How bad can electrolysis get?

bayrunner · #1

I'm new to this site, and by the way it's a great site. When I bought my boat it had electrolysis from the water line down. I have started climbing underneath the boat, and it is pitted pretty good. There are no holes through the aluminum, but it doesn't look great. Can I seal the pits with jb weld, or is that a waste of time? I love the boat, it is a 18' westcoaster bayrunner with a 50 hp merc 4 stroke I put on it. Will the electrolysis keep getting worse? The boat is no longer left in the water. how weak can it get? Thanks,
Kevin

http://www.youtube.com/user/BLM26CC · #2

Did it ever have a zinc, and if so was it completely gone?

It needed one and it need to be inspected from time to time.

Here's mine mounted on a pad with two bolts coming out of the hull.

Standard operating proceedure, at least for in the water all the time. Mines a trailer boat and it looks like this at 498 hrs. of use in a year and half.

bayrunner · #3

I do not see any zincs. The guy who put my motor on, put a zinc between the motor and transom. wiil the pitting get worse?, and should I put zincs on it?

#4

Bayrunner , where are you lacated at ? Orange County maybe ?

bayrunner · #5

Pacifica, outside of san francisco

http://www.youtube.com/user/BLM26CC · #6

If your using the boat in saltwater the boat must have a zinc attached to the hull, to sacrifice it, versus your aluminum. Especially if it's a light weight boat.

The pitting was it giving up aluminum, rather than zince material.

Find a way to get one attached to the HULL, before use.

#7

Hi Bayrunner and Wecome,
I've owned two Bayrunners, a 1984 20' CC and currently a 1989 22' Cuddy and have had some corrosion issues with both of them, especially in the transom from the inside out

I've seen this same issue on just about every one that Ive checked out.
So it sounds like your issues are on the outside of the hull?
I've found that every epoxy patch that I've tried ends up falling off like a scab. I've had the best luck using Goop (marine), sticks like crazy and remains somewhat flexible.
If you can post some pictures of what you're up against, that would be great.

Scott

bayrunner · #8

I'll try and post some pics soon. I'm going to pick up some zincs and add them to the transom. The hull seems solid, The boat has an extra piece of thicker aluminum running the length of the boat, where the floor and sides meet, that is where the worst pitting is. It looks like little craters.
thanks for the help.

bayrunner · #9

I put on 2 anodes today. They are 2 3/4" round, and put them on each side of the transom. I also lifted my transducer up about 2" , hopefully it won't throw as much water.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BLM26CC · #10

I'm no expert, just observant...but the zincs have to be grounded to the hull IE: making serious contact, so electricity say, could pass right from zinc to hill if applied.

Notice that on barges and steel ships zincs are welded right to the sides of the vessel, via steel straps running thru zinc plates and forming tabs used for the weld connection.

How did you mount them, so conductivity is straight from zinc to hull?

Maybe some others could chime in and clarify with photos or discriptions better than I.

Like I said I'm just a observer of what I have seen, and by now means an expert.

Good luck. I hope it helps, it needed zincs long ago.

bayrunner · #11

Your right, it did need zincs a long time ago. I guess the previous owner didn't think about it. the zincs i picked up were 2 half circles, that bolt through the transom. I talked to my boat guy, and he said add a little sealant around the bolt and mount. The zincs will have plenty of contact with the boat. My friends boat was done the same way, and his zincs are working.
Thanks for the info, and help

http://www.youtube.com/user/BLM26CC · #12

Sounds good. That should cure it, as you watch them slowly "go away"....