Need help finding a suitable prop anode

[bony]

I'm about to relaunch my restored boat which will be moored in salt water. I like to protect the prop with a zinc anode on the prop shaft but my prop setup and rudder clearance makes this difficult. (see pic). I wonder if anyone on the forum has had this problem and could and could tell me how to solve it?



Bony

[four winds]

Prop nut zinc?

I think we need a picture of the entire boat to figure this one out. .

[bony]

Here's a pic of the boat sitting on a borrowed trailer ready to be relaunched. It's a converted 20 foot Savage Nautilus.

[bony]

I've been checking out Prop nut zincs on the internet but they all seem to be too long. The clearance from the end of my prop shaft to the rudder is only 40mm (1.5"), so I am a fairly restricted as to what I can use.

[four winds]

That must be a tiny prop shaft if that gap is only only 1.5 inches.

From the close up picture my sense of scale was way off. I thought it was a much larger boat.

Someone here can help with this I'm sure. Sorry I can't.

[Steve Bean]

Zinc plus hacksaw?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by bony

I've been checking out Prop nut zincs on the internet but they all seem to be too long. The clearance from the end of my prop shaft to the rudder is only 40mm (1.5"), so I am a fairly restricted as to what I can use.

You are more than fairly restricted. You are **** out of luck. There is no prop nut and anode configuration made that will work in the space you have available.

What is your shaft diameter and how much exposed shaft do you have?

[bony]

Shaft Diameter is 1" (25mm) and I only have 1/2" of thread free at the end but some of that is taken up with the split pin behind the nut.

I guess I might have to look at repositioning the rudder with longer hinges or cutting some of the rudder away which will give me more room to play with. But I'm relaunching the boat next Thursday come hell or high water, so it will have to wait till I pull the boat out again next year.

Thanks for your comments anyway.

bony.

[fstbttms]

No, hoe much exposed shaft forward of the prop?

[deblen]

Propeller Nut With Zinc Anode - Specifications
You need Model C-fits 1" & 1-1/8" shaft. The included nut replaces ur existing nut.The zinc cap then fits tight against prop.If u have the specified overall length of Model C (3-1/2"?) ,plus an extra 1/2" for clearance,(total 4") between prop hub (front of existing nut) & leading edge of rudder,it will fit.
If not,I suggest cutting a C shaped notch out of rudder to make clearance.
It don't look like you have much space between fore edge of prop & aft edge of packing gland for a shaft collar/donut zinc.You can cut one thinner.
I have to hacksaw 1/4" off mine,in order to leave a 1/4" between donut & s-box/cutless bearing,to allow water to lube cutless-very important.
Hope this helps.

[wolfesmy]

If you have enough space in front of the prop you may look at a shaft zinc. I have a tight space on mine and I buy standard zincs and have a machine shop face them off so the fit ahead of the prop. I get a number done at once to save the setup time.

Just another solution.

Cheers

[wolfesmy]

Otherwise a standard prop zinc and hacksaw, but that's already been suggested.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by wolfesmy

Otherwise a standard prop zinc and hacksaw, but that's already been suggested.

This will not work. While you may be able to shorten the zinc, you cannot modify the nut.

[shipleft]

If you can't find a zinc to fit over the prop nuts, you could pour a zinc anode on to the end of the shaft, over the prop nuts, like the commercial fishing vessels do around here(Pacific North West). Find an empty tin can(maybe a tomato paste can) that fits over the nut and snug to the propeller hub,(put a small hole in the side of the can,(1/2-3/4" dia.)near the opened end of the can), face the hole upward, and using the rudder and a wedge, hold the can up against the prop tightly. Using a propane tiger torch and an old cast iron frypan (and some insulated welders gloves!)melt enough zinc(you can use old partial zincs, just scrape off the dross that forms off the top of your melted puddle of good zinc)to fill the can, pouring through the hole you made. You can strip the can off once the zinc has cooled a bit and hardened.These poured on zincs generally stay on better than the bolt-on ones and you still have your cotter pin in there as a locking device . The commercial ones you buy already cast onto a nut(if you can find one that fits) sometimes don't allow you to use that cotter pin. I know it sounds like a lot of work to melt your own but it really isn't that onerous, plus you are re-cycling old zincs that otherwise would probably just end up in the garbage! They ARE a bit of a pain in the butt if you have to remove your prop for any reason before the zinc has worn down but usually you can hacksaw/chisel the zinc apart to remove the pin and nut.

[fstbttms]

I submit that smelting depleted anodes to cast a "new" one is not only a major PITA, but probably an excersize in futility, as far as protecting your underwater metals goes. Spent anodes cannot possibly have the same alloy that new anodes do. It doesn't surprise me one little but that commercial fishermen are proponents of this, as anybody who works in the boat maintenance biz knows, commercial fishermen are the cheapest and least interested in proper maintenance of all boaters.