Thanks, Lee. Sorry you're not getting much use out of your boat.

If you have a DC milliammeter function in your Digital multimeter or
VOM pocket meter, put it on the milliamp function, sometime, between
that hull and the AC ground on the dock. That's the electrolysis
current to the electric ground, which is most interesting.

I always feel sorry for someone with his engine block hooked to the AC
line ground.....eating away at his fizzing zincs.



On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 02:14:17 GMT, (Lee
Huddleston) wrote:


Lee, how many zincs do you run on the hull or in contact with it? How
long do they last?

Larry W4CSC

Larry,

I have four large zinc bricks bolted to the full keel (or cutaway full
keel), one on each side at the front and one on each side at the back
of the keel. Then I have a smaller zinc near the engine raw water
intake. The large bricks are Vetus 25s (not sure what the 25 stands
for -- not pounds -- probably metric)

I just replaced the large bricks which had been put on in the Spring
of 2001. But, Truelove has been docked in brackish water all that
time -- unfortunately, due to peculiar circumstances, not even moved
during that time. Oddly enough, the small brick (not sure of size --
is a teardrop shape) did not need replacing.

The brackish water probably makes the zincs last a lot longer than
normal salt water, but being in a marina might make them last shorter
due to stray current. I really do not know yet. I am trying like
hell to retire ASAP and hope to do some extensive sailing very soon.
That will be a much better test.

Lee


Larry W4CSC

3600 planes with transponders are burning 8-10 million
gallons of kerosene per hour over the USA. R-12 car air
conditioners are responsible for the ozone hole, right?