Have you ever broken your chain?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by bizzy

WE USE 10MM S/S/CHAIN ANYONE KNOW WHAT THAT IS RATED FOR ? IT IS STAMPED ,NOT SURE OF THE NUMBERS . THANKS

You might optionally elect to tell us what the stamp says?

Anchorlift - Chains & Ropes

Broadly speaking BL of about 5t.

b.

[Kettlewell]

So, a secondary question is, has anyone every broken any of that 316 stainless steel anchor chain? We hear lots of pontificating that stainless is no good for underwater use, and I tend to agree, but does anyone have any reported problems in actual use?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

So, a secondary question is, has anyone every broken any of that 316 stainless steel anchor chain? We hear lots of pontificating that stainless is no good for underwater use, and I tend to agree, but does anyone have any reported problems in actual use?

Nope. But I did see one very corroded in its locker. Why will SS chain corrode? Perhaps it gets abraded and stops being SS and then the difference of potentials does the rest?

It looked very messy. We never get that look with galv chain though.

b.

[HopCar]

Stainless chain can be had in sizes that match G4 ISO so it will work on a lot of windlasses. It isn't as strong as G4 but it is stronger than BBB or Proof Coil.

There are other grades of stainless out there besides 316 and there is no way to tell what it is by just looking at it.

I've had the same piece of stainless chain in my rope / chain rode for more than ten years. It still looks great. Unfortunately mine doesn't spend nearly as much time underwater as I would like.

One very nice thing about stainless chain is that mud doesn't stick to it as well as it does to galvanized chain.

If I were to buy stainless chain today, I would buy Suncor brand. They make high quality stainless products and I would trust them to deliver the grade of stainless I ordered. That's not to say other companies don't sell quality stainless, it's just that I know Suncor.

[donradcliffe]

I know of 2 broken chains, but they are both second hand.

One was a friend anchored in Bahia de Santa Elena (Papagayo territory) on his 40 foot sailboat. The chain came with the boat, history unknown, and he decided not to replace it before he went cruising. Fortunately they were on the boat and that wind blows offshore.

The second story is a bit more interesting, because we were trying to use chain and a hydraulic jack to straighten a lead keel that had been warped in a Red Sea grounding. I got my kid the rocket scientist to calculate the yield strength of the keel, and figured a 5 ton jack and 1/2 chain would do the job. The only chain available in Yat Marin (Marmaris) was Chinese. It snapped twice before we gave up, and I figured it broke a bit below its WORKING load!

I would not trust any part of my anchoring system to something made in China--chain, shackles or anchor.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Stainless chain can be had in sizes that match G4 ISO so it will work on a lot of windlasses. It isn't as strong as G4 but it is stronger than BBB or Proof Coil.

There are other grades of stainless out there besides 316 and there is no way to tell what it is by just looking at it.

I've had the same piece of stainless chain in my rope / chain rode for more than ten years. It still looks great. Unfortunately mine doesn't spend nearly as much time underwater as I would like.

One very nice thing about stainless chain is that mud doesn't stick to it as well as it does to galvanized chain.

If I were to buy stainless chain today, I would buy Suncor brand. They make high quality stainless products and I would trust them to deliver the grade of stainless I ordered. That's not to say other companies don't sell quality stainless, it's just that I know Suncor.

I also heard, second-hand & anecdotally, that SS chain won't castle up in the locker like galvanized often does. True?

[Kettlewell]

I'll agree with HopCar that I doubt you can go wrong with Suncor products, and their stainless steel chain looks like jewelry it is so purty! But, I would steer clear of no-name chain of any type. It is one place you do not want to cheap out.

[HopCar]

"I also heard, second-hand & anecdotally, that SS chain won't castle up in the locker like galvanized often does. True? "

I don't have enough SS chain for that to be an issue. Can anybody afford enough stainless chain for that to be an issue?
I think we've got a drum of it at the store. I'll play with it and see if it piles up.

[SVNeko]

Why wouldn't it? It seems slipperier (is that a word?) than galvanized so should pile up well. Only problem I've had with galvanized is piling up too high or not sliding down . Slippery chain would be better.

[Tim Godber]

Interesting question! It would be interesting also to know if there is any experience of breakage in anchor swivels? As others have said, the likely points of wear are at the shackle or ends of chain, so how about swivels, personally I don't like the idea of them but thats just me being suspicious!
On the subject of chain size and breaking strength, I suggest that weight of chain is important in damping the snatch effect on the anchor and boat, so it is probable that breaking strength is greater than might seem to be necessary.

[micah719]

Have you ever broken your chain?

No, but I'm getting good at picking the lock.

[Kettlewell]

I have heard of anchor swivels breaking, but I have not had one do it. I don't regularly use one in my anchor rode anymore, though I did for years. The galvanized ones have a pretty low working load so you have to get a really big one, and I would only trust name brands. Cheapo Chinese swivels I have seen rot out very quickly. Frankly I don't see the point of one in an anchor rode unless you plan on not moving for a very long time. On moorings you need one or you will eventually get some serious twists.

[s/v Jedi]

Anchor, shackle, swivel, enlarged link, chain:


G7 strength coupling:


Windlass, chain stopper:

[Kettlewell]

How does the WL on that swivel compare to the shackles and chain?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

How does the WL on that swivel compare to the shackles and chain?

It is stronger but it is, gasp, 3/4" while the chain is only 3/8". The shackle is also 3/4". Note that swivels like these are safe to use when WL is matched to chain. No shiny stainless Kong or whatever thingies that break with side loading.

Here's the thing: we used to have 5/8" shackle and swivel, same type as on the pictures. After being anchored in hurricane Ivan, the swivel looked just fine but the shackle was stretched and had to be cut off. At that time I replaced the chain and went up in size with the shackle and swivel. This hardware is massive and oversized but one size down was proven too weak... I can't find high tensile shackles while my roller can deal with this, so it's okay.

cheers,
Nick.