rusty anchor chain

[Mhvoiceuk]

My (galvanised) 8mm anchor chain is starting to rust and is leaving stains on the foredeck. Does this means curtains for the chain? Or is there a way to revive it - would it be cheaper perhaps to get it re glavanised. I have 40 m of it.

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[muchy_]

There was a previous thread on this subject and I think the end result was that it wasn't worth re-galvanizing, but I may be mistaken.
Try doing a search through the threads and see what turns up.

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[rwoofer]

Definitely worth regalvanising. I have just recently regalvanised 50m of 10mm chain. Cost about £60 which is much cheaper than buying new. I used Wessex galvanisers is eastleigh.

The galvanising (call spin galvanising) is actually done in essex, so if you are from that way you can try to find the local wedge group branch.

RB

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[AndrewB]

Views differ on whether regalvanising is worth it. Some people have clearly had bad results. The cost is about one-third that of new chain. My experience is that it lasts about 5 years before it starts to go again, not as long as new chain. Keeping chain in use rather than letting it stew in a puddle in the anchor well will generally help it last longer.

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[lyc]

Give your local galvanizer a ring.

Information of suitable galvanizers close to you from <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hdg.org.uk/> HERE </A>.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BroadsandEastcoastBoating/>Broads & East Coast Boating</A>

 

[Sunnyseeker]

measure the thinest bit where its rusted scraping off excess rust, then think of a windy night at anchor and how much sleep you want??

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[AlexL]

mine has gone rusty - almost all in the first 5 meters. I laid it all out at the weekend to mark it with cable ties and decided to turn it around so the 'good' end of the chain is connected to the anchor and the last rusty 5 m is right at the end of the pile. As there is 80m of chain on the boat I don't think that last 5m is going to see service anytime soon!

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[Talbot]

I just buy another 5 m and chop off the rusty bit!

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[whisper]

Oi!! That's a bit sensible isn't it? Good Idea./forums/images/icons/smile.gif. Presumably a connecting link won't weaken the chain.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by whisper on 18/06/2004 10:06 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Mirelle]

I've had rather better results, but when the chain comes back it needs bashing with a heavy hammer (a very satisfying task!) as some of the links are stuck together.

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[steve_cronin]

Sorry Andrew B that seems to disprove your theory

and I agree that NOt using it preserves it.

Our chain has to go out most times we moor as we are in the Med so it lasted just three years and has now been replaced with new at €1 per £1 of cost in the UK.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[Mirelle]

In defence of Andrew B!

I think we all agree the that the bit of chain left on deck between anchor and chain pipe rusts quicker than the long length in the locker, if we are considering boats without an anchor well. Those of us who are really old fashioned, like me, paint this bit annually, when we paint the chain. If it goes nasty you can and should end for end the chain and more than one yacht broker advising a seller has told him to cut the rusty bit off before putting the boat on the market!

If the boat has an anchor locker then this does not apply but if the locker is left with a puddle of water ion it because the drains are blocked the whole lot will rust in no time!

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[Mhvoiceuk]

That's a good idea! Most of the rust is in the first five metres on my chain too. The stains are my only real worry; there is plenty of metal in the links.



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[rwoofer]

Sounds like your chain was galvanised the wrong way. If Spin galvanising is used then no links should stick.

RB

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[chilliwacker]

I was a bit worried about the last 5 foot of my anchor chain so decided to angle grind it off and replace the equally rusted shackle.

My pleasant surprise was matched by my reluctant acceptance that I had probably cut off perfectly good chain and a perfectly good shackle, because the cross section of the link showed lovely shiny metal all the way through. The rust, although quite bad to look at, seemed to be only superficial.



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[Mirelle]

I don't mean that it was all stuck up - just some lengths of it. It's 9 metres of 12mm chain and I suppose a few feet were frozen - but a good bashing with a hammer sorted it out.

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[tritonofnor]

One inch of rust scale will only reduce the metal thickness by 1/16 of an inch, therefore a little surface rust on a chain should be of no concern. Use a wire brush in a drill to remove the surface rust, and then paint with Galvafroid or similar zinc heavy paint - available from most welding suppliers, despite rumours to the contrary, and you'll get another couple of years from the chain.

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[Mirelle]

Andrew B\'s five years for re-galvanised chain

I agree that a rusty chain can often be salvaged, but I would re-galvanise it rather than use Galvafroid, which is good stuff, I agree, but which is very soft and I fancy it would soon rub off a chain.

Thinking about Andrew B's five years use for re-galvanised chain, several points come to mind.

1. The heavier the chain, the more it is worth re-galvanising it; the cost differential between re-galvanising and new chain increases with chain size.

2. I was going to disagree with Andrew's figure of 5 years, having got 15 out of mine since last re-galvanising, but then on reflection my 45 fathoms (almost 90 metres to the modernists) of 7/16" (11mm) chain is in three parts, each 15 fathoms long, and over the past 15 years I have end for ended it, and put the middle to the ends, thereby getting quite even wear. I reckon it will need re-galvanising again next winter, maybe the winter after that.

This depends on having honest to goodness chain joining shackles, which have not been made for quite a few years now - all you can buy are the pathetic C shaped things.

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