No anode, why not?

[vic008]

Been 18mth since removed all anodes. Can't see any harm. Running Kiwiprop (stainless hub) short stainless shaft, nylon skin fitting s. Some say I'm wrong, what negatives should I look for?

 

[fredrussell]

The useful thing about Kiwi prop is it’s all stainless, with plastic blades, so no dissimilar metals below the waterline. I have one - the hull anode left on boat from previous times never gets any smaller.

 

[billyfish]

So why do we all have bronze props and not stainless

 

[Tranona]

Yellow metal is easy to cast and machine plus cheap. However bronze is less good for shafts, expensive, less strong than stainless and prone to wear on bearing surfaces. The dissimilar metals are easy to protect in most situations and painting the propeller can substantially reduce anode wastage.

 

[vyv_cox]

Assuming the hub and shaft to be 316 stainless steel, there is no galvanic couple. 300 series stainless steels are pretty good at protecting themselves by the formation of chromium oxide films. So yes, you can probably get away with not having an anode but check for crevice corrosion between the two.

 

[rogerthebodger]

So why do we all have bronze props and not stainless

I replaced my bronze prop by a fabricated 316 stainless steel on a stainless-steel prop shaft on a well painted steel boat
I do have anodes on the hull but there is very little wasting on the hull anodes

 

[Tranona]

Been 18mth since removed all anodes. Can't see any harm. Running Kiwiprop (stainless hub) short stainless shaft, nylon skin fitting s. Some say I'm wrong, what negatives should I look for?

You have no need for anodes - even if you had metal rather than non metal through hulls thwre would still be no need. Downside is that the Kiwi needs annual maintenance to ensure it operates properly particularly in reverse, but that is nothing to do with anodes.

 

[Refueler]

The anodes were disconnected on my old SR25 over 20yrs ago ..... and there is no sign of any wasting anywhere ....

The old anodes of course are not as good after 20yrs - they have depleted through corrosion - but not through any anodic action.

My boat has big 3 blade bronze prop ... stainless shaft ... to PRM box and Perkins 4-107. I have no grounded links to hull - water .....