general question about anodes

[aquadaze]

I bought a used aquasport recently and while the dealer was pimping my boat he spray painted the anode on the lower unit. It's pretty well coated.

Should I swap the anode for a new one?
Thanks,
Phil

[seabob4]

Yes.  What a moron!  You never paint anodes, that pretty much eliminates their ability to be...anodes!!!

That boy must be brain dead...

[wingtime]

Or just take it out and strip the paint off of it.

[seabob4]

Here's a pic of what we call the "Diver's Dream" hull anode, the most widely used hull anode in the world.  Note what is says on the front of it, which goes for ANY anode.

I tell ya, some people who are in the boat business really shouldn't be...

[redemn93]

what benefits do you get from a hull anode and where is the best place to mount it?

[seabob4]

Jason, you'll typically find hull anodes used on larger boats, particularly ones with 120VAC systems (shorepower).  You have a myriad of electrical stuff going on in that 12VDC and 120VAC are tied together, these boats are typically wet slipped, so you have the natural conductivity of salt water, possible issues from a neighboring boat being improperly wired, issues with the marina shorepower being improperly wired, all these potential issues can eat up zincs fast.  The hull zinc provides for a large surface to be sacrificial, as well as an excellent "base" to bond all your metallic underwater fittings, bronze sea strainers, that sort of thing to.  

The mounting location is directly above the garboard drain.  They're called "Diver's Dream" because they're very easy to replace.  The 2 bolts running through the the transom are tightened down, then the anode is installed resting on top of those nuts, and secured with nuts...basically acting as jam nuts...

[redemn93]

gotcha.  so its not actually in contact with the boat.  just via the bolts.

[seabob4]

Yep.  The "easy" way, and IMO the best way, to set up your bonding system is to run a length of 8 GA from one of the bolts to a bus bar, then all the rest of the bonding wires to the same bus.  Nice and tidy.  On inboards, where you have rudder zincs and shaft zincs, a bonding wire from the rudder port takes care of the rudder, and the shaft is tied into the bonding system through contact between the output flange of the tranny and the shaft coupler.  You would also want to bond your stuffing box and your shaft strut...that is if you ever decide to mess around with an inboard...

[GoneFission]

I bought a used aquasport recently and while the dealer was pimping my boat he spray painted the anode on the lower unit. It's pretty well coated.
Should I swap the anode for a new one?
Thanks,
Phil

 

You can also just sand the paint off the anode and it will be fine.

[aquadaze]

Thanks for the info. I'll probably just spring for a new anode since the spending part doesnt sting yet.