Anode - Thick or thin end forward?

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awol

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Having just invested a large portion of my income on a new pear-shaped anode I am pondering which way round it should be fitted. I suspect the drag, rate of erosion, aesthetic sensibility etc. will not be affected one iota, but on the grounds that in any 50:50 decision my choice has a 90% chance of being wrong, what do the forum do?
 
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Having just invested a large portion of my income on a new pear-shaped anode ...

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You seem to have been as shocked at the cost of anodes as I was this year. I'm sure they will blame it on global metal prices but I paid nearly £30 for what is £1.50 worth of zinc according to the LME prices. The old one still had the price on the back: £18.50.

Somebody is taking the piss!
 
If you shop around you can still get a 2.5kg pear anode for £18 ish - If you don't do that you can pay anything up to £35 (the highest I've seen).

Try Zincsmart. Buy a couple of years worth at the same time and even with postage its not far off that.

DD
 
Aerodynamics eh? Or hydrodynamics, I suppose. Maybe the anode would create extra lift - ah yes, but on one tack only. Could this be the explanation for those queries about pointing higher on one tack than another.
Now, an anode on each side would just cancel out. So maybe a reefing anode. That would keep the crew busy in the Americas Cup
 
On the more advanced racing yachts I hear that they've already developed canting anodes that work a bit like hydrofoils. The only teething problem has been that they dissolve when you switch the VHF on /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
reefing or....

My vision was of sliding hatches connected to large brass levers - but then would prob need compressed air system to keep water out. But then might go like the steam submarines - "My ends diving No1, what's your end doing?". No, I have it ! A totally sealed enclosure inside hull; anode on an axle so it revolves - reefed mode has a flush panel on outside. On tacking can swivel around so that anode now appears. I'm sure a little man who is good with his hands could sort out the few remaining details.
 
The interesting thing about anodes is, and consider this.

Your boat only spends a insignificantly small % of its life actually on the move.

Therefore you only really need anodes when you are moored.

Given that, they dont need to bolted to the outside of the boat, but just hung over the stern on the end of a cable the other end of which is connected to all the cocks and the prop shaft.

In this case the anode can be as big as you like and made of anything cheap and sufficiently high up the scale.
Like frinstance an alloy car wheel (stripped of the 'alloy' paint)

This plan would also make it easy to knock off the usual insulating marine growth.

Anybody want to try it?
 
No brass levers ?

Well maybe one of those big wheel things with a handle on like chaff cutters have to wind up the cable. Ok, maybe not. But could I get an alloy wheel as fitted to a Jowett Javelin, to hang over side? Hmmm. pressed steel I bet ; Bradford you know.
How dare you all keep me up. I've got work in the morning
 
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The interesting thing about anodes is, and consider this.

Your boat only spends a insignificantly small % of its life actually on the move.

Therefore you only really need anodes when you are moored.

Why Is that?
 
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