it was built in 1979 it was never really completed completely. Anyway, I'll probably get a manual one so still semi studly LOL. I don't like low voltage high current loads so if I opt for an electric windlass, I will probably be looking at adapting a ME1306 or ME0912 motor to it through a 10:1 reduction gearbox and run it off a 48v bank through a Kelly sine wave controller. Same setup as the propulsion on my smaller boat but geared lower. Any other electric motor driven equipment, same same. I don't care for all that 12v stuff. 48v is much more useful and usually avoids wiring batteries in parallel. Looking at a Lofrans windlass but need to find out more about it. Looks like it can be electrically driven or manual, either one. But I am not about hand over hand hauling up a big chain and biggish anchor in any but very shallow water. As for the transition from rope to chain, I will just pull up enough slack to get chain onto the wildcat. Been there, done that. Even if I use a combination rode I want enough chain to set all chain out, in shallow anchorages, yeah.

[roverhi]

5/16" is too light a chain for a 44' boat in my opinion. You need weight in the chain to provide a catenary in strong wind/high wave conditions. 5/16" chain just doesn't supply that on a boat with the windage and displacement of a 44'/28,000# boat not even considering strength. If a boat of that size can't handle the weight of 250' of 3/8" chain would seriously consider its suitability as a cruising boat. We had 230' of 3.8" chain on our 20,000# boat. Almost never used more than 150' of the chain but it's those 'oh crap' moments when you'll be thankful that you had it.

If you are in love with the chain you found, would consider a smaller boat to match it.

[Cheechako]

I was not aware that SS chain can be made to G4 strength and hardness. Better double check that. G4 steel chain is hardened. 300 series SS cannot be hardened.
Your 44 ft boat should handle 200+ of 3/8" chain weight fine.