What's up with stainless steel these days?

[Patrick S/V Shangra-La]

I have a 2000 Catalina 320 and just spent the past day and a half removing rust stains form the deck and all my stanchions, and life lines. The Kids got me a new rigging knife from West Marine for Christmas, and it was covered with rust, both on the blade and the marlinspike.I expect there to be a littles staining, but not wholesale rust. I wash the lines and stachions with soap and water after a day out on the water. Are we just getting tolerant of sub-standard materials?I needed a new thimble for my anchor line. Went to west marine to get a galvanized one, what does it say on it? Made in China! I know the stainless steel coming from china sucks, I guess we'll see about their galvanized steel. I guess I expected better of a marine suply store.Any one else having problems with their stainless steel?

 

[filthy liberal scum]

Problem is mainly labeling!

there are probably at least 2o or lots more grades of stainless steel. unless the grade is specified on packaging or whatever you can bet it has the least amount of chromium allowed. but if its Chinese I'll bet that the chromium amount is less than is required to meet any astm standards to be called stainless. if its rusting you can be sure its chromium content isn't up to par. a lot of stanchions, swim ladders,etc are usually 303 and in certain circumstances will get a light film of rust stain. but nothing more than a light stain.s/v que pasa?

 

[Maine Sail]

For what it's worth..

I owned a 2005 Catalina 310 and experienced zero rusting issues with the stainless. It is spec'd as 316 stainless so I can only guess it's a quality issue?

 

[seadaddler]

Polish & Wax

My 2001 Hunter was a lot more work keepingthe stainless clean,it would get a good polishing every spring and would still be work keeping itlooking like stainless.My new 2007 36 stainless looks great after sitting allwinter up in Greenport,NY and it still looks great likenew,Hunter gives all new owners a bottle of Collinite metal waxand that's what i use on it last spring and will use it again.They Hunter recommends that you use a good wax or car wax or boatwax and never clean it with a abrasive or any strong acid type cleaner,wax on wax off is the trick.

 

[Tim R.]

I concur Seadaddler

Just another great tip I picked up from Maine Sail. I use the regular Collonite paste boat wax.

 

[Stu Jackson]

One of the sources of the rust, if it's at the base

of the stanchions is NOT the stanchions themselves, but rather from underneath the bottom of the stanchions, meaning it's coming from the through bolts. Many "bedding" jobs done by factories are rather poor. Consider lifting and rebedding the base of your stanchions, and once you remove the bolts, decide whether to replace them or clean 'em up and reinstall.

 

[Maine Sail]

Good point Stu..

I bought a brand new boat and re-bedded every fitting that winter! Three of them already leaking..

 

[Shell]

Rust

My guess stainless from Chinese supplier.Our Country is Doomed!Clothes, toys, Dog food, Medicines next cars and medical machines.Resist buying from China.....

 

[Craig]

Check the Type Number

If the type of stainless is A2, and not A4, then you are going to get rust problems.A short search of different companies that sell stainless steel fittings (and some threads about rusting screws and stanchions) will support this.A2 is much cheaper than A4, so I suspect the old adage of "they don't make em like they used to" applies here.

 

[Ed]

Stainless and Rust

HiYou mentioned that the boat is a 2000. When did thjis problem start. Off grade stainless would have started this rust process long ago if the incorrect stainless grade was used .Normally type 316 is used for marine applications. Type 304 and 316 contain both nickel and chrome and are the base line stainless steels to use for corrision protection. In the case of type316 moly is added which acts to improve corrision resistance to chlorides . Have you ever used a brillo pad or any type of wire wool to clean the stainless on the boat. As for your knife the blades are made of a stainless steel for hardness not corrision resistance but even so it should not have rusted that severely. Is tthere a fabrication shop near your dock. Has there been any steel work going on in the area . Stainless especially austenetic grade(those cotaining Nichel and chrome ) for an oxide surface that protects the metal. If this surface is expossed to carbon steel in the atmosphere or by cleaning with a wire brush or steel wool then the carbon particules adhere to the surface and the rust problem starts Final point Try to find out the type of stainless steel was used by Catalina in the stanchion and other fittingsEd

 

[Steve Dion]

Chinese crap!

If everyone that went to Worst Marine would complain and discontinued buying f their overpriced Chinese crap, maybe they will carry a higher quality line of products.If you don't tell someone they need not listen.

 

[Landsend]

two things

bring a magnet when you shop for stainless hardware. The less attraction the better. Also buy as much of your stainless at Home Depot or Lowe's. The prices are better and the quality isn't any worse.

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Landsend

Sorry, buddy, but SS from Home Depot and Lowes is incredibly worse.Tony B

 

[RAD]

If I know I'll be needing hardware for a project

I get it on line from a boatbuilding supply in the North East and within days I get it at a good price and its the real deal.

 

[Ross]

This is an area where brand name and vender is most

important. I have a Tops-in-quality bow pulpit that has been the object of neglect for the twenty years I have had Bietzpadlin and I am sure for the twenty before that. NO rust at all. I have Wichard blocks in various places that get the same care as the bow pulpit. Still no rust. I bought SS tubing and fittings from Jamestown Distributors fifteen years ago for the roof racks on my car. Same care as the bow pulpit and no rust.

 

[higgs]

Good to be.........

........in fresh water where we don't have these problems.

 

[Randy Burns]

More corrision woes

I was supprised how fast the cylinder rod on my new Bomar hatch rusted up. It cleans up with steel wool, but this is a case where it seems like your paying enough to expect better.

 

[RickS]

Rust stain removal

Patrick,What did you use to remove the rust stains from your deck? When we made our winter cover last fall, the conduit filings fell to the deck and left small rust dot stains on the last years newly painted deck. I know we should have either blown the deck off or vacuum the filings up, but the frame and cover was installed in inclement weather with strong winds, rapidly dropping temperatures, and snow...generally miserable conditions.

 

[48dodge]

Barkeepers Friend

That stuff is great for removing rust spots. My father-in-law likes to cut and weld within several feet of his Sea Pro so it is covered in rust spots. I cleaned up spots on his deck with barkeepers friend with barely any scrubbing. Just spray the deck down, then sprinkle it on and let it sit for a while, then just scrub with a sponge.

 

[Rick I]

I'll second Barkeepers Friend

Much better than FSR etc.and very inexpensive. Buy it at Walmart or Publix. I use it on all my stainless and fiberglass now.