Ladder question

[pblais]

As to fashion and function. One thing about the Mystic ladder is it is all 316 Stainless. That alone adds a lot to the cost. Were you to drop to chromed steel that won''t last you caould get the same look for the first year then watch it rust away. In salt water 316 is the best.

[RAGTIMEDON]

In salt water 316 stainless is the only acceptable way to go. Read the fine print - I recently ran across a porthole manufacturer who used 304 stainless. With a coat of lacquer or wax, it will be OK in fresh water, but in salt, 304 stainless will rust slowly, chromed steel will rust rapidly in the second year, and aluminum will dissolve!

[sailingdog]

Umm... RagtimeDon- Any reason you're reviving a thread that is four years old??? Actually, IMHO, silicon bronze is probably a better choice for portholes than is stainless steel, and titanium is even better than that, but a bit more expensive.

[RAGTIMEDON]

Really not trying to revive an old thread - just used the porthole example because I have seen it. For anything stainless - try a magnet on it before you buy! I have sailed 30 years in the midwest, never paid much attention to porthole construction until a friend replaced all his with the wrong kind of stainless. I am one of those poor folks - my portholes are plastic! But after selling quality control equipment to the metals industry for 15 years I learned a little about steel.

[sailingdog]

Yes, the austentistic stainless steels, like 304 and 316, are non-magnetic. The less durable and more corrosion prone martenistic stainless steels are magnetic.