Basic Corrosion Info For Boat Owners
Let’s start this series of articles by looking at the basic corrosion types. You need a basic understanding to help prevent spending lots of $$$ at the repair shop!
We have to find the root cause of any corrosion problem (to prevent it in the future, of course). Here’s where you become the investigator. This series will discuss questions to ask.
For instance:
- How long did it take?
- Did I move the boat to a new location?
- Was any work done on the boat (to the electrical system or underwater metal components)?
The answers can unlock the mystery of why something on your boat corroded.
One of the keys is that time factor; How long did it take?
There are 3 basic corrosion categories:
- Simple (e.g. rust, pitting)
- Galvanic (involving dissimilar metals)
- Stray current (caused by stray electrical currents)
Simple corrosion involves a single metal that just corrodes (like rust).
All metals corrode when placed in water (faster in seawater, of course) or in a moist environment, some faster than others. (it also depends on the quality of the metal’s coating).
The all important time factor?
Months to years. Pitting and crevice corrosion are also examples that will be covered in more detail in a later article.
Simple corrosion manifesting itself as pitting of a stainless steel trim tab. The sacrificial anode attached to this trim tab was not renewed often enough to prevent this damage. The anodes cost less than $20. Have you priced a set of stainless trim tabs lately?!
Return To 'Corrosion With Capt. Rifkin'