Which Anchor Chain

[Exmoor]

I ned to buy anchor 5/16" chain for my new Maxwell windless

what is the best type of chain to use ie; g4, g3, BBB, HiTest etc

Dont Have much idea about chain so any help would be appricated

Also the names of good suppliers would be appriciated.

Thanks

Chris

[dugout]

Originally Posted by Exmoor

I ned to buy anchor 5/16" chain for my new Maxwell windless

what is the best type of chain to use ie; g4, g3, BBB, HiTest etc

Dont Have much idea about chain so any help would be appricated

Also the names of good suppliers would be appriciated.

Thanks

Chris

You need to buy what fits the wildcat of the Windlass. Get a couple feet of each to test if you don't know. What does Maxwell spec?
They are all different sizes and sometimes the chain, like 5/16 BBB will differ between manufacturers. Trust but verify. Don't guess.
Try http://www.1st-chainsupply.com/
I like ACCO Chain.

[capta]

You really have to go w/ Maxwell's recommendation on this. I believe 3B is the normal gypsy fit.
It must be "hot dipped" galvanized, not zinc coated, for longevity.
I wouldn't waste money on super strong chain; learn to use a snub line properly and you'll never break your chain.
Quantity is a real concern, though. With 200 feet you can just barely anchor in 60 feet of water if there is good holding; obviously much less without.

[foggysail]

My Maxwell HWC2200 uses 5/16HT chain

[jeremiason]

Normally, most Maxwell Windlesses using 5/16" chain should be either HT or BBB.

HT has twice the working load as BBB and would obviously be favored.

Which winch do you have?

[evm1024]

I'm in the G70 camp. I do like the extra strength that is will give you....

Before putting 5/16" G70 on my boat I measured a bunch of chain to see what the actual measurements were. Lots of variations. And of course the measurements mean nothing if the chain does not run smoothly on your windlass.

West Marine will cut you a foot of chain to see what it looks like in your windlass. At least they did for me free of charge. Quite useful but does not give the whole picture.

Also, if you end up with problem running you should look at the stripper. If it is out of place or worn it will not pull the chain off properly.

Regards

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by evm1024

I'm in the G70 camp. I do like the extra strength that is will give you....

Before putting 5/16" G70 on my boat I measured a bunch of chain to see what the actual measurements were. Lots of variations. And of course the measurements mean nothing if the chain does not run smoothly on your windlass.
...

Where did you buy galvanized G70 chain?

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Where did you buy galvanized G70 chain?

West marine sells it and has some in stock here in Portland (and they price match).

However, I bought mine at Columbia Marine Exchange who ordered it from Port Supply (WM again).

It was ACCO hot dipped G70.

Regards

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by evm1024

West marine sells it and has some in stock here in Portland (and they price match).

However, I bought mine at Columbia Marine Exchange who ordered it from Port Supply (WM again).

It was ACCO hot dipped G70.

Regards

Tnx, I just found it on their website. Looks like 6.40 a foot retail. Did the G70 fit the same gypsy that had G40 5/16?
How long have you had the G70? Does it look like the galvanizing will last as long as G40?

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Tnx, I just found it on their website. Looks like 6.40 a foot retail. Did the G70 fit the same gypsy that had G40 5/16?
How long have you had the G70? Does it look like the galvanizing will last as long as G40?

I got my chain for $4.50 a foot...

Not enough time on it to say how long the galvanizing would last. I did buy 275' and would turn it end for end.

My boat has an old Ideal Windlass that does not specify the chain on the Gypsy. I've been thinking that being a 1975 windlass it most likely was speced for 3/8" BBB.

There was 5/16" G40 onboard when I bought the boat which failed to strip properly every once in a while. Switching over to G70 has gotten rid of the stripping problems. (part of that was a bent stripper)

It really is good to get a foot long section and place it on the gipsy to see how it looks.

[Mark Johnson]

Any stronger 5/16" chain than ACCO's G4/HighTest, serves no purpose at all. With G4 you must mate it with Crosby's "high test" 3/8" shackle, NOT their, or any other, "standard"... 3/8" shackle. Otherwise, your shackle is "the weak link".

You can't get a stronger 3/8" shackle than Crosby's HighTest, which matches strength with 5/16" G-4 chain!

With an even stronger (for its size) chain than G-4, you can go up a size on the shackle, (as is standard procedure), then use a HighTest shackle, but it will still not come close to the same WL as the super strong chain.

The WL of the shackle must be as high or higher than the WL of the chain! A tall order with stronger than G-4...

Mark

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by Mark Johnson

Any stronger 5/16" chain than ACCO's G4/HighTest, serves no purpose at all. With G4 you must mate it with Crosby's "high test" 3/8" shackle, NOT their, or any other, "standard"... 3/8" shackle. Otherwise, your shackle is "the weak link".

You can't get a stronger 3/8" shackle than Crosby's HighTest, which matches strength with 5/16" G-4 chain!

With an even stronger (for its size) chain than G-4, you can go up a size on the shackle, (as is standard procedure), then use a HighTest shackle, but it will still not come close to the same WL as the super strong chain.

The WL of the shackle must be as high or higher than the WL of the chain! A tall order with stronger than G-4...

Mark

Given the number of details involved in any anchor system it would be difficult to state any absolutes. (and I am guilty as much as anybody)

I use Crosby G209a shackles due to their strength. If you go one up in shackle size (as is normal) we find that 5/16" G43 chain has a swl of 3900 lbs and a 3/8" crosby G209a shackle has a swl of 4000. A good match of SWL (not breaking strength).

I sometimes use a shackle that is 2 sizes greater than the chain. This can be done by ordering an oversized link on the end of the chain or by measuring the links looking for one that will fit the shackles pin (this is what I do) and cutting of the others (perhaps a loss of a foot?).

This gives 5/16" G70 chain at a 4700 lbs swl and a 7/16" crosby g209a shackle with a swl of 5330 lbs. Also a good match.

But there is more to this than meets the eye that makes the 3/8" shackle not as bad as it looks with 5/16" G70 chain.

So far we have been talking swl not ultimate strength. The breaking strength of a crosby g209a is 6 times the WLL(SWL). Thus the ultimate strength of a 3/8" crosby G209a is 24000 lbs and the 5/16 G70 chain is around 18800 lbs (4x swl). Looks like the G209a is a good match after all.

Ah, you say but what about deforming the shackle? I think that it is desirable to have the shackle less strong than the chain. I want the shackle to deform before the chain does. I don't want any of them to break but by having the shackle deform first we have an indication that the SWL has been exceeded significantly and it is a lot less expensive to replace a deformed shackle than the chain. Given the ultimate strength figures it is still likely that the chain will break first even if the shackle deforms first.

Crosby proof tests their shackles to 2.2 times their swl (4400 lbs for the 3/8").

Who has a load cell and will test this for us?

Regards

[Paul L]

If the Crosby shackle leaves you feeling a little uneasy you could always add a spectra lashing as a backup.

[capta]

In my estimation, at no time is your chain strong enough for the boat. It is the weight of the chain that acts as a "shock absorber" and if the chain becomes tight from the boat to the anchor, something will usually break.
We use a 30' 1" nylon snub line with a huge loop in the chain so it cannot ever get tight (meaning more weight down there, but not more scope). So far on this boat we've only anchored in about 45 knots of wind (gusts) in 3 to 5 foot seas w/o any breakage. On other boats I've sat through numerous hurricanes with this set-up (appropriately sized for each boat) without once breaking anything.
It is also so much quieter than listening to the chain to boat system.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in the heaviest and longest ground tackle that one can have, but if the boat weighs more than the BS of any reasonably sized chain, why spend the money on more expensive chain when a hundred dollars of snub line insures safety.

[Andrew Troup]

I think the recent fashion for using smaller chain of higher strength steels is likely to end badly when an increasing number of these rodes have seen a few regalv cycles, a lot of wear, and many many load reversals.

Relying on this combination, it seems to me, is a bit like using a racehorse for a job which (when things get ugly) really requires a draught horse.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a rebound in due course, to something more akin to former proportions and material strengths.