Rust and grounding wires

[motion30]

This is on the powerboat but I don't know that there's much difference. All my through holes have a grounding wire. But then I find the grounding plate that is on the outside of the boat has no wires connected. Don't know if this is related but I can't seem to keep my stainless steel rails and cleats from rusting. Do we think there's any connection?

[rslifkin]

I can't imagine there's any relation considering rails and cleats aren't underwater. If they're easily developing cosmetic rust it's likely related to the grade of stainless they're built from.

[Kello]

Originally Posted by motion30

. All my through holes have a grounding wire.

Likely those green wires are BONDING wires, altho they *could* be for a lightning ground. Whichever they are, don't assume they were wired correctly.

Bonding wires always end up at a zinc. Being a power boat you should have zincs bolted onto your trim tabs, a collar zinc on your prop shaft, some sort of zinc on your prop nut, and the rest of your boat would terminate the bonding wires onto a zinc either bolted to your hull, or a connection that leads to an overboard zinc "fish".

Originally Posted by motion30

But then I find the grounding plate that is on the outside of the boat has no wires connected.

Is the plate solid or sintered? If it is solid, and near the center of the boat it is likely a lightning ground. If it is sintered bronze, it is an SSB (radio) ground, and could be anywhere. NEVER connect a lightning ground to a sintered plate.

Originally Posted by motion30

Don't know if this is related but I can't seem to keep my stainless steel rails and cleats from rusting. Do we think there's any connection?

Stainless steel rusts a little bit, but this has nothing to do with bonding or grounding or any other wiring on your boat. If yours is rusting a lot and you are in a salty environment then you need to hose it off with fresh water after every time you use the boat, or it might be just cheap crap. Either way, Spotless Stainless will get rid of the rust and passivate the surface of the SS, which will cause it to rust slower.

I'm not going to give you any advice about how to route or connect your green wires, and other competent people won't either, because a mistake has the potential to destroy your underwater metal parts, sometimes this can happen in just a few days. Either buy a bunch of books and teach yourself, start with Don Casey's "Sailboat Electrics Simplified" (EVERYBODY should own (and thoroughly study) this wonderful short book). Or hire a "professional" to help you, there are ABYC Certified Corrosion Technicians if you respect ABYC and/or trust their certification process.

Good call to ask for help on this , good luck.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

I can't imagine there's any relation considering rails and cleats aren't underwater. If they're easily developing cosmetic rust it's likely related to the grade of stainless they're built from.

I would agree with you, but then I was reading about the people with the YouTube video going with the winds, and their new boat has rusting stainless steel and they discovered a grounding problem and they think that contributes to it. I can't understand why

[motion30]

Originally Posted by Kello

Likely those green wires are BONDING wires, altho they *could* be for a lightning ground. Whichever they are, don't assume they were wired correctly.

Bonding wires always end up at a zinc. Being a power boat you should have zincs bolted onto your trim tabs, a collar zinc on your prop shaft, some sort of zinc on your prop nut, and the rest of your boat would terminate the bonding wires onto a zinc either bolted to your hull, or a connection that leads to an overboard zinc "fish".



Is the plate solid or sintered? If it is solid, and near the center of the boat it is likely a lightning ground. If it is sintered bronze, it is an SSB (radio) ground, and could be anywhere. NEVER connect a lightning ground to a sintered plate.



Stainless steel rusts a little bit, but this has nothing to do with bonding or grounding or any other wiring on your boat. If yours is rusting a lot and you are in a salty environment then you need to hose it off with fresh water after every time you use the boat, or it might be just cheap crap. Either way, Spotless Stainless will get rid of the rust and passivate the surface of the SS, which will cause it to rust slower.

I'm not going to give you any advice about how to route or connect your green wires, and other competent people won't either, because a mistake has the potential to destroy your underwater metal parts, sometimes this can happen in just a few days. Either buy a bunch of books and teach yourself, start with Don Casey's "Sailboat Electrics Simplified" (EVERYBODY should own (and thoroughly study) this wonderful short book). Or hire a "professional" to help you, there are ABYC Certified Corrosion Technicians if you respect ABYC and/or trust their certification process.

Good call to ask for help on this , good luck.

I'm thinking you are right and something I didn't consider, the grounding plate is sintered metal. I do have one of those large thing plates on the transom underwater. I will have to check and see if that is bonded to the thuhulls