Stainless Steel Anchor Chain

[tahoebyrne]

I just purchased a Lagoon 410 catamaran and the surveyor noted that the anchor chain was corroded to about 50% of the original metal. The chain sits in a locker and the saltwater wash down hose was leaking on it which may explain the severe corrosion. I was thinking of replacing the 3/8" galvanized chain with stainless steel chain. Currently there is 100 feet of chain and 150' of nylon multi-stranded rode. Presumably the reason for not using all chain was to keep the weight down, the displacement is listed as 16,000 lbs. Is stainless steel chain worth considering? I plan to cruise from the Chesapeake Bay to Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean over the next couple of years. Would I be better off going with all chain despite the weight?

[sailormed]

In my idea SS is not going to protect you better and/or longer then galvanized. SS chain can corrode on the inside and thus invisible until it is to late. Just stay with a good galvanized chain. Keep it simple. As for the weight I have no opinion, I am a simple monohull salor

[JPA Cate]

s/s is more likely to break than galvanized

[nigel1]

I'd go with new calibrated galvanised chain, and if it was me, all chain is a good way to go. 100' of chain on a 40' cat is not very much, I have close to 400' of 10mm chain (tad bigger than 3/8)

[daletournier]

I about the fears associated with S/S chain but have never come across them. I know boats that have had S/S chain for 15 years with no problems and that's on a Amel that is cruising fulltime. Cheap stainless chinese swivels etc ... week that's another story.

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[daletournier]

I apologize for the predictive text , I actually can spell.

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[a64pilot]

If you get good SS it's fine, but it will have to be pretty big and heavy as SS isn't nearly as strong as say grade 70 chain. Since weight is the concern I would look real hard at grade 70 chain, just be sure it's chain for a windlass and of course galvanized, I believe most grade 70 is transport chain.
Once you price SS chain I think that alone will change your mind, SS chain is "boat jewelry" and belongs in my opinion with SS anchors on motor yachts that don't anchor, just my opinion of course


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[Cheechako]

I'd go with Galvanized and about 150 feet for your plans.

[colemj]

SS chain is great - it never rusts, comes up clean of mud, never piles up in the locker, and many other advantages.

However, the only SS chain you should trust in this application will cost >$30USD per foot, and you should trust it only from a very limited number of manufacturers. It is a rare and difficult thing to source and obtain quality SS chain in the US.

SS chain is the equivalent of G50, so it is actually stronger than 99% of the G30 and G40 chain most people are using. Thus, it is less likely to break than galvanized - if it is sourced properly. All problems people have seen or heard about SS chain has been cheap SS chain.

Duplex is really what you want in this application, although quality SS from specific companies in Germany, Italy or France is also good.

Mark

[SariTimur]

We had good quality stainless from Germany. And at first I loved it. Usually came up clean, stored well etc etc. but while in Palau the boat stayed anchored for about 3.5 months when the chain came up it had lots of pits from oxygen starvation. So if it is going to be in the water a long time I would say avoid it. It is expensive to replace.

[tahoebyrne]

Thank you all for the information. I won't be purchasing stainless steel chain as I had no idea that it cost so much. How do I verify that the chain is the correct size for the windlass? Is it marked on the gypsy or the windlass?

[Bulawayo]

Read the report by Practical Sailor regardibg stainless steel chain and how it can fail without any warning. Overloaded galvanised chain shall distort usually before failing and this shows up at the windlass as it is cranked in.
It is not a wise purchase if you accept Practical Sailor's testing - and I have found their advice invaluable throughout the years.

[roland stockham]

I agree that galvanized is better. SS tends to be more brittle so not as good on shock loading, plus the cost. As long as the chain locker is dry corrosion is not a problem. a lot of boats now seam to have a small anchor lkr right in the bow with drain holes near the water line. Not good for cruising, in waves sea water floods up through the drains and the weight is right forward both of which are bad news. the best option is to feed the chain into the bilge below water and as near the mast as possible. any water should either drain to the bilge sump or the lkr should have its own pump. For length you need 10x the max depth you are likely to anchor in so the main factor is draft. With the shallow draft on a cat you could use less than a deep drat mono to save weight. Min is probably about 30m, 50m would be ideal if you can carry it. I would never use rope for the main rode on a cruising boat, when at anchor for a longer period there is too much risk of it chafing. Mr boat once ended up on the beach because the 40mm rope on a borrowed mooring chafed through against the keel during a storm!

[Dave22q]

As many have noted stainless is weaker than galvanized and should not be used for anchoring. As for how much to carry you need to ask how much you like being dependent on a windless working, and how much chain weight you want in your bow. Remember extra line weighs less than chain. Also I am not aware of any evidence that 200' chain has better holding power or strength than 50' of chain and 3 strand. That's why I got rid of my chain rode and have 30' chain and a 300' line. Happy sailing with your new boat. Its a nice one.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

As many have noted stainless is weaker than galvanized

Again, this is not true. Anchor-quality SS chain is the equivalent of G50. Anchor-quality galvanized chain is G30 or G40. Very few people use G70, but that would be stronger than SS.

Mark