Trim tab zincs

[KG]

I recently purchased a parker, only had an 8 day period to use it before I had to haul it out and winterize. (I am a merchant marine...work sched). In this 8 day time frame, the boat was kept in the water on a mooring and I was amazed at how fast the trim tab zinc had brokedown? The o/b zincs still look like new. Do you all replace trim tab zincs every month or two??
Thanks gentlemen!

 

[POGE]

It depends. Moorings might have less stray current than a dock area holding lots of boats. Go over your boat for any current producers, then look at neighbors. Commerical fishing lobster draggers can put out a lot of current or cruisers with all kinds of stuff running can too. When I got my boat new I did a Search for zincs here on CP. Do look at the engine bracket zinc too, they all help. Learned from post here that mostly new boats have engine bracket paint under that zinc. Thats why that zinc looks brand new after a season. To get the bracket zinc to metal, striped bracket, Primacon 3 coats then, Trilux 33 three coats.tHard to see the welds anymore, awesome easy project. I had tab zincs all last year no problem. I got a new neighbor at the marina this year had to change out mid season. Layed on bracket, allen wrench, off with old, on with new, EZ.
Better to have the zincs go than the tabs!!!

 

[BradV]

I keep my boat on the trailer but when we went to the Abacos and left the boat in the water for a week i noticed all my zincs had some salt or something going on with them Not anything major but definately noticable since before they were shiny and new. well maybe not shiny but new looking

 

[lorikay2]

All depend on the level of electrolysis in the water around your boat. Like POGE said, it all depends on the boats around you and how much juice they got plugged into them and if they’re hooked up to an isolator to keep their power from attacking your boat. we keep our boat in the water for about 8 months of the year given they let us salmon fish and we can run through two sets of zincs on the trim tabs and not even have to touch the ones on the o/b.

 

[Brent]

All depend on the level of electrolysis in the water around your boat. Like POGE said, it all depends on the boats around you and how much juice they got plugged into them and if they’re hooked up to an isolator to keep their power from attacking your boat. we keep our boat in the water for about 8 months of the year given they let us salmon fish and we can run through two sets of zincs on the trim tabs and not even have to touch the ones on the o/b.

If marina has GFI and isolator, I expect this will not protect you from a mis-wired boat and a still a shock hazard if you are in the water and touched the boat

 

[Brent]

If you have a silver chloride electrode and a DVM, you can check.
If you boat is in the water for extended periods of time, it would be a worthwhile investment.


see

http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/electr ... 69b_u.pdf'>http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/electricalpower/B0269b_u.pdf'>http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/electricalpower/B0269b_u.pdf

I dont have one now but on the list

 

[lorikay2]

That’s a really good tip. I work down at our harbor and I’m always finding shafts, propellers, and anything metal under the water being totally destroyed by electrolysis. It’s so bad here in Santa Cruz that I could draw you a map of where the hottest spots are in the harbor. But I’m definitely going to throw the multimeter in the water and try and test it out. Thank for the tip!

 

[Brent]

I have a Fluke DVM and found a reference electrode at Boatzincs.com
see
http://www.boatzincs.com/corrosion-refe ... trode.html

and take the informative quiz, too