Washing anchor chain

Jun 6, 2004
103
- - San Diego
I am a saltwater sailor and have a newly replaced anchor chain ... after use, does it do any good to wash the chain with freshwater to reduce rusting?
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,399
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
The dried Sea Salt has no effect on Zinc galvanization.
Answer: No.
Jim...
 

senang

.
Oct 21, 2009
304
hunter 38 Monaco
Salt water on a heap of chain in a dark non-vented anchor locker takes a LONG time to evaporate. During that time the salt is active!
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
One solution: if you have the fresh water to spare, tee a hose off the fresh water plumbing near the bow and put a garden hose nozzle on it to create a fresh water wash down for your chain as the anchor comes up. If that's not possible, pull your anchor chain out and lay it on the dock every few weeks to hose it off. And clean the chain locker while it's out, 'cuz the same sea water micro organisms that make sea water toilets stink when they sit and stagnate in the plumbing are doing the same thing in your chain locker.
--Peggie
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I've had galvanized chain on all of my keel boats and I'd have to say in regular recreation use I've had nearly zero issues with rust. I'd rinse the locker, when I cleaned the boat usually on Monday after a weekend of use. Maybe it's more of a problem if the chain is on the bottom more and gets nicked up. But galvanized chain for me was a pretty low maintenance item.
 

NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
I fresh wash my chain and rode when I get into the slip always..... gets the stink and mud off and out of the locker. If you have rode / chain combo the salt will damage the rode for sure. Does it add life to the chain..... I don't know but I think so.

Good Luck
Greg
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
I am a saltwater sailor and have a newly replaced anchor chain ... after use, does it do any good to wash the chain with freshwater to reduce rusting?
It would help to know what kind/grade of chain. Proof Coil, BBB, G4, G7, hot dipped galvanized, galvanized, non-galvanized, USA made versus off-shore? Each grade has different degrees of corrosion resistance/strength. We have ACCO brand, G4 hot dipped galvanized, made in the USA. All bets are off with off shore stuff. Different/inconsistent specs, quality control, etc., etc., etc.

We keep our boat in sea water year around. As a rule, I always rinse the anchor and chain/rode with fresh water upon returning from a cruise. Our 1991 hot dipped galvanized Danforth anchor shows no sign of corrosion. Ditto the original chain that I replaced a few years ago because I wanted a longer chain section. Our current ACCO brand chain that is four seasons old shows no sign of corrosion.
 
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Likes: NYSail
Feb 10, 2004
3,917
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Our boat lives on a mooring so there is very little opportunity to rinse with fresh water. I rinse with seawater when hauling up and I rinse with freshwater whenever I fill my tanks. I get about 6-7 years service from my chain which is 5/16" ACCO G4. I think that the worst wear on the chain which removes the galvanizing is at the anchor bow roller. I have a reinforcing bar across the sides of the anchor roller and the chain gets pulled across it. Also the constant motion of the links rubbing each other in the water also contributes to the galvanization removal and subsequent rusting. I added a piece of PVC tubing to cover the reinforcing bar so that the chain would not hit on metal. I think this is beneficial to prolonging the life of the chain, but I have no positive proof. Below is a pix of the reinforcing bar that I have covered with PVC tubing. Sorry, nor picture of the tubing in place.
2005_0501_132500AA.JPG
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Unlikely it would make a significant difference but it would not hurt to remove the salt and dirt. At the very least you would have a clean anchor and locker. I have found that the longevity of the anchor chain depends mostly on its size. A 5/8" chain will almost always last longer than a 5/16" chain. I have not used an all chain anchor rode in years and right now I have a 35' leader so replacement is less of a problem than washing it.
 
Last edited:
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
I put a coil of line in the chain locker to prop it open while in the slip. This allows the locker to dry out. It has almost removed the smell.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
From what I understand and was told by a rep with Sampson a few years back at the boat show, salt gets into the rode and acts as an abrasive.
+1. The salt would be a grit imbedded in the rope- like sandpaper, I suppose.
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
About the only things in this world that are not harmed in some way by salt water are salt, water & certain types of fish. As has already been noted, salt water dries very slowly compared to fresh water. These are two reasons why I try to give my anchor locker a fresh water rinse before I close it up for a prolonged period of time. If the anchor is going up & down frequently, then I just try to knock the mud off of it and salt water works for that.

On boats without freshwater washdown, I often hang a camp shower (aka solar shower, aka shower bag) from a spin halyard & use that for the fresh water rinse.