Yes under the contract with SERCO, they were supposed to recover and renew all the chain ground work. Big problem, the firm quoted for doing this, did not come up with new plans at start of contract so most of the moorings were left as are. The other problem is with new open link cable to get the length with the correct weight nigh on trebled the length of chain required which is not possible in the postion of most moorings in up harbour sites. But as with most things when it comes to money the MoD will accept lower standards to have on paper their requirements met. The old moorings had to have a partial raise every 5 years to check for wear and if there was 10% wear the whole mooring had to be raised and checked and all parts with wear over the limit was changed out. In the distant pass times, the chain would be down graded to the next class mooring, so you could be lifting old 1st class in a 5th class moor, which made the 5th better because it had more weight to hold it down, especially in hard rocky bottoms. The square link design came about when the R.N. wanted a standard design of moorings to be laid in any position it wanted. So there were large trials held with various designs of chain and anchors and the square link beat all on holding capacity for its length and weight, a length had a holding power of 1, the anchors on the end are for insurance and peace of mind as a 1st class would hold a large battleship and put no weight on its anchors. Trouble was when the chain was made the RN would take one length out of each batch and test to destruction, plus before 1960, when a inspection of a mooring was done, the lengths were tested at the chain house in the Dockyard. When in the 1980's came new S.A.L.M.O's in the mooring and salvage department demanded test certificates to comply with the D.T.i regs. Unfortunately none were given to square link, so they told the MoD the chain was unsafe, all the spare stock was sold off as scrap. Some port Authorities like the Medway bought them from the scrap yards and used it. The reason for the DTi demanding certs was the Trinity House was using un cert open link chain for light buoys which parted due to wear. But chain is now tested when new to safe working limits then visually inspected after that. So I am glad I am out of it, as I used to have to lift measure and pass fit or replace mooring gear on a regular basis.