We Replaced Our Rusty Anchor Chain With Stainless Steel—Here's Why
We swapped our old galvanized anchor chain for Cromox stainless steel. Here's why we chose it, what went wrong with the markers, and how we maintain it.
The old galvanized chain that came with ROAM was rough enough that the previous owners flagged it as a must-replace before handover. Two years later, it finally happened — 100 meters of new Cromox stainless steel chain, picked up at the warehouse, marked, and installed in a pristine chain locker on a new windlass.
Stainless anchor chain is often controversial among tropical cruisers and in this episode we discuss why choosing the right stainless steel makes all the difference. We also have some mishaps with the marking process, and what the maintenance routine actually looks like.
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We replaced our rusty galvanized anchor chain with Cromox stainless steel — here's the install, the marker mishaps, and why we trust this chain.
What Happened
We picked up the new chain from the Cromox warehouse and then it waited patiently in its crate while we finished preparing the chain locker (it's really more of a chain temple now!) and the hundred other necessary projects to get back in the water. Marking it turned into the first real complication — the initial set of plastic dog-bone style markers failed almost immediately, maybe from a slight size mismatch between the markers and the chain, maybe for reasons that stayed unclear. With zero way to gauge scope, anchoring became a guessing game.
The fix required working from the dinghy while still anchored, since the anchorage was tight enough and the holding poor enough that pulling up to remeasure wasn't worth the risk. Chain was fed out link by link, counted to the 30-foot mark, and tagged with colored zip ties positioned on the inside of the links so they wouldn't catch on the hawsepipe lip on the way back in. A Sharpie test for marking failed outright — ink doesn't hold on chain.
With temporary markers sorted, let's talk about why stainless is a great option if you both choose the right stainless and maintain it. The chain is 318LN grade — nitrogen-added for strength and corrosion resistance — and electropolished, a process that smooths the surface at a microscopic level rather than mechanically buffing it. That matters because crevice corrosion, the real risk with stainless underwater, needs a crevice to start in. Electropolishing and passivation reduce those crevices and make the surface both tougher and easier to clean.
Maintenance follows a clear routine: raw water rinse as the chain comes up to knock off mud and debris, then a deliberate fresh water rinse once it's in the locker — a real hose-down, not a token spray. A diluted oxalic acid treatment handles tannin staining picked up from Chesapeake water, followed by a heavy fresh water rinse. Inspection focuses on the welds and inside each link, feeling for pitting or crevices that would signal developing corrosion. The chain pulled up clean under this test.
Why It Matters
Not all stainless is the same, and that distinction is the whole argument. Generic 316 stainless works fine for fasteners above the waterline but isn't designed or finished for continuous underwater service. The grade, the weld quality, and the surface finish — polished or not — determine whether a specific stainless product is suited for anchor chain, not the word "stainless" on its own.
Electropolishing addresses the actual failure mode of stainless underwater. Crevice corrosion needs crevices. A mechanically smoothed surface still has microscopic irregularities where salt and low-oxygen conditions can start corrosion. Electropolishing changes the surface at a molecular level, reducing those crevices and making the chain harder to scratch — and every scratch is a fresh site for future corrosion to start.
Maintenance isn't a add-on, you have to maintain your anchor chain no matter what kind of chain you get. Stainless chain isn't a buy-it-and-forget-it upgrade. It requires the same raw water rinse as galvanized chain, and the same deliberate fresh water rinse using onboard water supply. The difference is that electropolished 318LN stainless will significantly outlast galvanized and reduce corrosion on and around your windlass. That's less maintenance overall.
Chain counters solve a problem that zip ties only patch. The failed markers highlighted that a physical marker system on chain is inherently consumable — anything exposed to repeated deployment and retrieval will eventually break or wear. A proper chain counter is the long-term fix; the zip ties are a stopgap expected to need replacement within months.
Tools / Products Used
Cromox Stainless Steel Anchor Chain (Partner)
100 meters of 316LN electropolished stainless chain, supplied as a marketing partnership. If you choose to purchase using our link, there's no commission involved — this is a non-affiliate partner relationship. Find Cromox here: https://www.cromox-us.com
Salt Away (no relationship)
Used periodically in the chain locker to help remove salt buildup before a fresh water rinse.
https://www.saltaway.com
Related Episodes
Check out episode 64 to learn more about how we prepared the chain temple for its new god.
What Comes Next
Is Annapolis worth visiting as a cruiser? Are there enough activities to justify a visit longer than just fuel and water on your way south or north? In our next video, we'll explore more of what makes Annapolis a great place to visit.
