Steering chains lurk unloved, out of sight, in one of the toughest environments on the boat, a constantly damp bilge. And steering failure ranks near the top of the list of reasons why boats are abandoned at sea. Edson Chain Care+ is a spray lubricant specifically formulated to protect chains in these damp conditions.
When first applied, a diluting solvent thins it for quick and deep penetration so that it migrates inside cable guides. But as soon as it dries, it turns quite viscous and sticky. Like gear lubes and chainsaw bar lube, it is formulated with high levels of cling additives so that it won’t wash off. This characteristic wouldn’t work for applications on deck or for exposed cabin locations, where it would attract dirt, but it’s perfect for a steering chain.
I tested it for wash-off resistance and corrosion protection. For three days, I ran three carbon steel coupons, untreated and treated with this product and other marine anti-corrosion sprays, on a rotating test rig, round and round in seawater. (A corrosion coupon is a standardized metal sample, of a known alloy and shape, used to measure corrosion rates in the lab and in the field.) After cleaning, it was visually obvious that the material treated with this product was better protected against corrosion than any of the other coupons.
As a chemist, I could get more technical about the merits of this product than this space allows, but I’ll refrain. The bottom line is that I think Edson has taken it up a notch in steering chain lube.
For more information: edsonmarine.com.
