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Got myself a zinc Grouper...but where's a good atachment point on a 53my that is clsoe enough to the water so that the cable will actually be long enough to get it in the water? I know it should be atached to something connected to the bonding system...but for the life of me, I can't think of anything within easy reach? Thoughts?
On my 48 YF, I added a length of cable from "down under" from the bonding system to my cockpit interior and left a stud with a wing nut there for easy attachment to a "guppy". It's a good idea to have the zinc mass at the rear of the boat and about the depth of your props/rudders...the closer to all that metal you want protected, the better.
Hummm...wonder if I should "bond" the swim platform mounts then jsut clamp the guppy to the swim platform mounts? With her being a FD, I don't have a cockpit to easily add a bonding point to.
why are you installing an extra zinc on the boat?
Figured with her being in the slip a lot, it couldnt hurt...and would reduce the consumption of the shaft and rudder zincs? The PO said that zincs were lasting under a year on her...and that seems crazy to me...maybe it was a localized problem at his marina...on my trawler, they'd last 2-3 years. Granted she had not only a shaft zinc and rudder zinc, but also had a plate zinc on the hull. Saraswati has 2 colar zincs on each shaft plus the rudder zincs. How long SHOULD they last?
asking how long a zinic should ask is like asking how many licks in a tosstie pop. It depands on the marina and the boats around you. adding zinics can hurt you if you over zinic, but in your case I think you will be ok to add the fish. take it to the bonding strap and make sure you have a good connection. soider the connetion to the bond strap.
When you over zinc it just messes up your bottom paint, right? It doesn't actually do physical damage to boat does it.
An extra big zinc as you plan will extend the life of your inidividual zincs....that's why I use one when in my slip or even at anchor for more than a few days....I think two zincs per prop shaft is a good idea....Without an auxiliary zinc my last close to a year....often a few are still left and a few have fallen off...hence with an extra "guppy" type I believe extra protection is available as the standard ones deterioriate and fall off...
Zinc use also depends on how much you run your boat...more engine time and prop turning, a lot more shaft and rudder wear is likely....
Dave,
As I recall the Swim Platform is tied into the bonding on the Boat. There is a bonding strap. Attach it to the platform. Also, I replaced the zinc's each year because we hauled the boat every winter and while the zinc's always had a lot of life on them I just did not think that it was worth while not to replace them...Can't go wrong with a bit of over protection. Also we did 3 zinc's on each shaft again just some more overprotection. Glad to hear your enjoying the boat. All of the over protection did get you a good boat! Zinc's are relatively inexpensive compared to the damage that can occur otherwise.
Jim (PO)
On my 53MY I run the guppy cable from the eng room out through the intake air vent. I attach the clamp to a clean bolt on the engine. THe engine is bonded to the bonding system so it's as good a place as any and there's plenty of cable to hang several feet under water. I put a piece of hose over the cable where it hangs against the side of the vent so it doesn't rub the paint.
Heres an idea. permanently mount the zinc to your dock, install the bonded stud in the cockpit as mentioned in a previous reply, then connect your boat to the dock mounted zinc via a cable you create with small clamps on either end, just the right lenght of course. Why go through this hassle and not just drop the guppie over the side? I've seen too many people forget the guppie is there and back out of the slip with it in place only to wreak havoc getting spun around one of the wheels. the guppies certainly arent as apparent as a bright yellow shore power cord or water hose, the're just a small diameter stranded cable with clear vinyl. Easy to overlook. just food for thought.
ummmm bonding system.... Not anymore a PO removed it
Boston has a good point: never deploy the auxiliary zinc so low in the water that it can become fouled in a prop...it should be about 3 ft under water, at about the depth of the props, either port or starboard side or center stern behind the swim platform, and then it CANNNOT get fouled in a prop.
Another safe approach is to wrap the grounding cable to the "guppy" around a cleat and over a dock line knot...then it has to be moved to undo the dockline befopre you depart.
Don't mean to hi-jack your thread but this pertains so thought I would ask here. Was thinking of adding permanent type block O' zinc to transom. Was checking out a few in the boat yard yesterday to see how it was done and found two boats that had them.
Is all you do is use two bronze silicone screws thru transom, attach one screw to bonding system and attach zinc to screws?
I noticed one boat had nylon washers on the screw between the zincs. Can't imagine there was nylon sleeve as this would totally electrically isolate zinc from bonding system. Are nylon washers used so zinc does not corrode away from mounting nuts and come loose? Anyone know the proper mounting procedure for block O' zinc?
SGHarfords desire to mount the zinc block on the transom was one I used to share. Post does it as well as some sterndrive boats. I discovered that the zinc should 'see' the metal it is protecting. . smaller zincs placed around under the boat ie couple of streamlined on each shaft, collar zincs in front of each wheel, rudder zincs etc , will do more protection than one big chunk. also if you use stainless or bronze bolts to mount the chunk of zinc, the zinc will do a very good job of protecting the bolt where they touch each other, in other words the zinc will dissolve around the bolt leaving it loose unless you buy one with a cast in more noble mounting bracket. I decided to save my money for something else. btw zinc doesn't protect from stray current corrosion only galvanic