Did your chain break after regalvanising?

[Chuck Hawley]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

FWIW, our 10mm grade G-30 short link chain has been regalvanized three times since we bought the boat and an unknown number of times prior to that. No breakage. On our previous boat, four times under our command, and still in use 11 years later.

Until one gets into G-70+ grades, I don't think it is a worry... after all, the OEM galvanized it, didn't he? He had to heat it just as hot as the re-gal guys.

Jim

I agree with Jim. I went for a tour of the Acco factor about 10 years ago, and the engineer told me that the temperatures involved in regalvanizing will not change the temper or heat treat of G30 or G40 chain. I think he said the lowest grade chain that might be affected was G63/G70 chain.

What is missing from most of this conversation is the loss of wire diameter due to corrosion. Presuming that someone is regalvanizing, there is probably material loss from corrosion, in addition to whatever might be lost from the acid bath prior to recoating. If I had terribly rusty chain, I would worry about that more than the acid erosion.

Bottom line: I would do it at a location that had experience with chain (which is tricky since you don't want to change the "limber" nature of the chain with excess zinc. Got to fling the chain while the zinc is hot.

Chuck Hawley
Alerion Express 38 Yawl #6 "Surprise"

[Sardean]

I notice no one has said they have had an anchor chain break , whether regalvanised or not, surely someone has had there chain break?

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[Sardean]

Thanks chuck I will have to check the stamps on my chain and try and find out what grade it is, Btw my chain is not too rusty just lost its galvanising so it is filthy rusty mess

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[Jim Cate]

for Sardean and Chuck H: In my experience with several different galvanizerias over the years, if the chain is truly rusty, with material loss beyound just surface scaling, they willl not galvanize it. i don't think this is from a safety point of view, but simply that it is difficult to do a good job of galvo when the surface is badly corroded and pitted.

The folks at industrial Galvanizing in Brisbane, Qld (where the OP is planning to take his chain) will inspect it carefully before accepting the job. They don't want to put out a bad product. And they use a centrifuge to shed the excess zinc. This works better than the "shaker" used by some galvos. The previous time I had mine done it was in Bundaberg, and they used a shaker. The chain was so lumpy that it would jam in the gypsy and lock up the windlass. Took months of use to get those lumps worn or dissolved away.

And Sardean, if you bought your chain in Oz it is likely "L" grade, and will be stamped thusly. IIRC, L grade is G-30... so no worries.

Jim

[contrail]

When I re-galvanized mine, the new galvanizing has lasted better than the original. I would't hesitate to do it again.

On another note, however, a couple of weeks ago I noticed that the final link that connects the chain to the anchor shackle has thinned out noticeably, so I will be cutting that link off. Good to check everything carefully, once in awhile!

Cheers,
Tim

[Sardean]

Thanks Jim and Tim

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[sy_gilana]

Short answer...no. Re-galvanized 3x in 17 years

[Sardean]

Thanks everyone the chain and anchor is going to be galvanised


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[Celestialsailor]

Gees...Hmmm...let me see...a chain distributor is telling you that you are mad for regalvanizing. Could that possibly be that they want to sell you new chain?

[Sardean]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Gees...Hmmm...let me see...a chain distributor is telling you that you are mad for regalvanizing. Could that possibly be that they want to sell you new chain?

Thanks yes I thought the same but they are the experts! And other people had also told me I was mad to take a risk with one of the most important saftey devices on my boat. So all I can say is thank you to Cruisers forum and its members

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[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Sardean

I notice no one has said they have had an anchor chain break , whether regalvanised or not, surely someone has had there chain break?

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Just from using chain on the farm, if you way overstress it, the links stretch out and in extreme overload the links are so stretched the chain doesn't even flex right, long before a chain breaks, I think it's stretched so bad it become useless as far as still fitting in a gypsy for instance.
Then I'd also think long before the chain breaks the anchor will drag? Unless of course it's hooked in rock or similar?


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[Sardean]

Thanks a64pilot
After reading your post I will measure a few links to see if they are in specification and compare to new chain as I dont know my chains history and guess it is 12 years old same as yacht.

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[a64pilot]

I am no expert on this, but just from what I've seen using chain on trucks to tie loads down and on the farm, I think it running smoothly through your gypsy is your measurer.
Now if you want to measure, I know on motorcycle chain, you measure a set number of links as the wear on one link is just not detectable, but the wear on many is as it's cumuative
do we measure anchor chain that way?


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[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Sardean

Thanks yes I thought the same but they are the experts! And other people had also told me I was mad to take a risk with one of the most important saftey devices on my boat. So all I can say is thank you to Cruisers forum and its members

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Ok...I did further checking and the National board that oversees lifting chain states that the chain losses 20% of it's strength at 600F. Galvanizing is somewhere around 800F. But lifting chain might be a totally different animal.

[chouliha]

We have the same chain for 30+ years (3/8"BBB) and had it galvanized 4 times. Still on the same anchor and chain as I write this.

What friends have done with very rusty chain before taking it to the galvanizers is to find a sandy road or beach they can drive on and hook the chain to the back of there pickup. Dragging it for 10 minutes then end for ending it. The result is no rust, shiny chain and a much better galvanizing.





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