1/2 tide moorings and outdrive legs/rams

[dalex]

Helo folks,
I've moved to a mooring where the drive legs and props are out of the water for most of half ebb to half flood. I've tilted the drive legs up into the beaching position as I felt this best when the boat settles into the mud. My paranoid worry is that now the rams are fully extended and open to the air and water, plus the bottom bit of the leg below the duoprop ring anode sits in the water for a while with no anode to protect it. Anyone else on a drying moring doing this? If so, has the bottom rotted off the skeg? Do the rams rust like an old Mini Metro?

 

[Kawasaki]

Dalex.
They used to frighten Me.
Back in the Days of black and white TV!
Sorry! But I still have Nightmares!!!
Suffolk, East Anglia is it?
Up a River or an Estaury?
Doesn't really matter I suppose.
For what the cost is and the grief that could be involved, stick Anodes on.
The bottom of the Skeg won't disintegrate,but as You mention You sit in mud so there is always a bit of a risk of mollusctic (is that a Word)? activity going on.
In My opinion, fwiw , yer can't "over anode"
K

 

[[2068]]

I'd be more worried about fouling on the exposed rams causing damage to the seals when they came in again.

dv.

 

[neale]

My boat sits on soft mud and drys for about 9 hours out of every 12. I leave the leg up all the time.

Because it digs its own hole in the mud, my drive is half submerged even at low water. The anode on the bottom of the transom mount will offer some protection, assuming the water covers it. I have also added a hull anode, bonded to the leg which is also under water when the boat is sitting in its puddle.

The rams should not corrode, but as already mentioned, fouling may cause early failure of the seals. Can you wipe em clean before lowering the leg???

 

[whisper]

We've done this for the last 5 years and so far nothing has corroded away - except anodes. Also doesn't seem to be anything untoward happening on the ram seals - famous last words.

Having a drying mooring like this also allows us to change anodes and clean outdrive without having to take the boat out of the water.

Would only do it if there is a reasonable depth of mud though.

 

[oldgit]

All my outdrive boats,including my present old tub which lives on a tidal mud berth mooring,if anything it causes less corrosion due to hull/outdrives in my case being out of the water for around 8 hours each day.Also less weed and barnacules.