When I removed the old anchor from the chain I had to use a Dremel to cut off the shackle as the pin was completely seized. So when it came time to hook up the Spade I needed a replacement. Being budget conscious, and because of the sound they make, my first inclination was to use a zip tie.
Something just didn’t seem right about this so I did some research. First I found out how strong the chain is. The chain is 3/8” G4, with a working load of 5,400 pounds. While I could not find reliable data on the working load for a Harbor Freight brand zip tie, I suspect it is less than 5,400 pounds, and I had thus introduced a weak point in our anchoring system.
When shackle shopping I noticed that lots of shackles don’t mention their working load limit anywhere. Often it was only stamped with “CHINA” on it. After checking around I heard lots of good things about Crosby brand shackles. I looked online and found 3/8” Crosby shackle like this:
I was pretty excited. It looked much stronger than the zip tie and the red pin added that little extra bit of sass that anchor shackles are sorely lacking. Unfortunately it’s only rated at 2000 pounds working load. But wait! Crosby makes an alloy version with a working load of 4,000 pounds. That’s close enough to the chain’s working load for me. Unfortunately the pin on the 3/8” Crosby G209A only comes in the regular color. RIDICULOUS.
Nicole and I are going to take a weekend trip here pretty soon so hopefully I’ll get a chance to try it out!
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