We're currently upgrading our ground tackle in advance of a circumnavigation starting in July this year. Our vessel is a 50ft steel ketch, weighing 32 tons at the last hoist. (Aside: given our dry weight is supposedly 26.8 tonnes, and we have 2200 litres of tankage, that means we've somehow accumulated 3 tons of personal crap on board. Time for a clean out!!).

Anyway, currently, our primary anchor is a 40kg Delta on 65m of 13mm G3 (or Grade L as they call it here in Australia), and based on our research, we're planing to move to a 55kg Rocna, with 100m of 13mm G4 chain.

My dilemma is with regard to finding chain. I cannot find a supplier in Australia for 100m lengths of G4 - allegedly it only comes in drums of 55m length for 13mm. In fact, I can't even buy 100m of G3 for the same reason. I'm reluctant to join multiple lengths, as no-one in Aus can give me any confidence about the strengths of the joining links.

Oh, and my windlass manufacturer (Muir Winches) doesn't make a gypsy for high test chain and would have to custom make one.

Does anyone have any contacts in Australia who can supply the necessary? Or even people who know what they're talking about and/or can point me in the right direction? I'm assuming the cost (and timeline - we're casting off in July) of shipping chain here from the US would be prohibitive, right?

Any help gratefully received.

I'm no chain expert but could you just buy 2 50meter drums and have them welded together by a engineer shop using one of the chain links

Had 100m on my 12 ton boat. Never used much more than 50m. With the Rocna you should have no problem. My Rocna never ever dragged and could reset itself on the change of each tide when anchored in a river (as I slept inside the boat). Maybe this chain doesn't come in greater lengths than the 65m drum. Glad to see you are getting rid of the Delta. From my experience they are no much chop and there was no way you could sleep through a change in tide or leave the boat unattended with the Delta in use.

Be aware that you need an anchor winch strong enough to lift 100m of chain (if you locate it) plus the anchor. (that's the theory) My Muir Storm could lift all my chain and the Delta.

Good sailing.

OK, had a fair bit of experience with this over the years.
Firstly G30 chain is half the strength of G60 etc.
Secondly you will only find G30, G70, G80 and G100 chain in Oz in mild steel.
All those chains are short link and should have the same dimensions for your gypsy.
The only way to get a stronger anchor chain in Oz is to buy G70 (also called transport chain) and take it to your local galvinizers where they will take off the zinc cgromate coating and galv the chain.
It will give you a breaking of around 18,000kg and you can buy drums of up to around 130m.
I tested some 8mm that a customer had and i pulled it to twice the original lashing capacity on a test bed.
One thing is buy PWB chain only as it's Oz made and it's what Muir winches are designed to use. Pretty much anything else you buy here is Chinese made.

Hope that helps

SteelSapphire said..
We're currently upgrading our ground tackle in advance of a circumnavigation starting in July this year. Our vessel is a 50ft steel ketch, weighing 32 tons at the last hoist. (Aside: given our dry weight is supposedly 26.8 tonnes, and we have 2200 litres of tankage, that means we've somehow accumulated 3 tons of personal crap on board. Time for a clean out!!).

Thats not a boat...Thats a ship!
Your 3 tons of personal crap weighs twice as much as my boat!
"Holly weight watchers Batman!"
I've gotta get a bigger boat!

nswsailor said..

2bish said..
Sounds like a grand adventure coming up. I purchased CMP titan chain here, might be worth a look (made in Canada): oceansolutions.com.au/

Did you come across this site in your research? www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/

Some good stuff in that site especially the large photo folios

Just for reference, this is the only place in Aus that I could find 5/16 High Test chain.