After 6 years my galvanized anchor chain start to rust. Is this normal? Does it weaken the strength? Can I do something about it?
rusting anchor chain
- Thread starter Frederick15832
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Mine is also....
and I don't think that it took six years. seeems like it started after 2-3years and just got worse. I have Acco G4 chain and spoke to a factory rep at a boat show. He did not say that it reduced the strength after I told him it was cosmetic. What can you do? Other than replace the chain for a cosmetic problem, I think that a spray coating of "cold galvanize" would improve the looks considerably. I did some welding on my anchor last winter and applied CRC Cold Galvanize to the areas. This held up excellently over this past summer. I would imagine that the chain would need to be sand-blasted to remove the scaling before applying the coating. I probably won't go to the trouble simply because of the amount of work involved- I have 160' of chain. If you only have 30-40 feet then the job is obviously a lot less.
and I don't think that it took six years. seeems like it started after 2-3years and just got worse. I have Acco G4 chain and spoke to a factory rep at a boat show. He did not say that it reduced the strength after I told him it was cosmetic. What can you do? Other than replace the chain for a cosmetic problem, I think that a spray coating of "cold galvanize" would improve the looks considerably. I did some welding on my anchor last winter and applied CRC Cold Galvanize to the areas. This held up excellently over this past summer. I would imagine that the chain would need to be sand-blasted to remove the scaling before applying the coating. I probably won't go to the trouble simply because of the amount of work involved- I have 160' of chain. If you only have 30-40 feet then the job is obviously a lot less.
Easy fix
Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy lengths of ruberized chain. It won't rust, won't beat up the fiberglass, and can be thrown away after a couple of years if you can't clean the mildew off. Comes in bright gaudy red or yellow, but no one else sees it except you.
Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy lengths of ruberized chain. It won't rust, won't beat up the fiberglass, and can be thrown away after a couple of years if you can't clean the mildew off. Comes in bright gaudy red or yellow, but no one else sees it except you.
250 ft of rusted chain
250 ft of rubberized chain is too much for me. I have to think about a treatment my rusted (hopefully only cosmetic)and than cold galvanization it.
250 ft of rubberized chain is too much for me. I have to think about a treatment my rusted (hopefully only cosmetic)and than cold galvanization it.
Frederick, you are in the US, on line. Shop around
I've read several authors say that chain is not worth the expense of re-galvanizing. Just buy new chain. By the time you figure in freight both ways and then the shop time to acid wash rusty chain and then hot galvanizing, well you get the idea. Just sell your old stuff. It'll work for a mooring,,,or something. And that foof-can stuff won't adhere well to a moving chain, even if you could reach everywhere between the links. Save it for the anchor.
I've read several authors say that chain is not worth the expense of re-galvanizing. Just buy new chain. By the time you figure in freight both ways and then the shop time to acid wash rusty chain and then hot galvanizing, well you get the idea. Just sell your old stuff. It'll work for a mooring,,,or something. And that foof-can stuff won't adhere well to a moving chain, even if you could reach everywhere between the links. Save it for the anchor.
End for End
Try turning the chain around. Put the rusty part in the bottom of the chain locker. Since you are from Punta Gorda and if you cruise locally, I bet that you never use more than 60-70 feet of chain. The other end of the chain probably never gets into the salt water and still looks good. If you have already turned it around, think of cutting off the first 50-60 feet of rusty chain. Around here 250' is a "lot" of chain for shallow water. Bill
Try turning the chain around. Put the rusty part in the bottom of the chain locker. Since you are from Punta Gorda and if you cruise locally, I bet that you never use more than 60-70 feet of chain. The other end of the chain probably never gets into the salt water and still looks good. If you have already turned it around, think of cutting off the first 50-60 feet of rusty chain. Around here 250' is a "lot" of chain for shallow water. Bill
39 cents per pound
If you have a local outfit that does this kind of work, you'll save a bunch of cash by regalvanizing. It's only when you have to ship the chain that cost becomes prohibitive. And, as I understand it, a regalvanized chain holds up to rust a lot longer than the original galvanizing did. Here in our area, by the way, the place to go is Pacific Galvanizing. 510.261.7331
If you have a local outfit that does this kind of work, you'll save a bunch of cash by regalvanizing. It's only when you have to ship the chain that cost becomes prohibitive. And, as I understand it, a regalvanized chain holds up to rust a lot longer than the original galvanizing did. Here in our area, by the way, the place to go is Pacific Galvanizing. 510.261.7331
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