Where's the looney bin on this boat?
- Thread starter Phil Herring
- Start date
Inward opening door on the main head on my '92 First 45f5. It's too tall to clear the cabin top so won't open all the way. I struggle to get in there after a big feed and you have to sit down to close the door!
The anchor locker. When hauling in the anchor chain it comes out of the gypsy and slides down a slope to the locker below. After about 2 ft the chain does not slide down that slope anymore and is backing up the slope until it blocks the anchor winch. Awfull design failure. You have to sit on your knees and drop the chain in the anchor locker every 5 seconds by hand.
I quote from YBW forum:
” 1) 316 stainless is relatively weak, something between half and two thirds that of a 400 grade steel as used in G40 galvanized chain. The commonly available higher tensile grade of stainless chain that is available is G50. If using 316 you therefore need to use larger sizes to bring the breaking strength back up to par. That said, the failure in the article is clearly from corrosion and not pure mechanical stress.“
So no SS anchor chain on my boat.
” 1) 316 stainless is relatively weak, something between half and two thirds that of a 400 grade steel as used in G40 galvanized chain. The commonly available higher tensile grade of stainless chain that is available is G50. If using 316 you therefore need to use larger sizes to bring the breaking strength back up to par. That said, the failure in the article is clearly from corrosion and not pure mechanical stress.“
So no SS anchor chain on my boat.
I’ve heard that about SS chain. But, the “weak link in your chain [of logic]“ speaking metaphorically is typically one’s own anchor. That is, your anchor is likely to pull out or start dragging long before your SS chain would snap a link, if you’re even ever there; at least if the chain is in good condition. The advertised breaking strength for new 5/16” Suncor SS chain is above 9000#. About the BEST anchor one can buy, say, for a 40-ft boat will pull out or start dragging before reaching around 5000# according to static tests. To experience near 5000# of wind force on the boat, according to calculations, you’d have to be anchored in a 42-kt gale and receiving its full measure, etc. For most of us that might never happen, but every time you deploy and then recover chain, you will get the “volcano” chain pile The OP describes.
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