Im switching marinas for this upcoming season my current one does not have any power at the slips. I can usually get 2 years out of my zincs before they need replacing .the new marina is a big marina with all the shore power hook ups im wondering what if anything i should look for or expect to see different in the life of the zincs or anything else. a friend of mine keeps his boat at another big marina and says many of the boats there have to change zincs mid year! thanks
electrolysis questions
- Thread starter GREYLOCK
- Start date
Hookup1
GreatGrady Captain
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- Islander
Zincs
What GW model do you have? Outboards or IO?
I'm in a large marina on a big boat dock with lots of electric. My Islander only has two trim tab zincs that will disappear in one season.
The engine zincs are lasting a lot longer because the motors are up and out of the water. Only the zinc is in the water.
I previously has a boat with inboard diesels. It was sometimes tough to make the zincs last one season. The marina does offer a late summer bottom wash at a discount ($3/foot). I check and replace them then if they need it.
Zinc life is affected by the dock power and your neighbors boat electrical system. I have seen problems on our dock with bad connections in the power posts and boat cords (grounds) eating zincs.
Best advice is to check them a few time a year and talk to the marina manager if your zincs are getting eaten up too quickly.
What GW model do you have? Outboards or IO?
I'm in a large marina on a big boat dock with lots of electric. My Islander only has two trim tab zincs that will disappear in one season.
The engine zincs are lasting a lot longer because the motors are up and out of the water. Only the zinc is in the water.
I previously has a boat with inboard diesels. It was sometimes tough to make the zincs last one season. The marina does offer a late summer bottom wash at a discount ($3/foot). I check and replace them then if they need it.
Zinc life is affected by the dock power and your neighbors boat electrical system. I have seen problems on our dock with bad connections in the power posts and boat cords (grounds) eating zincs.
Best advice is to check them a few time a year and talk to the marina manager if your zincs are getting eaten up too quickly.
Further - if you don't use any power when away from boat, leave cable disconnected, same goes for cable- TV cable.
If the zincs do get used up, you will know next seaosn, you wil have to add more of them or heavier ones. Never let the zincs fret away, when it's about 1/2 gone during season replace before end of season.
If the zincs do get used up, you will know next seaosn, you wil have to add more of them or heavier ones. Never let the zincs fret away, when it's about 1/2 gone during season replace before end of season.
My boat is a 1987 240 offshore it powered by a 1998 volvo penta 5.0gi with the sx drive single prop. i do not have any type of shore power hook up but i am considering adding it so that i could run a battery charger/maintainer or maybe a fan or something . The only zincs i have are the ones on the drive but i think i am goung to put ones on the trim tabs also .
thanks for your responses
thanks for your responses
Good idea, you may find the added zinc tabs are the ones fretting away and less so the drive ones.
If so, it's normal.
If so, it's normal.
that looks simple enough i will have to try it when the boat goes in (only about 4 months to go)
Thanks
Thanks
Hi Greylock,
I too have a V/P I/O. I keep the boat in the water in a 60 slip marina from May to Nov. Shore power is available, several larger boats are plugged in. My V/P is a 1993 D/P. Drive is original, motor repowered in 04. I have zincs on the prop shaft and transom shield. New zincs are installed at the beginning of each season. By seasons end, the prop shaft zinc is always worn the most, well beyond 50%, probably close to 80%, the transom shield zinc less than 50%. My drive has no galvanic effects. The aluminum is smooth as new - no pits. I am pleased with the job the zincs are doing. I think it is important to note the fact that the prop zinc wears the most. I would attribute this to the proximity to stainless prop shaft. Being the least noble metal in that area the prop zinc is sacrificed. I purposely have stayed with Aluminum props instead of SS, for just that reason. I venture that a set of SS props would accelerate the prop shaft zinc wear to the point it might have nothing left come Nov. Also - when shopping for zincs, there are Zincs made of Zinc, and "Zincs" made of another alloy. The other alloy "zincs" are cheaper and they do wear faster than Zincs made of Zincs.
Also - keep your drive all the way down when docked. The bellows will remain compressed and no barnacles will grow in the creases. I change the bellows every other year, as I pull the drive for a full service every other year.
Happy and safe boating in the new year.
Oceanbean
93 Explorer 245 V/P DP
I too have a V/P I/O. I keep the boat in the water in a 60 slip marina from May to Nov. Shore power is available, several larger boats are plugged in. My V/P is a 1993 D/P. Drive is original, motor repowered in 04. I have zincs on the prop shaft and transom shield. New zincs are installed at the beginning of each season. By seasons end, the prop shaft zinc is always worn the most, well beyond 50%, probably close to 80%, the transom shield zinc less than 50%. My drive has no galvanic effects. The aluminum is smooth as new - no pits. I am pleased with the job the zincs are doing. I think it is important to note the fact that the prop zinc wears the most. I would attribute this to the proximity to stainless prop shaft. Being the least noble metal in that area the prop zinc is sacrificed. I purposely have stayed with Aluminum props instead of SS, for just that reason. I venture that a set of SS props would accelerate the prop shaft zinc wear to the point it might have nothing left come Nov. Also - when shopping for zincs, there are Zincs made of Zinc, and "Zincs" made of another alloy. The other alloy "zincs" are cheaper and they do wear faster than Zincs made of Zincs.
Also - keep your drive all the way down when docked. The bellows will remain compressed and no barnacles will grow in the creases. I change the bellows every other year, as I pull the drive for a full service every other year.
Happy and safe boating in the new year.
Oceanbean
93 Explorer 245 V/P DP