Chain Locker Improvements

[FlyingScot]

I'm looking for ideas how to make the chain locker stay dry and clean. The main purpose being to extend the life of the chain.

We already have a wash down sprayer, both fresh and salt water.
We also have Dri-Dek rubber tiles under the chain to help promote water drainage and air flow.

What else can we do?

Has anyone installed a fan to promote drying?
How about a silicon heating mat under the chain to warm it up to get rid the moisture?

Any other ideas?

[SailingHarmonie]

We take no special care, but do a few things that seem to make a huge difference.

We end-for-end the chain every year. This evens the wear and exposures. Preventing one end of the chain from taking all the abuse.

We use hot-dipped galvanized chain, NOT electrogalvanized. It costs more, but we get 5 or 6 years between regalvanizing.

We be sure to regalvanize before the chain suffers serious corrosion. It just makes sense.

[Kettlewell]

Metal chain hooks can cause additional wear, though most think it is minimal. Tieing on your snubber will eliminate that possible problem.

[wrwakefield]

Our chain is underwater ~85% of the time [temperate marine environment; not tropical] but it is [somewhat] clean [washdown hose] when stowed in our isolated, passively vented, and vent matt lined anchor locker.

I even give it a quick freshwater rinse if it is going to remain in the locker for more than a day or two. I’ll even open the anchor locker on a sunny day to help it dry out, but I don’t know if that really makes much of a difference to its longevity [on fully galvanized surfaces anyway...]

As a case in point, I have a 190ft length from that same 2014 barrel of chain laying exposed in my truck bed for the past 6 years. [It was stored, unused, in the anchor locker before that.] I mention this because I live in a temperate rain forest [~82” rain/year] That virgin length of chain shows no rust, but is wet [rain] a majority of the time.

Our 5/16” G43 ACCO chain was new in 2014 and been in use full time since then. [Anchored ~ 300 days out of each year]. It is just now starting to show signs of rust, and prompting me to start planning its replacement in a couple of years or so. [Re-galvanizing resources on the W coast of the US and Canada have rapidly diminished these past couple of years.]

My point is it seems rinsing off the salt- vs drying the chain- may have the biggest [and simplest to perform] impact on longevity. [At least in our cruising area…]

Here is one industry reference that seems to support my observations:

[Hot dip galvanized coating] Longevity in various environments

FWIW

Cheers, Bill

PS: As Harmonie mentioned, end-for-ending the chain every year or so promotes more even wear. I have been contemplating splitting my 9 year old main bower chain [360’] in half and joining the two previous ends to become the new middle; thereby exposing the best [least worn] galvanizing at the [new] ends of the chain to try and eek out a few more years…

[thomm225]

Wind Hippie Sailor's Chain Locker improvement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVtlLQJhEm8

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Wind Hippie Sailor's Chain Locker improvement.

Not really relevant to my situation. We have excellent drainage, but maybe not so great airflow.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Metal chain hooks can cause additional wear, though most think it is minimal. Tieing on your snubber will eliminate that possible problem.

This is a good point about extending chain life. Thanks.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Not really relevant to my situation. We have excellent drainage, but maybe not so great airflow.

Easy fix for that is leave rode and chain on deck until its dry. I have done it this way for years.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Easy fix for that is leave rode and chain on deck until its dry. I have done it this way for years.

Damn near impossible on our catamaran. The windlass, chain locker and lift point are all aft of the trampoline.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Easy fix for that is leave rode and chain on deck until its dry. I have done it this way for years.

That doesn't work when retrieving with a windlass that feeds right into the locker. Plus, having hundreds of pounds of chain out on deck isn't safe. So that's a viable method on a small boat with mostly rope rode and no windlass, but it doesn't work on most bigger cruising boats.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Damn near impossible on our catamaran. The windlass, chain locker and lift point are all aft of the trampoline.

Bummer.

Luckily for me, I still pull in the anchor by hand and usually leave it, the rode, and chain on deck secured especially if covered by black marsh mud.

I have a bucket with a rope I rinse it with while standing on the bow sailing out on autopilot from the anchorage.

As in this video below.

Coming out of this anchorage my sails flipped themselves into this wing and wing configuration so I just went with it for about 12 miles. The winds kept increasing and rotated a bit by then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejcp-rCYz3U

[RaymondR]

I give the piece in the locker a spray with vegetable oil occasionally.

[Benz]

My chain sits on a wood grating which provides more airflow beneath (bigger air space) than dry-dek panels. My secondary rode (3/4" rope) sits on another grate, away from the chain. If the locker feels damp (sails and docklines also live in there), I can leave a hatch open and let it ventilate, but there's a lot of airspace in there at all times.

[sinnerman]

I would think that you would need to fresh water flush the chain locker not only after pulling the anchor, but after sailing as well, since any water coming over the bow will certainly find its way to the chain locker.

My two cents

cheers

[Scubaseas]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

I'm looking for ideas how to make the chain locker stay dry and clean. The main purpose being to extend the life of the chain.

We already have a wash down sprayer, both fresh and salt water.
We also have Dri-Dek rubber tiles under the chain to help promote water drainage and air flow.

What else can we do?

Has anyone installed a fan to promote drying?
How about a silicon heating mat under the chain to warm it up to get rid the moisture?

Any other ideas?

I had a Nicro solar vent on my old boat. Between fresh water rinse, drideck and the power vent there was zero odor and very little rust.