| Sacrifical Zincs |
| As you prepare to use your vessel this season, pay careful attention to your sacrificial zincs. Even if you have had a constant rate of degradation every year, numerous changes can adversely affect the effectiveness of you protective zincs. If you are tying up in the same marina, you probably won't have changes in salinity, water flow or water temperature to worry about. But if there are different boats in nearby slips, or if there have been changes to the shore power system, you many have problems from stray electrical currents. Even changes to the marina or docks such as new steel pilings or sea walls can have a dramatic effect on electrical activity and zinc longevity. For starters, you should inspect your zincs more frequently. To test for for electrical currents, Total Yacht Services, Inc. uses a digital multimeter and a silver/silver chloride test probe. This probe includes a chart of acceptable current levels based on your underwater running gear (stern drive, staight shaft, etc.). Before Total Yacht Services, Inc. tests your boat, it should be tied up in its usual slip and allowed to sit for at leat eight hours so that the flow of electrical potentials gets set up. Then, it's simply a matter of running the test to determine if the acceptable current levels are within the paramaters of your underwater gear. Total Yacht Services, Inc. offers this service for a nominal fee of $85.00. |