What are all those anchors doing lying on pallets in the yard ?

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STATUE

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Ever since I had to totally renew the bulkhead separating my cabin from the anchor locker because it rotted, I have emptied mine so that it dries during winter storage.

I always think how clever I must look with the anchor chain and line pouring from the foredeck down onto the anchor lying on the ground.

But, apart from keeping my anchor locker dry should I be boasting in one of those 'knowing' ways that I am doing it for another reason and should the anchor be on a wooden pallet and not on the ground?
 
STATUE said:
But, apart from keeping my anchor locker dry should I be boasting in one of those 'knowing' ways that I am doing it for another reason and should the anchor be on a wooden pallet and not on the ground?
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Lots of boat in the yard with mine have their anchors on pallets on the ground. I assume that their owners believe their GRP boats will bend if loaded with an anchor over the winter, just like old wooden ones did.
 
JumbleDuck said:
Lots of boat in the yard with mine have their anchors on pallets on the ground. I assume that their owners believe their GRP boats will bend if loaded with an anchor over the winter, just like old wooden ones did.
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They're the same people who believe that their hulls will "dry out" in a UK winter! :rolleyes:
 
pvb said:
They're the same people who believe that their hulls will "dry out" in a UK winter! :rolleyes:
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Everything bends a bit. Also, chain probably rusts a bit less on a pallet on the ground than piled together in the chain locker. And boat hulls may not dry out that much during a UK winter, but at least it reduces the absorption of water for a time.
 
jwilson said:
Everything bends a bit. Also, chain probably rusts a bit less on a pallet on the ground than piled together in the chain locker. And boat hulls may not dry out that much during a UK winter, but at least it reduces the absorption of water for a time.
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You're one of them! :rolleyes:
 
I remove mine and leave it in white vinegar for a few days to remove the white build up, which I believe is zinc oxide or something like that. Then I put it on a pallet and let the rain wash it off.
 
I figured it was to simply get the weight out of the bow as some boats tend to be a bit nose heavy in the cradle. Also a good opportunity to inspect the chain and refresh markers, if any.
 
Yngmar said:
I figured it was to simply get the weight out of the bow as some boats tend to be a bit nose heavy in the cradle. Also a good opportunity to inspect the chain and refresh markers, if any.
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My boat weighs 4 tonnes, of which 0.05 tonnes (1.3%) is the anchor and chain.
 
KREW2 said:
I remove mine and leave it in white vinegar for a few days to remove the white build up, which I believe is zinc oxide or something like that. Then I put it on a pallet and let the rain wash it off.
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Mixture of zinc carbonate and zinc oxide.
But removing it reduces the life expectancy of the galvanizing. It's this layer of oxide and carbonate that protects the zinc from more rapid loss. Shiney fresh zinc oxidises faster than dull. Just like aluminium is protected by a thin layer of alumina. If you polish aluminium all the time it disappears faster. So with galv.
 
Being a big boat newbie I wondered this when I saw this strange occurrence happening in the yard, I assume it's to stop the chain rusting in a big clump in the bottom of the locker. Not being savvy to the reasons I decided to inspect the chain (as the boat's new to me) and lay it out on the vberth in neat rows, until some one says "why haven't you lay your chain out on a pallet" and I can be enlightened.

Glad I'm not the only one wondering.
 
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