Changing Part of an Anchor Chain?

[Hampus]

I need to change about half the chain, it's too worn. What's the best way of scarfing a chain? Manual windlass.

/Hampus

[s/v Moondancer]

Buy a new chain!

[Amwasp]

God knows I'm no expert, but I have used shackles or sometimes they are called clevis links. The only problem is that if you have a capstan on your windless, it will damage it. I only have a drum on my windless but my next investment will absolutely be a capstan and new chain.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Hampus

I need to change about half the chain, it's too worn. What's the best way of scarfing a chain? Manual windlass.
/Hampus

Professionally welding a new joiner link?

[Roaring Girl]

We added 20m to our chain last spring. There are 'c' links made for the job wich are sized to the appropriate size of your chain but - big warning - make sure yours is well made with high quality steel. On recommendation by the guy who carried out a test on the items for Yachting Monthly we bought ours from a specific engineering firm in the UK. We then had it professionally attached, as we certainly couldn't have hit the rivet pins hard enough. This is not a problem at all as it just goes through the windlass like the other links.

If you can afford the time/trouble/money or have the skills then having it professionally welded is obviously a very good move. But it does mean getting your whole chain to the welders shop and by the time you've managed all that a new chain might look attractive.

There are plenty of people who never say join your chain. We are comfortable with what we did, but are glad that it is at the 60m mark (we now have 80m of chain, or 262ft) so in fact we don't use it that often.

[James S]

I also used a c link in the past on another application...worked fine but was not in the sea.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Roaring Girl

There are plenty of people who never say join your chain

I'm one of those people. Not only would I say, "never join your chain," but I'd be much more emphatic about never joining an old chain where half of it needs to be discarded.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Hampus

I need to change about half the chain, it's too worn. What's the best way of scarfing a chain? Manual windlass.

/Hampus

If you have more than ~ 30' of chain, just go with a mixed rode until you are ready to spring for a new chain. Sounds like it won't be too long; a few more seasons?

[Bloodhound]

If half the chain is worn, so is the other. There is too much riding on the chain (secure anchorage) to risk a half-arsed chain. Throw it away and use it for nothing else - it is no longer safe for any load at all. (If you don't believe this, try getting it certified.)

[Roaring Girl]

I should add that we lengthened our chain, rather than used it to extend the life of elderly chain. If the chain is getting degraded, then I would absolutely agree that it should be replaced.