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Azure85 · 11-10-2018, 17:47

Hello all. New to the forum and have a question for anyone in the community with an X-Yacht manufactured within the past few years. The anchor chain locker on most of the newer models appears quite inaccessible, with only a small inspection port. This gives rise to concern about being unable to address any pileups of the chain during anchor maneuvers. Does anyone have experience with this design? We are thinking of specifying stainless steel chain so as to minimize the risk of chain pileups in the locker. Thoughts?

**Jim Cate** · 11-10-2018, 18:37

No specific experiences with X-yachts, but I've had enough Gordian knots appear in the chain pile to be VERY wary of limited access to the chain locker. I've had to beat the knots apart with a hammer to get them undone. S/s chain might well help,but still...

Also, I've needed to give the chain locker a good cleaning every now and then, for despite my wash down efforts, mud of dubious quality eventually gets in and begins to smell a bit. Dunno how access for that operation is in the X.

Good luck in the decision... they are pretty boats!

Jim

billknny · 11-10-2018, 19:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure85

Hello all. New to the forum and have a question for anyone in the community with an X-Yacht manufactured within the past few years. The anchor chain locker on most of the newer models appears quite inaccessible, with only a small inspection port. This gives rise to concern about being unable to address any pileups of the chain during anchor maneuvers. Does anyone have experience with this design? We are thinking of specifying stainless steel chain so as to minimize the risk of chain pileups in the locker. Thoughts?

I have always had the pleasure of boats with well designed chain lockers, and have NEVER had a "chain castle" to knock down, and I anchor 200+ days a year. I also routinely let all the chain out of the locker so it never fuses into a horrible lump that needs to be "hammered" into submission. So with those things said...

I think that stainless steel has no place in proper ground tackle. The problem is that with stainless steel you get no warning of failure. Crevice corrosion can attack it in an almost invisible way and it fails without warning.

Yes, you CAN see it if you inspect with a magnifying loupe, or penetrating dye. But I have never seen anyone do that regularly to EVERY link in 100 meters of chain.

Let's forget for the moment the insane cost of stainless chain that requires you to use it until you see signs of failure... oh wait! You can not see signs of impending failure...

On the other hand, steel chain corrodes visibly, and stretches visibly, if over loaded. It TELLS you it needs replacement in ways stainless never does.

So many boats try to pretend to be "cruising" boats but the idea that a chain locker is not accessible for inspection and clean out would (for me) disqualify any boat from that standard. It just shows ignorance of what a cruising boat needs to be, or, arguably worse, ignoring what a cruising boat needs to be.

gjordan · 12-10-2018, 08:49

I consider good ground tackle as the best insurance policy that a boat can have. Anything that makes ground tackle difficult to use or marginal is unacceptable. I have had chain piles and they can jam. You need easy access to your locker. to solve problems quickly. I also dont think stainless should be used. If you are worried about chain rusting in your locker, make sure you have a grate so that the chain doesnt sit in the very bottom of the locker that almost always has a small puddle in it. Just another opinion _____Grant.

MartinR · 13-10-2018, 09:38

Stainless is a VERY bad idea! Unless you plan on never using your anchor. Then it makes sense.

Gintonix · 13-10-2018, 13:50

We also have an Xc45. We have 75m of 10mm chain.

There are good and bad points about the anchor locker. The good is that it is deep enough and the chain never castles.

The bad is that occasionally links in the chain bind together and can jam in the pipe below the windlass, if you are not carefull. This can happen when we put out out the last 10 or 15m. We don’t often lay out more than 50m of chain but sometimes it’s necessary. You can tell if there is more resistance caused by a binding link, and back it off, which usually frees it.

The solution is to run out all the chain once or twice a season and let the twisting in the chain unwind. The access port is a little awkward but there is enough space to untie the end of the chain and get it unwound.

Corrosion is not the cause of the issue so SS chain would not help, and as others have noted, it’s the wrong metal for this job.

I jammed ours badly enough to need an hour to free it, on our very first first overnight anchor, so now I am careful and have had no problems since then.

Hasn’t detracted from our love of the boat!

Djarraluda · 13-10-2018, 17:20

In Australia, insurance will not cover you with stainless steel chain. I also believe most rating or safety assessments do not class SS chain as adequate, so you will get pinged for no anchor chain.
Roger

**Jim Cate** · 13-10-2018, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djarraluda

In Australia, insurance will not cover you with stainless steel chain. I also believe most rating or safety assessments do not class SS chain as adequate, so you will get pinged for no anchor chain.
Roger

I don't see this in my policy with Nautilus. Please show us where the clauses are.

Jim

Thalas · 13-10-2018, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gintonix

The solution is to run out all the chain once or twice a season and let the twisting in the chain unwind. The access port is a little awkward but there is enough space to untie the end of the chain and get it unwound.

If you let it out as scope in shallow water, I would think the chain would not be able to truly unwind, but if the full chain were let out in deep water suspending the anchor and chain, I would imagine this would be very stressful on the windlass. Forgive my ignorance, but can you clarify how you do this?

MikeTC · 14-10-2018, 01:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thalas

If you let it out as scope in shallow water, I would think the chain would not be able to truly unwind, but if the full chain were let out in deep water suspending the anchor and chain, I would imagine this would be very stressful on the windlass. Forgive my ignorance, but can you clarify how you do this?

Think about it.

waterman46 · 14-10-2018, 10:47

Cut an opening into the chain locker from below decks.

Wavehiker · 16-10-2018, 05:38

I have a 2015 Xc45. Not only is there a 5” inspection port there is a large removable panel just below it. Remove this panel and you have full access to anchor locker. No need to cut or add anything. OP needs to take closer look at anchor locker.