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Old 31-05-2018, 10:47   #1
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Over Zinc

Stupid question, I always hear don’t over zinc your boat.
But don’t we all when we put our oversized zinc plated anchors and all zinc coated rode in the water?
Pretty sure seeing as how my windlass is grounded that there is an electrical connection.
So why isn’t this over zinc to an extreme?
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Old 31-05-2018, 15:50   #2
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Re: Over Zinc

Oil in the gears of the windlass, imperfect electrical continuity of chain, anchor, links to windlass, imho.
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Old 31-05-2018, 16:01   #3
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Re: Over Zinc

Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
Stupid question, I always hear don’t over zinc your boat.
But don’t we all when we put our oversized zinc plated anchors and all zinc coated rode in the water?
Pretty sure seeing as how my windlass is grounded that there is an electrical connection.
So why isn’t this over zinc to an extreme?

That is a very good question.


The answer is local field strength. If you over zinc in a small area, you can burn back paint and damage wooden hulls. But the chain is distributed away from the boat, and thus the localized field much less. It is also not in the water continuously.



But I want to hear more answers.
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Old 31-05-2018, 16:31   #4
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Re: Over Zinc

Think of. It this way - when you add any zinc, you are essentially creating a battery. Adding more equals a bigger battery. Too much zinc can, as was just noted, can cause damage.

There is a long and boring explanation I can give including charts and lots of equations but hopefully this will suffice. The only complex issue is trying to figure out the proper balance so you don't "over-zinc".
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Old 31-05-2018, 17:09   #5
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Re: Over Zinc

Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
Stupid question, I always hear don’t over zinc your boat.
But don’t we all when we put our oversized zinc plated anchors and all zinc coated rode in the water?
Pretty sure seeing as how my windlass is grounded that there is an electrical connection.
So why isn’t this over zinc to an extreme?
The devil is always in the detail.

Using zinc anodes is just one part of providing galvanic protection to the underwater metal (and wood) aspects of a boat.

Before considering if you are over zincing your boat, you have to know the what and why of using zinc anodic protection. There are quite different requirements for a steel hull, a wood hull and underwater metal fittings on a FRG hull (and if such are bonded or not). Only then can one consider is they are "over zinced".

I would not be concerned about the zinc on the chain or anchor, it will be busy protecting it's parent metal. The electrical circuit between say your bonded through hulls (or prop etc) and the buried anchor is a long one. Put in better electrical terms, the resistance between the various components of the electrical cell is quite high. While the analogy is not a great one, think of a say a incandescent light bulb connected to a near flat battery by very long thin wires. Charging the battery a bit won't increase the light output by much.
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Old 31-05-2018, 17:54   #6
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Over Zinc

I’m not concerned about it as there is no problem, too many anchored boats not having problems.
Just wondering why is all. I don’t think within reason you can damage a fiberglass boat by having too much zinc, and I’m wondering if physical distance is the reason why it seems guppy zincs and or anchors and chain don’t cause an issue?
Just curious is all
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Old 31-05-2018, 18:04   #7
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Re: Over Zinc

I don't know how a fiberglass boat can be so called "over zinc'd." Zincs or anodes in general because they need not be zinc .... to be effective must be electrically tied to the metal where protection is desired. But the protection voltage which is more negative than the metal's voltage as measure with a half cell will not change just because a greater number of anodes than needed for protection are added.
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