will my anodes be spoilt by barnacles?

[pcatterall]

Lots of growth on the prop where we are. We plan to scrape them off by diving.
Bu will my anodes be covered as well and if so will they be working?

 

[KellysEye]

If they are covered with barnacles or calcium deposits they won't work.

 

[pampas]

I have never seen Barnies on the Zinc, fixing bolts yes

 

[Burnham Bob]

Come to think of it, I've never seen barnacles on anodes either. Maybe the constant electrolytic action is tangible to the little ba**ards.

 

[rob2]

I have seen barnacles on an anode - or is that true? That is to say that the anode had developed an insulating skin (calcite?)which they can do if they aren't doing much anoding, I guess they get bored? Well anyway, once they are rendered inactive the barnacles can get onto them.

The down side to all this is that you'll have to scape off the barnacles and the calcite skin and both of them are tough, which will be difficult if diving. My preferred method is to dry the boat out and attack the anode with a welder's chipping hammer. The plus side is that the when you have removed the calcite skin you will also have removed the glue the barnacles used to attach themselves and this is what attracts future infestations - kinda marks it out as a des res!

Rob.

 

[John 32i]

My anode was clear of barnacles...unlike the prop!

 

[ghostlymoron]

It might be a good idea to have a roving anode on a fly lead that you dangle over the side when in port. You can then haul it up and clean when necessary. I fitted your anode in PSL in May at the start of this years voyage, how can you have let it get in such a state!

 

[johnalison]

Anodes left in the water usually stay functional pretty well. A common cause of failure is the formation of a skin when a boat is out of the water for some time. Anodes that have been immersed need scraping to expose bare metal if they are going to be reused, otherwise they will be ineffective for about two weeks.