Anchor Chain - Galvanized or Stainless

[bajturner]

I am about to add 20' of 1/4" chain to my anchor rode which is all rope. I initially thought I would get stainless steel for sure so it would look nice on the deck. Then I found out it is $12 a foot! Galvanized is $3 a foot.

Can anyone provide me any opinions about whether or not the stainless stays nice and bright, and what the galvanized does over time? Bear in mind this will be a fresh water environment only. Is stainless ever used for anchor rode, or is it pretty much always galvanized?

Thanks once again everyone!

 

[MonacoMike]

Do you have a windlass?

MM

 

[HUMPH]

Check on eBay. You can get stainless for much less than that for 1/4".

 

[bajturner]

Do you have a windlass?

Sorry, should have specified that...no, I don't have a windlass.

 

[mistercomputerman]

Then you are planning on picking up all that chain BY HAND?

 

[islandhopper00]

Is your anchor stainless or galvanized?

When you store the anchor in the roller, you only see like maybe two feet of the chain between the anchor and the locker, and no feet of it when it's deployed in the water. My opinion is unless your going for a high end look it really doesn't matter. Although if a shiny stainless chain is what you want, buy 4ft of stainless and 16ft of galvanized and splice them together. Attach the stainless to the anchor so it is on deck and the rest of the chain is in the locker. there will be no worries of compatibility because you don't have a windlass to run it thru.

If that is to red neck for you I appologize, I do live in NC! haha

 

[bajturner]

Then you are planning on picking up all that chain BY HAND?

Just 20', which I am guessing only adds 15 lbs or so. There are a lot of weeds typically where I anchor...the real workout is not from the anchor or the chain. It's the 50 lbs of weeds that come up with it!!

 

[bajturner]

Is your anchor stainless or galvanized?

Good question. It is galvanized, but I plan to replace it with a stainless one next season. I know to some this would be a waste of money, and it's not that I want a "high-end" look necessarily, but it does somewhat discourage me when I get everything polished and shiney above and below deck, then I see this ugly anchor!

I like your idea of using stainless only for the portion that would be visible while stowed, and no it's not too red neck...I grew up in rural Ontario! I would just need to find a robust and elegnat way to join the two chains. That in itself is certainly a widely contested practice. I think the better question is, after a couple years of weathering will there really be much difference between a couple feet of galvanized and stainless chain. I am thinking stainless chain is not the easiest thing to polish.

 

[mistercomputerman]

If you are remotely considering polishing the links on a SS chain, then you need help...

http://eopa.ca/HOME/default.asp

 

[bajturner]

If you are remotely considering polishing the links on a SS chain, then you need help...

Ha ha...nice. And thanks for the link, I will keep that on file!

So before you have me committed, no, I'm not considering polishing the links...that is why I am asking how they weather over time. If after a year or two the stainless chain looks the same as a galvanized chain, I won't bother.

 

[mistercomputerman]

Sorry, I can't answer the stainless versus galvanized chain look. I would hazard a guess that stainless would still look pretty good over time. I am glad to hear that you are not considering polishing each link. You had me worried about your sanity...

 

[SteveRuss]

I have 12 feet of 3/8 stainless attached to my 22lb stainless plow anchor. I polish the anchor and the roller but not the chain. I hose down the chain after each use and after 1 full season it still looks shiny and new.

 

[Russ Calasant]

My 370 has had a stainless plow and had chain for several years, always looked good, but the anchor does get scratched up. Not easy to look at after paying $1000. The stainless to galvanized connecting link on the chain is the big issue. They are weak at best not to mention now a third dissimilar metal but the weakest link without doubt. I gave up and went to just galvanized and used the stainless anchor, it's enough bling. I'm not even going to bother with the 460, it's tucked up anyway and the money is better spent elsewhere. Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[islandhopper00]

You can splice the chain with something like this.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=50304&subdeptNum=50331&classNum=50333
And you get a swivel too.

 

[Nehalennia]

I have a total of 52' of chain. It's galvanized. It looks fine. Only about a foot of it is exposed from the hawse pipe to the swivel on the anchor.

I pull mine up by hand but really would like to add a windlass soon.

 

[patokapirate]

You shouldn't have nearly as bad a corrosion problem with galvanized chain in fresh water anyway. And if it gets crappy in a few years, if you are going to keep the boat just buy a new galvanized one.

 

[Nehalennia]

I'm in salt 99.9% of the time and have no corrosion on the chain. It's fine.

 

[MonacoMike]

Good question. It is galvanized, but I plan to replace it with a stainless one next season. I know to some this would be a waste of money, and it's not that I want a "high-end" look necessarily, but it does somewhat discourage me when I get everything polished and shiney above and below deck, then I see this ugly anchor!

I like your idea of using stainless only for the portion that would be visible while stowed, and no it's not too red neck...I grew up in rural Ontario! I would just need to find a robust and elegnat way to join the two chains. That in itself is certainly a widely contested practice. I think the better question is, after a couple years of weathering will there really be much difference between a couple feet of galvanized and stainless chain. I am thinking stainless chain is not the easiest thing to polish.

I would not be spending money on "bling" if I didn't have a windlass. IMHO, MM

 

[bajturner]

I would not be spending money on "bling" if I didn't have a windlass. IMHO, MM

I understand. Different people have different things that are important to them. I take a lot of pride in keeping my boat looking clean and well-maintained. My boat doesn't have a windlass but that doesn't mean spending some money upgrading how it looks is a bad idea, IMHO. I spend money on good cleaners, replacing parts that still work but look worn out, and upgrading electronics that I could likely live without...and I actually don't mind pulling the anchor up by hand at all; it's good exercise!

Polished, stainless anchors should be standard from the factory on Sea Rays!

 

[bajturner]

Thank you everyone for the input, ideas, and photos. I am going to go with galvanized for this year and see how it looks. If I don't like it, then I will replace it with stainless when I upgrade the anchor. I can think of a few ways to reuse the galvanized chain if I replace it, and worst case, it's only $60 to find out!