Modern anchor galvanizing longevity ?

[TQA]

I am contemplating the purchase of a new anchor. My [t]rusty 60 lb CQR has done splendid service but the cost of getting it re galvanized in Trinidad is going to be around $ 250

Having been recently disappointed with the quality of the galvanizing on my anchor chain [worn out in 3 years] I would like to hear from people with a modern anchor.

Specifically how many days has it been used [approx] and how is the galvanizing standing up.

 

[charles_reed]

A rather circular answer but, if your anchor is doing its job and digging into sand it's bound to lose it's galvanising. My CQR, has been resharpened and regalvanised once in 12 years - representing about 800 anchorings each galvanising.

 

[J Neeves]

I am contemplating the purchase of a new anchor. My [t]rusty 60 lb CQR has done splendid service but the cost of getting it re galvanized in Trinidad is going to be around $ 250

Having been recently disappointed with the quality of the galvanizing on my anchor chain [worn out in 3 years] I would like to hear from people with a modern anchor.


Specifically how many days has it been used [approx] and how is the galvanizing standing up.

Here, in Oz, gal can be worn off chain in one season in areas with coral!

I'm interested in chain galvanising, what (or whose) chain are you using.

I'd agree with Charles Reed, if your anchor is doing its job it will lose its galvanising (and will lose it at the toe quite quickly). But if you use it frequently you will not notice rust as any that forms will wear off every time you anchor. As opposed to the chain as you do not use all the chain all the time and if it just sits on a heap on the seabed it will not be scoured and if it sits in your chain locker all nice and warm and damp - it will rust, once the gal is gone. Keeping the chain locker clean and dry, good drain holes (open the locker lid when you can) will reduce chain corrosion.

But I do not think any modern anchor has better gal than another - one might last 50% longer (but I doubt it)- but in the life of an anchor, that's not much. I'd worry more about it fitting your bow roller than the gal. You could buy alloy, Spade, Excel, Fortress or stainless: Ultra, Spade (and a good few others). Or just paint your anchor - its very common in the Med, you'll need to redo - but paint is cheaper than an new anchor.

Jonathan

 

[sailorman]

I am contemplating the purchase of a new anchor. My [t]rusty 60 lb CQR has done splendid service but the cost of getting it re galvanized in Trinidad is going to be around $ 250

Having been recently disappointed with the quality of the galvanizing on my anchor chain [worn out in 3 years] I would like to hear from people with a modern anchor.

Specifically how many days has it been used [approx] and how is the galvanizing standing up.

My Fortress is now over 12 months old & has never been galvanised used mebe 20 times

 

[Ian_Edwards]

On my previous boat I had a 20kg Ronca and on my current boat a 20kg Spade. Both galvanised. On both anchors the galvanising has worn away on the tip after 2 years use, about 200 days of anchoring for each anchor.
I guess you'd expect the point to wear first, but i must admit to being bit disapointed that they didn't last longer.

 

[TQA]

My current CQR is a veteran having spent 3300+ nights on the seabed. I would estimate that about 20% of the galvanizing has been worn away. It still does the business.

The tests seem to suggest that a Rocna is a better anchor than a CQR but I am concerned about the quality of the galvanizing on them.

As for the chain it is 10 mm x 28 mm very close to 3/8th BBB. I believe it to be of Italian manufacture. In fact it is only two years old not three. [Getting old, summers in Grenada are all the same.] Another cruiser with the same chain and the same short life span has succeeded in getting theirs replaced under warranty.

As for the Fortress I thought they were aluminium, the one I have certainly is.

 

[vyv_cox]

The galvanising on my Delta lasted about 15 years of frequent anchoring before I felt the need to paint it with zinc rich paint. It was replaced shortly afterwards by a Rocna. The galvanising on that has almost gone in five years, surprisingly not on the shank, which was expected to have difficult galvanising properties, but on the flukes.

My chain was probably Maggi and its galvanising had almost completely failed after three years, even though end-for-ended. I had it regalvanised by Wedge and it still looks excellent, more than five years later.

What is interesting is that the regalvanised chain looks black, presumably due to the depth of iron/zinc intermetallics on the surface. Both the original chain and the Rocna just went rusty, orange hydrated ferrous oxide. Suggests a difference in the galvanising technique to me, a quick dip saves money!

For the last ten years i have spent roughly 150 nights per year at anchor plus many other anchoring events.