Advice wanted: Galvanizing Anchor Chain

[mboyte]

I am in the process of addressing our anchoring gear and want to have my 300 feet of 3/8 inch chain re-galvanized.

Through experience, can any of the esteemed members of this forum offer some practical tips on the following:

1. Tricks on getting the chain off the boat and up to the truck. I was thinking of feeding the chain into a trash can and using a furniture dolly to lug it up the ramp (at high tide).

2. Experience with companies that re-galvanize chain in the Seattle/Tacoma area. It seems like Emerald Galvanizing is the place to go. Can I just drive up there with a garbage can full of chain and they will take care of the rest? Any estimates on cost would be appreciated.

3. Any other tips or advice on this project would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Michael
sv Galapagos
1975 Olympic Adventure
http://littlecunningplan.com

[bstreep]

We had ours done down here in Texas. Frankly, I wish we'd have spent the money on new chain. It was a mess. The process isn't perfect, and it took a while for it to fit the gypsy right.


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[leftbrainstuff]

You don't want your chain thrown in with other items.

What often happens with once off galvanizing jobs is they get thrown in with other items. You end up with a congealed mess.

You cant tumble chain and you cant just let it sit in a single pile. It must be laid out and galvanized on its own typically in a purpose built mesh bin and agitated to ensure an even finish. I suspect it is now probably cheaper to buy new chain.

Questions you need to ask of your galvanizer include:

1) do you galvanize lifting and rigging gear that carries certifications.
2) do you galvanize chain? If so how do you ensure the galvanizing is even and the links are completely galvanized without being bonded together?

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[Steve Bean]

How could a galvanizer expect a customer to accept a "congealed mess"?

[model 10]

You show up and there is your chain in a pile on a pallet. Pay up or go away.

[Steve Bean]

Small claims court.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

You don't want your chain thrown in with other items.

What often happens with once off galvanizing jobs is they get thrown in with other items. You end up with a congealed mess.

You cant tumble chain and you cant just let it sit in a single pile. It must be laid out and galvanized on its own typically in a purpose built mesh bin and agitated to ensure an even finish. I suspect it is now probably cheaper to buy new chain.

Questions you need to ask of your galvanizer include:

1) do you galvanize lifting and rigging gear that carries certifications.
2) do you galvanize chain? If so how do you ensure the galvanizing is even and the links are completely galvanized without being bonded together?

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Can't speak to US practices, but we've had chain re-galvoed a number of times, both here and in New Zealand. The quality has varied, but it has all been usable, has prevented rust and been only around a quarter t he cost of new chain. The more weight you have, the better the price in most places.

The process involves either a centrifuge or a shaker to ensure that the links are evenly coated and remain separated. IME the centrifuge works better, but that may not be universally true.

In this day of suspect chain suppliers,, I reckon it is better to use chain that you know to be good than to take pot luck with new chain... YMMV.

Jim

[Steve Bedford]

A good galvanizing company can re-galvanize your chain and not have it come out as lump of metal. Ask lots of questions. We offer a service for our anchor owners to re-galvanize their anchor and chain whenever we go to galvanizing. Never have had more than a couple links connected. Usually dropping the section where the links are connected solves the problem. Out galvanizing company vibrates and shakes the chain as it is lifted from the hot vat. The links do not seize. We have excellent reports from our customers who have used our galvanizer.

Steve Bedford
Super MAX Anchor
maxmarineproducts.com

[wrwakefield]

Michael,

I can't help with your other questions, but have had my share of moving chain back and forth over time...

The uphill run with your 450lbs of chain might be easier if you could distribute the length between 3 or 4 sturdy dock carts- leaving ~6 feet between carts- with the simultaneous help of some fellow sailors at high tide. [This is how I hauled our old 300ft of 3/8 chain uphill in Anacortes a couple of years ago...]

You could then hand-over-hand into a barrel in your truck or the like.

Alternatively, there are gas engine powered 4 wheeled carts you could rent [e.g., for moving cement, rocks, etc. at construction sites, etc.] OR borrow a friends 6 wheel ATV? [Just brainstorming here...]

Also, be aware there are dollies made specifically for moving heavy barrels. A local chandler may have one [with an empty barrel] you could borrow.... but that still won't help pull it all up hill... [We borrowed one with hand brakes when we brought a full barrel- 550lbs- of 5/16" G43 to the boat a couple of years ago in Anacortes, but that was the downhill leg....]

Before galvanizing, now is a good time to spot measure your chain in search of under spec links. If you find some, then it is a good time to re-evaluate chain size if you need to purchase new... [Realizing you would also need a new gypsy if you changes sizes... It depends upon your needs and ground tackle strategy... Here is our blog post about installing a new windlass with a new chain size which describes our how and whys if you get that far with your thinking...]

Best wishes grunting that chain uphill... I'd be happy to help were I in the neighborhood...

Cheers!

Bill

[Cheechako]

I had a little bit done in Seattle many years ago. It didn't turn out well. My advice is to ask them how often they do chain and how they do it and how they clean it prior. Mine had big chunks of galvanizing here and there. Personally I would buy new chain unless convinced they do a good job.

[wsmurdoch]

Originally Posted by mboyte

2. Experience with companies that re-galvanize chain in the Seattle/Tacoma area. It seems like Emerald Galvanizing is the place to go. Can I just drive up there with a garbage can full of chain and they will take care of the rest? Any estimates on cost would be appreciated.

Post #3 this thread... http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ng-156940.html

and this thread... http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ng-164020.html

[meridian28]

Be sure it is prepped correctly. Sandblast if rusty which it probably is.


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[Sailor647]

We had our anchor chain (300' 5/16" ACCO G4) re-galvanized in November 2013 - after it was inspected and pull-tested.

The chain still looks 'new' and works fantastic. There is only one small dot of rust on the first 200 feet. (Haven't had the need to pay out all 300 feet.) By "works fantastic", I mean it moves smoothly through the windlass and piles and falls neatly in the chain locker. We've never had to go down below to untangle a mess of chain while anchoring. It doesn't bind up on itself.

We unloaded the chain from the boat's chain locker by feeding it through the windlass hole in the deck (windlass was being replaced) and hand loading it into a dock cart. Yes, a dock cart. We then wheeled the cart up the incredibly steep dock ramp at Salpare Bay Marina, Portland. I think a hand truck and a barrel would have been a better choice. lol It took both of us to push/pull it up the ramp.

We then hand fed it into a cardboard box that was sitting on top of a pallet in our pickup bed. The pallet was a requirement of the galvanizing company, as they used a forklift to move product around.

While we were waiting to get the chain unloaded, we walked around the yard and saw several other chains hanging horizontally by hooks in what appeared to be their drying phase. Nothing was heaped up in a ball.

Valmont Pacific States Galvanizing in Tualatin, Oregon did the work. Under invoice description it says SPINNER - 300' ANCHOR CHAIN. Weight: 340; Unit Price - $0.80; UM:Pounds; Amount - $272.00

After we got the chain back, we laid it on the dock and measured it so we could tie (square knot) 6 inch lengths of 1/4" polyester line every 25'. First 100 feet - one piece of GREEN line at 25', two pieces of green lines at 50', three green lines at 75', and four green lines at 100'. One PINK line at 125', two pink lines at 150', three pink lines at 175', four pink lines at 200'. And YELLOW line, same pattern, for the last 100 feet. The lines feed effortlessly through the windlass, and are still in place today although the green is a little faded.

Very, very happy with the galvanizing job and significantly less expensive than a new chain.

[Sailor647]

Forgot to add: Yes, the chain was sandblasted by the same company before they galvanized it.

They had our chain for four days.

[mboyte]

This is a follow up to my original question with a report on our experience in Seattle having our 300 feet of chain galvanized.

Thanks to all that provided comments and suggestions on what at first seemed like mysterious subject.

Transporting the chain turned out to be pretty straightforward. When removing the chain, I rented an appliance dolly at UHaul for 10 dollars thinking it would make hauling the chain up the dock. This did in fact make that chore easier as did waiting for a good high tide of course. I think a regular old dolly would have worked okay but there will be less leverage and a bit more risk to losing control. When returning the chain back to the boat I intend to use our regular dolly as I won't be hauling uphill.

We used Emerald Galvanizing in Seattle and I believe, they are one of the few places that has the facilities in the area to properly galvanize chain. The guy that helped us, Neil, was very friendly, perhaps in part because he is retiring in two weeks after working there for 39 years! He explained the process and even gave my wife and I little tour of the facility.

At Emerald the chain is cleaned with a bath in suphuric acid, and then a neutralizing bath and I think a third bath to help the zinc bond to the raw steel before being dipped in the zinc. Then, while still wet with zinc, the chain is spun in a centrifuge to remove excess material and allow the chain to cool without the links fusing together. When I picked up the chain 8 days later, I could pay it into the my waiting trash can with my bare hands; there were no sharp edges. The total costs for 298 feet of 3/8 inch High Test Chain (468 pounds) was $471.50, 90 cents a pound (plus tax of course)

All in all a rousing success. To read a post and see photos, you can check out our blog at http://littlecunningplan.com/2016/07...nd-lake-union/