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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
 General Sailing Forum
 No Zinc on Cast Iron Keel		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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CarbonSink62
Navigator

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USA
208 Posts
Initially Posted - 06/22/2012 :  06:13:56  Show Profile
I'm restoring my C-25 after 3 seasons out of the water. I just bought it this year and had a huge punch list to get into the water. Somehow, ensuring the fixed keel had zinc anodes never got onto the list. The boat was previously in fresh water and maybe it never had them. Even if it did and I missed them, they are painted over with bottom paint now.

How screwed am I?

Can I get through the season or should I pull it and put them on?
Zen Again
1982 Catalina 25 #2818
FK/SR/Trad 'Hardtop'
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Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts
Response Posted - 06/22/2012 :  08:03:41  Show Profile
Completely screwed....that keel is gonna rust like swiss cheese and fall off.
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CarbonSink62
Navigator

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USA
208 Posts
Response Posted - 06/22/2012 :  08:18:17  Show Profile
Thanks!

That really puts my mind at ease!
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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts
Response Posted - 06/22/2012 :  09:04:34  Show Profile
I have never had one on my fixed keel and just pulled it last year to paint. No degradation that I could perceive. I would not fret over it but you can add one at your convenience if it eases your mind. I would not pull it just for the sole purpose of adding anodes. Divers who clean boat bottoms usually can apply anodes as well though it sounds like they wouild have to drill holes in that cast iron. Fixed keel has a full ton of cast iron. It will take a while to dissolve that.
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5896 Posts
Response Posted - 06/22/2012 :  09:28:20  Show Profile
In fresh water, your keel should be protected by either an aluminum alloy anode or magnesium anode. However, I kept my boat in fresh water for many years without one, and the harm was more of a big annoyance than significant damage. What I learned is that, in fresh water and unprotected, galvanic corrosion of the cast iron keel slowly produces gases, which collect under the material used to seal and fair the keel. The bubbles form blisters, which create turbulence. As a result, before each sailing season, you'll have to repair those blisters in order to keep the boat sailing well. If you use a protective anode, you won't have that problem nearly as often.

I wouldn't haul the boat out this year, just to install an anode, because the process is gradual in fresh water, but, if you find any blisters on the keel next spring, I would suggest you repair them and apply an anode before you launch. Drilling and tapping threads into the iron keel will probably take about an hour or a bit less, and will probably wear out a couple of drill bits.
Edited by - Steve Milby on 06/22/2012 09:31:21
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Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts
Response Posted - 06/22/2012 :  10:23:25  Show Profile
Seriously though....I doubt that solid iron keel would corrode enough to be unusable in our lifetime.

My keel needs to be ground and faired as part of the next bottom job. It's pretty rusty and pitted...but we're talking very shallow surface stuff...like "maybe" 1/8" of the surface at the worst, over the whole keel, to get down to smooth bare metal.

The guy who inspected my bottom at pre-purchase haul out said it was no big deal at all and quite common in older iron keels. They just put a grinder wheel on a power tool and go at it for a couple hours. Smooth it out then seal it up. Extra $250 to the cost of the bottom job. Can be done many, many times over the life of the boat.
Edited by - Joe Diver on 06/22/2012 10:23:51
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CarbonSink62
Navigator

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USA
208 Posts
Response Posted - 06/25/2012 :  07:15:06  Show Profile
Thanks, guys!

I'll start obsessing about the next thing soon.

Ken
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.