Galvanic corrosion is a huge problem for boats, and not just those with a hull made of metal…. GRP and wooden hulled boats can suffer too. But just what does galvanic corrosion look like?
Usually, you can see it around the water line, where there is more oxygen to fuel the electrochemical reaction. Often, it just looks like scale or rust. On outboards, ot can look like “just a bit of paint bubbling”. But look further… On steel hulled boats, scraping a little of the “rust” away, will often reveal a pitted surface, sometimes with a silvery appearance. That’s a SURE sign of galvanic corrosion…. the silver is actually coming from your boats anodes, trying to protect the metal.
Often, you won’t see the silver, in this case, a rough, pitted surface is the giveaway. On outboards, the first telltale is usually bubbled or rough paintwork. The REALLY BAD news is usually hiding beneath the paint, and is invariably more serious than at first sight, spreading below the surface of the paint.
Solving galvanic corrosion is never a cheap or easy job, but you CAN prevent it with a simple galvanic isolator that simply plugs into your electric hookup cable.
Even if you already have galvanic corrosion, a galvanic isolator can help prevent it from getting worse. Also, if you’re unable to replace your anodes for any reason, a galvanic isolator is an absolute MUST.
But back to the main question… What does galvanic corrosion look like? There are lots of pictures on our website… just click on the link at the bottom of this message to take a look.
For more info, please click <HERE>
