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Old 08-03-2022, 04:13   #1
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Bilge Sacrificial Anode ?

Erin Jane is a 1987 Pearson 33-2. Coincidentally, my wife and she share the same name. In the bilge under the engine, there is a flat metallic plate screwed to the hull. It was not bonded to the grounding system. I have since removed it, wire brushed it clean and reinstalled it. I have bonded it to the grounding copper strap seen in the photo. These copper straps run to two grounding plates and to the mast compression post and I assume were installed because the copper mesh, still present in dryer parts of the bilge, has corroded into dust. Am I correct in assuming this was a sacrificial anode? If so, where can I find a replacement sacrificial anode like this one? Is bonding it to the grounding system the correct thing to do? Thank you most kindly, Ken Gasch



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Old 08-03-2022, 05:39   #2
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Re: Bilge Sacrificial Anode ?

To be effective as a sacrificial anode, the plate would need to be constantly emersed in an electrolyte (salt water). It must be on the outside of the boat and not in the engine bay.

But it does look like zinc.... So I have no idea what it is or for.
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Old 08-03-2022, 07:00   #3
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Re: Bilge Sacrificial Anode ?

I'm thinking that it has a purpose other than countering electrolysis. How thick is it? From the photos, it could be galvanized sheet metal and meant to keep small parts out of the bilge. If it is a zinc, Boat Zincs.com is a common source, but it looks too think to be that in your picure of it on the chart table.

Is there by any chance a bilge pump pick up underneath it?

https://www.boatzincs.com/?gclid=Cj0...0aAhXMEALw_wcB
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Old 08-03-2022, 13:03   #4
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Re: Bilge Sacrificial Anode ?

Seen anodes inside tanks in metal boats but nothing like this was done at the factory while I worked there...long time before your boat. Was it just a weight to hold down a pump?
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Old 08-03-2022, 14:13   #5
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Re: Bilge Sacrificial Anode ?

Agree it is not electrolysis related. Might be a weight to keep the foil in place (did they have an SSB) or possibly for a float switch. My current boat has a huge chunk of zinc used to hold the strum box down. No reason to have it there for corrosion prevention.
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Old 08-03-2022, 16:04   #6
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Re: Bilge Sacrificial Anode ?

The plate is less than 1/16 inch thick. It looks like it has been eaten away. The bilge is very shallow and until I installed a dry bilge vacuum pump, there was always water sloshing around in it. The boat did have a side band radio at one point, but we are unable to get it to transmit (only receive). The hull has a raised portion that fits this piece and I don't see where a float switch would have come in to play, but I will look next time I am down east playing with her. I sure do appreciate everyone thinking about this with me. Most kindly, Ken Gasch
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Old 08-03-2022, 16:56   #7
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Re: Bilge Sacrificial Anode ?

An SSB needs a counterpoise or ground plane. Back in the day, many were made with copper screening, which immediately came to mind, when you mentioned it. Without a good counterpoise, the SSB won't transmit well, either, which you have also mentioned. I am thinking the metal plate was just a weight to keep something in place, maybe associated with the SSB, and maybe not.
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