Are anodes useless...
 

...when the boat is:
a) always used in fresh water;
b) always dry stored, and never left in the water for more than a few hours at a time;
c) never moored near chains, docks, other boats;
d) fitted with Mercathode.

Reason why I'm wondering is that I've seen a boat whose anodes where removed (and not replaced) two years ago.
And now, after 100 hours or so of use in the above conditions, outdrive/prop are still as brand new...

is there a battery in the boat??????????
if there is you have galvanic action.............

Well I didn't look inside the boat, but I guess there must be one, to turn a 377 block on... :lolhit:
Though surely it's detached while the boat is stored.

Are the anodes the correct materal for the water?

Zink= Salt

Aluminum=Brackish

Magnesium=Fresh

If the anodes are getting eaten away at all, then they are working. In the use you described, chances are you would not have any problems.

I actually don't know if they ever worked.
The owner told me that when he bought the boat (new) she had the normal salt water anodes installed, and considering how he would have used the boat decided to remove them rather than switch to magnesium ones...! Don't ask me why he didn't just leave the zinc ones, rather than nothing. But looking at the results, I can't tell he was wrong.

The reason why I'm asking is that my boat is now used pretty much in the same way, but she still has zinc anodes as she was previously used in salt water.
I was thinking to fit magnesium, but now I'm also considering to not waste any time and $.
I know it's a cheap insurance against the cost of an XR drive, but if it's really useless...?!?

It only costs a few bucks for the correct anodes. Why not?




Darrell.

Is it clean fresh water or polluted? If it is very clean, drinkable, you need nothing and it will last for 30years.
Given a,b,c,d, corrosion is the very least of your worries.

Thanks, that's what I thought.
The water is pretty clean, but I never heard of any lake around here whose water is classified as drinkable. Otoh, it's classified as safe for bathing, and I regularly swim in there with eyes open, never had any problem. I guess it would take AT LEAST enough pollution to make it unsafe for bathing, to be also corrosive for the leg and the rest of the raw circuit?

PS - in reply to DMOORE: I know, obviously the anodes are not a big concern costwise, but it's also a matter of principle: I'm happier to pay a lot for something useful, than a little for something useless... :drink:

Leave your original ones on and you will see, they will look like new for years.