Rusting Spade Anchor

Ian_Edwards

Ian_Edwards

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I have a spade anchor, bought at the start of the 2014 sailing season.

I've anchored with it well over 500 times since then and it's now very rusty, and I've painted it with Hammerlit special metal primer and white gloss, but that comes off the pointed bit of the fluke more or less the fist time I set it.

I've had the shank re-galvanised, it was done when I got the chain re-galvanised 2 years ago, but the galvaniser wouldn't do the fluke because it is loaded with lead.

I've emailed Blue Water Supplies Limited, and asked them if they have a re-galvanising service, but they don't. They suggested that it might be replaced if I sent it back to Tunisia, with all the original paperwork, which doesn't sound that practical to me.

Has anyone found a reliable UK company who will take the lead out, re-galvanise the fluke and then put the correct amount of lead back in at a reasonable cost?

The boat is currently ashore in the Clyde area.

I'm happy with the performance of the anchor, it's not quite as good as the Rocna I had on my previous boat, but the anchor locker isn't the right size and shape to take a Rocna, the roll bar, would foul the windlass.

It's a real shame that the galvernising is poor on the spade anchor, because otherwise it's a good bit of kit.

I know that post on this forum suggest that it's possible to take the lead out as DIY job. However, I don't have the equipment to handle a 20kg anchor, and get it hot enough to melt the lead out of it.
 
The Spade is an excellent anchor- I know because I fitted one this year. It is also a very expensive and desirable anchor. A bit of surface rust will not adversely affect its efficiency but may make it less attractive to the light fingered brigade if it does not look pristine.

Maybe it is best not to worry about the look of the thing, rather think of it is a badge of honour that shows how adventurous you have been in your sailing. Alternatively, instead of all the cost, faff and effort in trying to get it regalvanised, buy a new one and sell your old one on Ebay to someone who values its properties and doesn't care how it looks. This may be cheaper than regalvanising and would make another sailor happy!
 
What's that process which is 'near to galvanising' that I read about ( or was it a dream?) there was some application like a paint ( but I don't mean a simple paint with loads of 'sacrificial' zinc/lead or similar content but something more sophisticated. I recall ( dreamt?) that if the item was scratched down to base metal then there would still be some 'electronic' (My word !!) bridge providing protection.
 
Galvanizing: an alloying reaction between steel and zinc where the coating is this alloy and is done by dipping cleaned steel into molten zinc. Typical thickness 80 microns. Bonded metallurically.
Electroplating: a very thin (<10 microns) coating by depositing zinc from a chemical solution electrically. No bonding to the steel.
Sheradizing. A high temperature system of alloying iron and zinc by tumbling steel items in a container of zinc powder. Alloy forms on the surface, and strictly conforms to surface shape. Harder than galvanizing, but usually restricted in size of items coated. Same lifespan per micron of coating.
Zinc rich paints. There are many. Galvafroid mentioned is a good one, as is Zinga (though it claims not to be a paint it is), and many others. This is paint with small zinc particles. Adhesion to the steel can be an issue, like any paint. Protection is better than paint without zinc, but no where near as god as galvanizing or sheradizing.
 
The steel Spade is a great anchor. The lead ballast significantly helps the performance compared to other anchors using steel ballast and relying on primarly on ballast for the correct orientation. These anchors need a large ballast chamber. Lead is much denser so contributes to a significantly greater righting movement especially in water . However the lead makes subsequent galvanising difficult.

It has been suggested that melting out the lead is easy, but be careful if you go down this route. Large quantities of molten lead can be dangerous.

To alleviate this problem Spade in the USA offer to replace at no charge any anchor where the galvanising has worn. An incredibly generous guarantee, although the transport cost can make this impractical.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of this owner and ignore replacing the lead.

UIeo6AH.jpg
 
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It would be a much more effective anchor if you removed the lead, regalvanised, then refilled the tip pocket with depleted uranium.


The added advantage of seeing where you anchor lay at night would be most re-assuring.
 
sarabande said:
It would be a much more effective anchor if you removed the lead, regalvanised, then refilled the tip pocket with depleted uranium.


The added advantage of seeing where you anchor lay at night would be most re-assuring.
Click to expand...

Didn’t the great late Eric Tabarly use depleted uranium in the keel of one of his Pen Duicks? And wasn’t he disqualified from his race?
 
Have a look at getting it hot zinc sprayed. This is melted zinc sprayed onto the surface
so shouldn't be a problem with the Lead. Not quite as good as hot dipping but close
and better than painting.
 
My Delta is more than 20 years old, my Rocna about 10. The galvanising failed on both of them a long time ago. I paint them as necessary, the Rocna about every two years, the Delta only once a long time ago as it only sits in a locker. Doesn't seem like a very onerous task.
 
Pen Duik VI had the depleted uranium keel. Legit at the time, Tabarly did the OSTAR in her too. Respect!
Allied Bank had one too.

AB+3.jpg

Anorak mode off ...
 
stephen_h said:
Have a look at getting it hot zinc sprayed. This is melted zinc sprayed onto the surface
so shouldn't be a problem with the Lead. Not quite as good as hot dipping but close
and better than painting.
Click to expand...

If considering zinc spraying, then consider what the adhesion mechanism is? Probably requires stripping old zinc, then shotblasting then zinc spray. But that usually requires painting also, as metal spray is quote porous, and corrosion of the zinc happens from the underside also.
The painting route is probably the easiest, every 1-3 years or so depending on use.
 
I really don't see this as a big issue.

A decent blow torch and a camping stove will melt out the lead. Simply have the ballast chamber over an old saucepan and apply the heat to the fluke.

Keep children and pets well away - concentrate.

Weigh fluke before and after.

You don't need special equipment - unless a camping stove, a 'creme brulee' torch, decent leather gloves and a piece of quiet concrete are special.

Collect molten lead in an old saucepan.

Conduct melting process in open air, have leather welding gloves handy.

Send empty fluke (and shank) to Geoff to be regalvanised (preferably negotiate with him prior)

Go to your local scrap merchant - buy some old roofing lead. Chop up, place in (now regalvanised) fluke. Focus blow torch on lead in chamber - melt, add further lead as is needed.

its not rocket science.

Just remember lead melts at a rather high temperature - so take all sensible precautions.


And, yes, I have actually done something similar.


But if you want longevity - galvanising. If you are happy to know you need to paint for the rest of the anchor's life - paint.

Just think - most people praise the secondary galvanising of their chain - no-one, not one, praises re-painting chain.


Its actually quite satisfying.


If this scares you, ....... give up sailing

Jonathan

And there is nothing wrong with steel as ballast - as long as the anchor is designed that way. Rocna has a steel ballast plate - no-one complains (in fact no-one notices).
 
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Be very careful melting lead in old saucepans.

Lead melting temperature is around 330° C, much hotter than the normal boiling temperatures of around 100° C . Lead is also much heavier than typical cooking ingredients. Saucepan handles are not designed for this type of heat and weight.

Unfortunately, I had some practical experience with the saucepan handle breaking while carrying molten lead. When it hits the ground, molten lead sprays everywhere.

If you do want to melt large quantities of lead like this please take all precautions and consider using proper equipment rather than saucepans.
 
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I used to make lead scuba diving weights for sale at our club when I was in Turkey. We bought scrap lead, melted it over a large gas ring in a galvanised bucket and poured it into the moulds using a ladle. Easy enough to do and not overly hazardous except for the second or third batch.... We used a water bath to cool the weights down to remove the mould: that left the mould wet. If you didn’t then warm the mould to dry it thoroughly, there was a good chance that the molten lead would erupt from the mould as it contacted the water.
So to add to the advice from noelex, make sure everything is bone dry before pouring the lead into the ballast cavity.
 
You can re-use the lead - but a lead ingot, or lump, takes longer to melt than small pieces.

If you do not realise that a temperature of 350 degrees C is dangerous then you should not get into melting lead (nor maybe sailing?)

Just take care - its really not compicated


Hopefully the Nanny policeman will not deny us DIY - Mr and Mrs Google, and YBW, are your friends

Jonathan
 
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I did mine last season. Its easy enough. Just play a gas torch on the lead and it will drain out easily. Scottish galvanizers in Cumbernauld re galvanised it for me along with my Bruce. Just check the air vent holes in the shank are clear. I re melted the lead in a couple of stainless dog bowls on my barbecue. Then just poured it back in. No real problems.
 
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