BOAT TIPS & TRICKS

BOAT TIPS & TRICKS

Boat Zincs and Galvanic Isolators

Do your zincs wear away quickly? We are now promoting aluminum anodes: these have been fitted as standard by boat and engine manufacturers for several years. If your boat or stern drive was built within the past 10 years it will have come with aluminum anodes which will outlast standard zinc anodes by 6+ months, so fitting replacement zinc anodes doesn’t make sense. Oh, and by the way, aluminum anodes are cheaper too!

Galvanic Isolators – In addition there are other reasons why your anodes may be disappearing quickly. Galvanic corrosion is created when different metals are attached to each other and submerged in water or any solution that carries electrical current. Since different metals corrode at different rates, a current flow will be created from the faster corroding metal (anode) to the slower corroding metal (cathode). Anodes protect the metal parts of the boat from onboard sources of electrical current. Unfortunately, other boats and improper shore side wiring are sources of galvanic current, originating outside the boat. If your boat is hooked to shore power, a galvanic isolator or isolation transformer will protect it from rapid dissolution of your zincs and the corrosion that will follow. With a boat plugged into shorepower, the power cord will often make an electrical connection between the underwater metals on all the boats that are plugged in nearby, creating a risk of galvanic corrosion. A galvanic isolator is designed to prevent this by blocking DC currents, and this is why we recommend fitting one to your boat.

A galvanic isolator will cost between $260 and $550 depending on amperage, make, etc; and fitting should take 1-2 hours. A set of zinc anodes (2 shaft, 2 trim tab, and a diver’s dream) will cost about $117 (see aluminum anodes above), plus the haul out to fit them. If the anodes alone don’t do their job, new propellers, shafts, strut, trim tabs, rudders, etc could, of course, cost you a lot more.

Nick Webster is our Boatyard Manager. Following 9 years as a naval officer in the Royal Navy and the Sultan of Oman’s Navy, he became a senior manager and then a director of Sunsail where for nearly 14 years he managed and developed yacht charter areas and watersports facilities around the world. He also shipped Sunsail yachts between the Med and Caribbean, which led to his appointment as a director of a UK based boat shipping company for 5 years. During this time Nick used various specialist boat cleaning services to renovate boats stained during shipping and in 2005 he moved to B.C. to operate his boat cleaning business, Pro Boat Clean, before joining us in Nanaimo in 2010.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Fuel Polishing

Fuel Polishing is one of the services we offer and something which can be done over winter. If fuel is left in a tank for an extended period it can be contaminated and the resulting clogged engine filters, could in turn lead to a breakdown and damage to your engine. Also, partially clogged filters will decrease engine performance, cause smoking, carbon build-up and produce higher emissions. By polishing the fuel in your tank(s) and removing any contamination we can help prevent this. Other effects of not cleaning your fuel tank can be disastrous and very expensive: if your tank corrodes it may need replacement, which might sound simple but bear in mind that most boats are built around the tanks and to replace one may involve removing engines, cabinetry, doors, windows, etc, etc. Our fuel polishing service starts at $150 for the first hour; a breakdown or replacing a tank can cost thousands. Call us now for more information.