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

Our gal is still good - but we paint ours yellow, I find white a bit too clinical, but for similar reasons - its easier to see underwater.

I did wonder why that anchor was hanging there - it seemed to far away, well out of focus, to be yours.

I wonder why you don't have it re-galvanised - or is it difficult in the Med?

Jonathan
 
Useful thread. Wish I had read it two years ago. How can anyone tell they have a nice environment to store their chain if they don't get all the chain out. I found my little drain hole on my Konsort pretty blocked with rubbish :grumpy:. It's right at the bottom of the locker and well worth checking, even if I were simply to put all the fresh washed chain straight back once dry. Last winter I stayed afloat so missed the opportunity (and was ignorant of this issue) but now I would get all the chain out ashore or afloat. Yes I anchor but seldom get all the chain out to reveal the drain hole. My less than 2 year old chain ain't so pretty now.
 
FairweatherDave said:
Useful thread. Wish I had read it two years ago. How can anyone tell they have a nice environment to store their chain if they don't get all the chain out. I found my little drain hole on my Konsort pretty blocked with rubbish :grumpy:. It's right at the bottom of the locker and well worth checking, even if I were simply to put all the fresh washed chain straight back once dry. Last winter I stayed afloat so missed the opportunity (and was ignorant of this issue) but now I would get all the chain out ashore or afloat. Yes I anchor but seldom get all the chain out to reveal the drain hole. My less than 2 year old chain ain't so pretty now.
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Surely it wasn't a surprise that the drain was right at the bottom.:D
 
As a winter project I strongly recommend making a little perforated tray at the bottom of the locker. An inverted pyramid so that when installed the triangular top is relatively flat. The drain holes are never at the bottom of the locker and there is always some water festering down there - so thats maybe a place to keep some of those old anodes - but its not a place for the chain.

During the season if you make this false bottom carefully you will be able to stick a wire coathanger through the drain hole(s). At season's end remove all the chain and false base and wash everything, storing chain on the pallet under the yacht (or Vyv's washing line - which seems a better idea).

Our locker has a flat base, its in the bridgedeck of a cat, and drains gently aft - but we still line the bottom of the locker with a perforated rubber door mat so that the chain sits off the base, can drain freely and the mat is such the water drains under the mat to 2 x 1" drains. As we sail 365 we cannot remove the chain, easily, but do so when we antifoul. In a marina, remove, wash on pontoon and replace.

Jonathan
 
NormanS said:
Surely it wasn't a surprise that the drain was right at the bottom.:D
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The journey to the bottom of the locker was more suprising than you might think. The boat was new to me two years ago and one of the first things I did was replace the anchor chain as it was so rusted I could not trust it. I'm not sure how thoroughly I inspected the locker, I can't remember, had lots of other new things to think about. Wish I had found the drain hole. Lobbed my nice new chain in. Last year was my first year I stayed in the water and the chain stayed in the locker. As a relative newbie to big boats I follow the advice I can find here/ PBO etc and failed to spot anything saying check your anchor locker drain if you are staying afloat. Well today I found the hole blocked, predominantly with large flakes of paint off the side of the locker (not mud). The galvanising is not as good as it was, on the unused bit of the chain that I've never needed to deploy. The first 30m I've used regularly over the summer looks lovely. So the moral of the story is get it all out and check that hole.
And Neeves, the Konsort drain hole is right at the bottom of the locker, the lowest easiest point to block , so your false bottom idea is excellent. It drains into the bilge. Another project.:)
 
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Neeves said:
As a winter project I strongly recommend making a little perforated tray at the bottom of the locker. An inverted pyramid so that when installed the triangular top is relatively flat. The drain holes are never at the bottom of the locker and there is always some water festering down there - so thats maybe a place to keep some of those old anodes - but its not a place for the chain.

During the season if you make this false bottom carefully you will be able to stick a wire coathanger through the drain hole(s). At season's end remove all the chain and false base and wash everything, storing chain on the pallet under the yacht (or Vyv's washing line - which seems a better idea).

Our locker has a flat base, its in the bridgedeck of a cat, and drains gently aft - but we still line the bottom of the locker with a perforated rubber door mat so that the chain sits off the base, can drain freely and the mat is such the water drains under the mat to 2 x 1" drains. As we sail 365 we cannot remove the chain, easily, but do so when we antifoul. In a marina, remove, wash on pontoon and replace.

Jonathan
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What materials would you suggest Jonathon. I like the idea of old door mat but any other ideas of recycled stuff? Obviously you don't want something the chain will get caught in.
 
Neeves said:
I wonder why you don't have it re-galvanised - or is it difficult in the Med?
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Well, the Med's a big place, Jonathan, so I'm sure there is somewhere able to re-galvanise chain well, but whether they're conveniently close to any particular boat is another matter. As you'll be aware, galvanising chain is a specialised process, which doesn't stop general galvanising outfits from taking on such work. Many of the tales I've heard have been of disappointing results, with lumpy zinc, welded links and poor durability. Any experiences to the contrary would, I'm sure, be welcomed by many.
 
Mac,

its interesting - re-galvanising comes up quite frequently on these forum, but exclusively for UK residents (with a small 'r'). I also see mention sometimes of people looking to re-gal in Oz. I cannot believe anchoring in the Med is any less wearing of chain than UK waters - but maybe Med sailors, who frequent the YBW electronic world, just buy new chain.

I do understand that galvanisers who coat chain frequently, and possibly specialise, have specific equipment, spinners or vibrators, but quality galvanisers (who care) have suggested they do galvanise chain without anything special with success. I use one myself in Sydney, though never had chain done, and they do coat chain, properly, and have got it right, because the owner of the business has his done. The Med, as you suggest, is a big place (and full of yachts and other vessels) - it seems unlikely there are not a number of reliable operators - they just never get a mention.

Jonathan
 
I suspect your "who care" comment is the most telling, Jonathan. It's not difficult to find outfits prepared to take your money, but whether they have the necessary skills/equipment/pride in their work is another matter.

Equally, there's a strong suspicion (perhaps Vyv can say whether it's more than that?) that galvanizing these days is nothing like as durable as it once was. All the more reason, then, for taking best care of it (to return to the nub of the thread).
 
macd said:
I suspect your "who care" comment is the most telling, Jonathan. It's not difficult to find outfits prepared to take your money, but whether they have the necessary skills/equipment/pride in their work is another matter.

Equally, there's a strong suspicion (perhaps Vyv can say whether it's more than that?) that galvanizing these days is nothing like as durable as it once was. All the more reason, then, for taking best care of it (to return to the nub of the thread).
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When I had my original chain re-galvanised the boat was berthed ashore in Preveza, to which it was convenient to drive. I brought the chain home and had it done at BE Wedge. That was something like 7-8 years ago and it is now beginning to show a little red rust, not enough to be concerned about yet but the writing is on the wall. Now berthed at Leros, a considerably less convenient island to drive to, with an additional 8 hour ferry and a long drive across the Greek mainland. I am aware that people have had chain re-galvanised in Greece and when the time comes I may do this and have my anchor done at the same time. Otherwise, I think that having only the anchor done would be prohibitively expensive due to minimum weight restrictions.

I cannot imagine that the composition of zinc has changed over the years but I suspect that galvanisers apply far less of it than they did. My original chain, bought in Corsica but quite possibly Maggi made, was almost totally zinc-free in three years.
 
Why do some people leave their boats on the hard with the anchor chain attached to the boat rather than in a heap on the floor? Having it run all the way from the ground up to the anchor locker surely encourages rats and mice to get aboard?
 
Colvic Watson said:
Why do some people leave their boats on the hard with the anchor chain attached to the boat rather than in a heap on the floor? Having it run all the way from the ground up to the anchor locker surely encourages rats and mice to get aboard?
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That is why I have 'borrowed' my neighbours cat for the winter.
 
Personally I'm of the opinion that, like rescue dogs, they're waiting for new owners - and I wouldn't look at most of them...

Re. galvanising - my anchor chain (some of the last produced entirely in the UK) from Bradney chain, @ Cradeley Heath was lovingly driven down to Port Argeles, in 2002 and apart from being end-for-ended has had no other special attention (apart from being on a pallet on the ground) since. During that time it's been deployed, on the sea-bed, about 1900 times.
No sign of general rust....
 
Colvic Watson said:
Why do some people leave their boats on the hard with the anchor chain attached to the boat rather than in a heap on the floor? Having it run all the way from the ground up to the anchor locker surely encourages rats and mice to get aboard?
Click to expand...

People have multiple lines in marinas and its not reported as an issue (or if it is - no-one takes any action to discourage guests) - so why would an anchor chain be any different?

Jonathan
 
charles_reed said:
Personally I'm of the opinion that, like rescue dogs, they're waiting for new owners - and I wouldn't look at most of them...

Re. galvanising - my anchor chain (some of the last produced entirely in the UK) from Bradney chain, @ Cradeley Heath was lovingly driven down to Port Argeles, in 2002 and apart from being end-for-ended has had no other special attention (apart from being on a pallet on the ground) since. During that time it's been deployed, on the sea-bed, about 1900 times.
No sign of general rust....
Click to expand...

Charles

With customers like you no wonder Bradney stopped making chain! :)

1900 deployments? I think Charles you might understate the quality - how many nights (or days) would you typical remain at anchor before moving?

Jonathan
 
Humblebee said:
Another idea; I always have two or three pieces of old anode in there towards the bottom of the stack
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For an anode to work it needs to be connected electrically to what it is trying to protect, and then be immersed in an electrolyte. The first seems most unlikely - I cannot imagine much electricity passing through a pile of used chain. The second is what we are trying to avoid - corrosion does not happen to dry chain.
 
vyv_cox said:
Otherwise, I think that having only the anchor done would be prohibitively expensive due to minimum weight restrictions.
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I get galvanising done through my local agricultural equipment maker. They send a lorry-load to A Well Known Scottish Galvaniser every week and simply add my whatever and charge the marginal cost, which is something tiny like 50p / kg.

I cannot imagine that the composition of zinc has changed over the years but I suspect that galvanisers apply far less of it than they did.
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Is that possible? I'd have expected a dunked but of steel to come out with the same amount of zinc on it however it was done. Can they give it a good shake to reduce the amount, and isn't it the zinc-iron intermetallic which does the business anyway? I gather from postings here by someone intimately connected with A Well Known Scottish Galvaniser that there is a lot of preparation involved - cleaning, pickling and so on - to get a good interface, so perhaps that's where the skimping happens.
 
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