Cleaning up an older anchor and making it shine

[GordMay]

Wire brush, and wash (paint) with Phosphoric Acid ("Ospho").
Ospho Rust Treatment - Since 1947
and:
http://www.ospho.com/directions.htm

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by almost_there

Hi,
We are about to move our 1981 Hardin into a marina that is the equivalent of the home owner's associations that I so desperately despise. (but, beauracratic bs aside). The dock master has informed us that our anchors are too unsightly to be in his marina and this needs to be remedied prior to our relocation. So, I am looking for suggestions on products/methods to make our anchors look like those on the poor sad boats we will be next too have never dipped their anchors into the water and most likely never left their slip....
Thanks.

Perhaps dress it up a bit with a collar and tie (bow tie of course )

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

You are on a finger dock, yes?

Store them below until you need them again.

Free...

Maybe just use the finger part of the dock

[starfish62]

I had a Suncor stainless plow (CQR type) on the boat I recently bought that I didn't even know was stainless because it was so tarnished. Went over it with a wire brush on a drill and then lots of Flitz and she's turned into a thing of beauty. I almost threw it away when we got the boat because it looked so bad.

If your anchors are galvanized, then one thing that works amazingly is to knock off the surface rust with wire brush or whatever and then sink them into some deep marl/clay/muck/sludge. Leave them there for a few weeks. The oxygen deprivation reblues (for lack of a better word) the steel and they come out looking like they were just out of the packaging. Plus, it's no labor! If they were painted, then this trick works, too. First knock or chemical strip the paint off. Then just bury them completely in the deepest marl/mud/muck you can find (back down hard), leave a tag line and then go back in a few weeks and yank them up. You will be amazed at the difference.

[CanQua]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Wire brush, and wash (paint) with Phosphoric Acid ("Ospho").
Ospho Rust Treatment - Since 1947
and:
Ospho

Say GordMay, how well does that phosphoric acid treatment hold up? Had it on fence for years, but that's not salt water. Just curious. Nothing quite as good as rust at keeping rust at bay.

[NealS]

Petit makes a product for painting over rusted metal that will make the anchor look like new. Nice thing about it, the rust does not need to be removed. Just don't get any on yourself, it will not come off till you wear it off.

[Cheechako]

another vote for paint

[speciald@ocens.]

I've used Rustoleum dry galvanizing paint from Home Depot. Cheap fix but doesn't last long.

[Chuck Baier]

Originally Posted by almost_there

Hi,
We are about to move our 1981 Hardin into a marina that is the equivalent of the home owner's associations that I so desperately despise. (but, beauracratic bs aside). The dock master has informed us that our anchors are too unsightly to be in his marina and this needs to be remedied prior to our relocation. So, I am looking for suggestions on products/methods to make our anchors look like those on the poor sad boats we will be next too have never dipped their anchors into the water and most likely never left their slip....
Thanks.

Do you REALLY want to be there? You know this will only be the beginning and they will drive you crazy.

[JusDreaming]

I think I would put it in the anchor locker! I tried painting ours and it lasted until I anchored in the sand Now just the shank shows any sign of paint. How expensive is re-galvanizing?
In that marina I guess peeing off the side or bathing in the cock pit are out of the question

[Little Otter]

eat ALOT of the pirate coin chocolates then use the gold foil to make a temporary anchor cover. seeins how it would be gold colored and shiney you might have lots of visitors that wanted to know where you got the gold anchor and you would please the harbormaster.

[almost_there]

Many thanks to everyone for the helpful, 'creative', and extremely funny responses. Its already been a long week and I needed a good laugh!!! We're moving next week so it will be a busy weekend...I'll let you all know what we ultimately end up doing with the anchor and how it works out for us.
Regarding the questions of WHY.......Unfortunately we are in Southern California and somewhat limited on choices for this size boat. This is a temporary solution until the boat is ready to head out... On the plus size, BIG BROTHER will help keep us focused on the projects required to get the heck out of here!!!!
Cheers!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Almost,
Find another marina? If not and you want to go cheap just paint them with white rustoleum. When they start to rust again, paint them again.
I like white anchors because they are easy to see on the bottom if there is any kind of visibility.
Kind regards,
JohnL