Checking my anodes while in the water?

[ChasB]

Full of questions today! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Is there a way of checking the state of my anodes without taking the boat out of the water? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[rickp]

Wetsuit and mask? Or waterproof camera:

Rick

 

[ChasB]

Camera's not a bad idea (nice pic BTW! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) though when I last tried to take an underwater pic all I saw was murk. Limehouse is excessively murky at the moment - even the Dutch visitors don't take a dip!

But I wondered if there's some way of using the electrical terminals accessible inside the boat. I've just plonked in a hanging anode and am shocked at how pitted it is in only a week. Makes me wonder how the other two down there are doing. If there's anything left of them that is...

 

[orizaba]

i always use a hanging one,was reccomended to by a guy in portugal and as you say its amazing how fast they pit,i checked my one on the boat 9 months later and it was fine,
far easier to change the one on the wire.

 

[samwise]

Got through a shaft anode inside a year on our trip down from UK, France, Spain and Portugal to the Med. I have now fitted a galvanic isolator, the shaft anode was replace at haulout in Spain in July, ( The hull pear still had some meat on it) but it will be interesting to see if the isolator slows down the process. With the current price of zinc it could work out as a big saving! Incidentally,it seems there is money to me made from re-cycling discarded anodes. A guy I met in Spain cruised the boatyard hardstandings, collecting the bits and picked up 200 Euros for his last load.

 

[ChasB]

Cheers.

I've got a galvanic isolater in my mailspeedmarine 'shopping basket' awaiting funds to buy it. Man, I'm now really beginning to worry about my anodes - last replaced 2 years ago.

(ps mailspeedmarine, if you're reading this, can I have a reply to my eamil about hatch covers that don't fit? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif )

 

[William_H]

Just a reminder that a Galvanic Isolator is only applicable if you leave 240 power system connected permanently to the boat and the earth of the system is connected to the wet grounded parts of the boat. Remove the ground connection and put the isolator in series.
if you don't use 240v shore power full time then forget the isolator. But then you knew that any way.

I don't have anodes on my boat (or engine for that matter) but I do spend a lot of time under the hull cleaning and checking it out.
I would think it very beneficial for you to be able to do that yourself for all sorts of reasons. So get a wet suit mask and snorkel. olewill