Crosby Chain Repair Missing Link-gctid813797

[Cap_Fury]

Can anyone who has used one of these CROSBY MISSING LINK chain connectors give me a few pointers on the proper way attach it.

On the CROSBY site they say :

NOTE: To complete the repair safely the rivets MUST be peened over to lock the links together




So I assume you just put it in vice, and use a hammer and some sort chisel to flatten out those 4 pins?

You would think there would be some more professional way of connected two anchor chains that will still go through your windlass?

I just finished replacing the old MUIR Cougar (power up only / manual free fall down) windlass on my 3988, with a new Maxwell (power up/down + auto free fall).

The old Muir had 200' of rusted out chain that was one size to small so I couldn't use that.

So I bought a pre-spliced RODE made up of 200 feet of rope and 10 feet of 5/16 chain.

After trying Anchoring with it a few time I realized I should have got at least 50' of chain.

So I when out a bought 150' of chain....now I just have to attached it to the other rode.


Attached files

[CptCrunchie]

"Cap_Fury" post=813797 wrote:
So I bought a pre-spliced RODE made up of 200 feet of rope and 10 feet of 5/16 chain.

After trying Anchoring with it a few time I realized I should have got at least 50' of chain.

So I when out a bought 150' of chain....now I just have to attached it to the other rode.

Not sure I'd trust those to hold my boat in a blow, and yours is bigger than mine. :unsure:

Suggest you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCvA... to the chain, and use the short chain for something else. I've done it a number of times with excellent results.

[Pcpete]

I agree with Crunchie, you could reverse the chain/rode and use the 10' of chain as the bitter end attached to the boat. That would give you eight feet of warning. Just a thought. I would not use a repair link of that type. There are welded repair links that will be much stronger or you could join them with one of these examples:

https://www.fisheriessupply.com/sea-dog-line-lap-link

https://www.fisheriessupply.com/sea-dog-line-jaw-and-jaw-swivel

[Old_Man_With_A_Boat]

I had three links of 70ft 5/16 chain and I used this same item to connect them together. They have held well for 5 years now in all kinds of weather. I would not be afraid to use them.

[westkal]

Did you purchase the new chain from a marine store??

Each windlass should have the type of chain that will fit the drive for the winch marked on the chain drive/gypsy.. Ie 5/16 normal chain purchased at a hardware store will most likely not fit.

The lengths of the link are different and if the spacing on the drive is not the same as on the chain, the chain will jump and grab etc.

Normally the chain for windlasses will be marked as a BBB chain and has a shorter length than a hardware store sourced chain

Check your gypsy and match the chain to ti

[kwb]

I have one of those in my chain. Slip it together put on something hard (like a concrete dock) and start peening over with a hammer (no chisel or punch). Single link isn't perfect match to the chain pitch but it goes through the windlass without a problem.

For the area you boat in I would highly recommend all chain (or at least a couple hundred feet of it) The anchorages are generally small but well protected, have large tide exchanges and getting enough scope with a lightweight setup is very difficult. With chain 3:1 (high tide calculation) will work well and not have a swing circle the size of a cattle ranch.

[Norton_Rider]

The Working Load Limit (WLL) of 5/16 Proof Coil or BBB chain is,1900 Lb. The WLL of a 5/16 Crosby Missing Link is, 1950 Lb. So they are well matched from that standpoint. Having said that, I have a couple of concerns: 1- The Crosby Missing Link is not designed for use in a windlass or in salt water. Over time the rivets may start coming loose or corrosion may form in the rivet area. Also note that the 5/16 size missing link does not have any interlocking lugs; only the 3/8 and larger links do. 2- A 3988 is a fairly heavy boat and some sources recommend 3/8 Proof Coil/BBB or 5/16 G4 HT chain for it. These have WLLs of 2650 Lb and 3900 Lb, respectively. Assuming 2650 Lb is adequate, a 5/16" Crosby Missing link would have a 26% lower WLL than the rest of the chain.

Incidentally neither of the examples Pcpete suggested is load-rated. So they should not be used on ground tackle.

Bottom line, I would not splice the chains together.

[2850Bounty]

I would NOT use that link!

It will be no where near as strong as your original links will be!

Plus...... your gypsy may have an issue with it!

Either replace the entire chain section and do a NEW chain splice to your line......., or take both chain sections to a good TIG welder and have him open up and install a SS link of the same exact pitch.

He will then close it and will TIG weld it back together.

[Cap_Fury]

Thanks for the tips.

Here is a link I found that shows some "Missing Link" testing,

https://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Clinks.aspx

[Old_Man_With_A_Boat]

Yes westkal I got my chain from a marine store in Tampa Fl. It was shipped to me in three buckets. 70ft in each bucket. This was five years ago. Last year I added two more links of 70ft each. So far I have know problem with the four missing links that I have used. I have all chain rood and it is let down and brought up with a Lemar windless. Going on six years with this setup and so far there has been no problem. Maybe I am just lucky, you think?

[CptCrunchie]

"Old Man With A Boat" post=813926 wrote:
Yes westkal I got my chain from a marine store in Tampa Fl. It was shipped to me in three buckets. 70ft in each bucket. This was five years ago. Last year I added two more links of 70ft each. So far I have know problem with the four missing links that I have used. I have all chain rood and it is let down and brought up with a Lemar windless. Going on six years with this setup and so far there has been no problem. Maybe I am just lucky, you think?

I dunno. You ever been on the hook through a major storm? My uncle was a fireman for 40 years in a city of nearly 1,000,000 when he retired, and he'd never been to a major fire. I guess it can happen. :silly:

[2850Bounty]

"Cap_Fury" post=813797 wrote:
................. So I bought a pre-spliced RODE made up of 200 feet of rope and 10 feet of 5/16 chain.

After trying Anchoring with it a few times I realized I should have got at least 50' of chain.

So I when out a bought 150' of chain.... now I just have to attached it to the other rode.

[color]blue wrote:
Your solution is simple!

Remove the 10 feet of 5/16" chain from your rode, and toss it in your shop...... (you may find another use for it later).

Teach yourself how to make a chain splice and connect your 150' of new chain to your line.

Now connect the 150' of chain to your anchor swivel.

Problem solved![/color] .

[Cap_Fury]

It's 8 plait rope, as recommended by the Windlass Manufacturer.

How hard could spicing that to a chain be? :woohoo:

http://www.sw-marine.co.uk/acatalog/8_strand_multiplait_to_chain_Splice.html

[Norton_Rider]

Crosby is a well-respected manufacturer of chain, chain hooks, links, etc; their products are top notch. As a matter of fact, I only use Crosby, high strength, load-rated shackles on my boat's ground tackle system. I have no doubt that the Crosby link, with the rivets properly peened, will safely sustain the 1950 Lb WLL that Crosby states in their literature. As I mentioned before, my only concern with the link itself is corrosion in the rivet/rivet hole area. Regular inspections can take care of this.

I am more concerned about reducing the WLL of the whole system. I feel that a 39' Bayliner should have more than 1950 Lb WLL for the ground tackle. This means that the rode should consist of 3/8 Proof Coil/BBB or 5/16 G4 HT chain, spliced to 5/8" diameter rope. The WLL of this system is a minimum of 2650 Lb (based on Proof Coil or BBB chain). Since the system is only as strong as its weakest link, a 5/16" Crosby link will reduce the overall WLL to 1950 Lb.

Incidentally, this brings up another point. I see many boats with properly sized rodes, but with inadequate shackles or swivels. Most swivels and shackles found at marine chandleries and hardware stores are not strong enough to do the job safely unless they are oversized. A better solution is to use high strength shackles from outfits like Crosby, Columbus McKinnon, etc. These shackles are available in a large variety of shackle and pin size combinations and are top quality.