Chrysler Sailors Forum

Have any of you used anodes (zinc or otherwise) on your keels? I'm going through the process of removing some rust where large flakes have developed. Just got the boat last fall, and I don't know what period of time this has developed, but here's a "before" shot:



I had to fill in some large grooves (weld) then grind them smooth up near the keel pin hole. (And yes, I admit I cannot weld vertically worth a do-do. ) But you can see further down the keel where the flaking is still there.

I've already blasted the other side, as far down as the cart will let me and painted it with the same rust killing paint I used on my trailer. You can clearly see the pock marks from where the rust was most aggressive. Here's the shot:



So I was wondering if an anode on the keel wouldn't help keep things in check.

Please let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Hi Mcrandall,

Seriously I was just thinking about this very subject this weekend when I was working on my boat.

I was thinking I would drill into my keel, clean through and bolt on Zincs. I figured I drill the hole near the bottom of the keel just below the pocket with the keel retracted.

My keel is a rusting flaking mess. Photo 1 is after I cleaned it when I bought the boat. Photo 2 is now and it has been painted 2 times since photo #1.

Photo #1 8/2008


Photo #2 10/2010 after having been painted twice in 2008 and 2009


I was also looking at electrical bonding of the mast to the keel. I figure it could not hurt if in the off chance my mast gets hit with lightening it would discharge out the keel and maybe not blow holes in the boat. I'm told a lightening strike would blow holes in your boat like a shotgun blast out of a Howitzer if the electricity had no place to go.

So any idea's on Zincs and calming down my rusty keel would be much appreciated! Oh and lightening protection too.

Thanks
Alan

...Just so happens I was reading a story in Cruising World on the bus this morning about Gavanic Corrosion
http://www.cruisingworld.com/how-to/sys ... -saildrive