Regalvanization of anchor chain

[DockDoc]

My anchor chain, just coming up on 3 years old, that is original to my Lagoon 42 is rusting. I do not think it needs replacing yet, but the rust is a mess.

My options as I see them are
1. reverse the chain as most likely the last 150 feet should have good galvanization on the links, vs the first 150 feet. The overall chain is 330 feet. I have checked and it does look like the galvanization is still good.
Pros No cost but my back and a few hours of labor.
Cons Chain will continue to rust in the well. The chain we let out in deep anchorages or for heavy conditions will still cause a mess. Since it seems the galvanization may be weak the 'new' chain will rust asap.

2. Etch and paint the chain.
Pros. Cheaper than buying a new one.
Cons. I've got to figure out how to do this, which etching agent, and what eco-friendly paint would work. Hope the boat yard lets me do this. Back and hours payment.

3. Buy a new chain.
Pros. New Chain
Cons Price.

But someone brought up "regalvaninzing" the chain. He said he had this done in Taiwan. I have tried to look up chain regalvanizing but every place I have spoken too said it would be cheaper to buy their new chain already galvanized. No one seems keen on galvainizing my 'old' chain.

Does anyone know of such a service? The cat is in Annapolis currently.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

[BlueH2Obound]

Very little re-galvanizing being done in the US due to environmental concerns of the pickling agent, the cadmium, etc. Some in Mexico. Lots of poorly galvanized chain out there being sold as top quality, even by major marine retailers . . .

[AA3JY]

As I recall contacting a business in Ga. who does this service for anchor chains..

https://galvanizeit.org/about-aga/galvanizer-locations

[donradcliffe]

Google is your friend.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...nia-62531.html

https://galvanizeit.org/about-aga/galvanizer-locations

[Cheechako]

Re galvanizing is fraught with issues and still expensive. So unless you are sure, I would opt for new or reversing.
I'm surprised there's much rust already, but it does happen. I would just reverse it. Painting the worst spots would be good to avoid further rust sitting in the locker as you mention..
Maybe just clean well with a light muriatic acid mix in a plastic tub first. Or CLR, or Naval Jelly.
But how bad is it? I assume just light rust? There is a spray can galvanizing product, it's not great but might help.
I end up reversing chain on every boat usually. If it's not deep rust, reverse it!

[DockDoc]

Thanks for the replies. I did google and call, as I stated, the response was universally "buy new chain". I was wondering if someone had success with this process. It sounds like in Taiwan the guy just gave the chain to a street vendor who, thankfully, returned a few days later with a re-galvainzed chain.

I am not familiar with spray-on, chemistry is a few decades behind me, but we electroplated back then. I will look for this product.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by DockDoc

Thanks for the replies. I did google and call, as I stated, the response was universally "buy new chain". I was wondering if someone had success with this process. It sounds like in Taiwan the guy just gave the chain to a street vendor who, thankfully, returned a few days later with a re-galvainzed chain.

I am not familiar with spray-on, chemistry is a few decades behind me, but we electroplated back then. I will look for this product.

Regalvanizing chain requires special equipment which spins the chain as the molten zinc solidifies. Otherwise, the links end up soldered together with the zinc. I am about to do the same thing and found a big German company with offices in different German cities, including the port of Rostock. An overnight sail from here. I'm planning to go there and do that when the borders are opened here.


My chain lasted 9 years before it got rusty enough on the last couple of meters to need this. I could probably just cut off those couple of meters, but I have a special enlarged end link which I wouldn't like to cut off. Also the rest of the galvanizing must be thin by now, so regalvanizing seems like the best solution.



Surely there are some firms in the U.S. who will do it.

[AndyEss]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Re galvanizing is fraught with issues and still expensive. So unless you are sure, I would opt for new or reversing.
I'm surprised there's much rust already, but it does happen. I would just reverse it. Painting the worst spots would be good to avoid further rust sitting in the locker as you mention..
Maybe just clean well with a light muriatic acid mix in a plastic tub first. Or CLR, or Naval Jelly.
But how bad is it? I assume just light rust? There is a spray can galvanizing product, it's not great but might help.
I end up reversing chain on every boat usually. If it's not deep rust, reverse it!

I’m not sure about using muriatic (lower concentration hydrochloric) acid to clean anything galvanized. The acid reacts beautifully with zinc, preferentially eating it away - while creating heat and giving off hydrogen gas. As young boys living in simpler times, we would buy muriatic acid at a local hardware store (big box stores weren’t even a twinkle in some globalist’s eyes then), fill a glass soda bottle half full, wrap a cool wet rag (my idea) around the neck of the bottle to condense extraneous, heat generated water vapor - and voila, a cheap lighter than air gas generator. The problem was the metal as the ideal zinc metal was hard to come by for 12 year old boys growing up on the west side of Chicago - so we raided our moms’ aluminum foil stashes. Fold up some foil, drop it in the partially full (muriatic acid) soda bottle, and get a an uninflated rubber balloon quickly over the bottle opening to harvest the hydrogen gas.

The best balloons could carry fire crackers aloft. A nighttime fire cracker initiated hydrogen gas explosion was somewhat spectacular for a group of young male idiots. As the balloons drifted anywhere they wished, we once blew up a neighbor’s window. That put an end to our experiments with lighter than air incendiary bombs. We broke the same window multiple times playing backyard baseball during less mad scientist activities.

What’s the point of my reminiscences? The muriatic acid will remove any trace of remaining zinc on your chain and greatly accelerate rusting. If you are going to paint, maybe use a scrub brush instead and settle for a result that won’t make the rust problem far worse.

Gee, I wonder if I have any glass soda bottles around the house. Might break up the shelter in place monotony.

[Tupaia]

1. Good idea


2. Not worth the man hours, you wont get total coverage and it won't last 5 mins. You will end up with paint chips for ever after.


3. Get another 3 years out of 1. above first


Galvanizing does work but the "galvanizer" has to be geared up for it with a proper tumbler to clear the slag. They need to do a lot of it to have the right experience. If they get it wrong you will end up with oversized or seized links and end up replacing the chain anyway. As stated this is high labour hazardous process so western world regulations makes it too expensive to be practical. Even if they get it right because the imperfections on a used chain it will not be a good as the original galvanizing.

[AndyEss]

Dope slap to the head: I’m an adult - plenty of empty beer bottles around. And I know I saw a bottle of muriatic somewhere in the garage as I was indulging corona virus spring cleaning.

Sane voice in the back of my head: Don’t do it man!

[skipmac]

I have had chain regalvanized twice by a plant in Jacksonville FL and am very happy with the quality and cost. It was a fraction of the cost of new chain and the results were excellent.

Only issue, they have a minimum you have to pay no matter the size of the job (they do it by weight). So I got together another boater and with about 350-400' total 3/8" BBB we had enough to meet the minimums.

[skipmac]

By the way, have tried all sorts of painting, prime and paint, etch and paint on galvanized things and none of it lasted nor was very effective.

[AndyEss]

Hmmm, no rubber balloons, but plenty of condoms. No firecrackers. My thought experiment and tallying of necessary components continues apace while enjoying my morning coffee.

Maybe I can use a flaming arrow to ignite the balloon? All I need for that is a bow and arrow.I wonder if hunting stores are essential businesses?

[jsbartley]

I had similar problem, and came across an interesting product called S2S (Ship2Shore). Look it up. They sell to navies and commercial shipping cos, but you can also buy retail from them. Its a wet coat that penetrates to steel and actually causes rust to flake off and not return. They have different grades where rating is for x # hours immersed...100 hrs, 500 hrs, etc. without washing off. I treated my chain a month ago, and initial impression is very positive.

[KP44]

I am having my anchor re-galvanized in Mexico. We have found lots of bad galvanizing and one place that does good galvanizing. A lot of other sailors have put in chain and anchors to exceed the minimum. It costs by the kilo, and my 30 kg anchor will cost about 80$US and will be "like new".
It sounds like your 3 year old chain was not well-galvanized when new. My chain has seen 10+ seasons and looks like new.
If you can ship to a place with a good reputation, like the one mentioned in Florida, you might get chain that is "better than new".