Anode Maintenance

What's an Anode?

… and why is it important?

Some of you may already know what an anode is. However, for many first time boat owners, the word anode never crosses the radar. And every time we go to explain to a new customer, we remember why a salesman leaves it out. There is a short and sweet explanation: Anodes, for the most part, prevent your very expensive metal parts from dissolving. Keep reading below and we’ll explain further what an anode is, how you want it to perform, and how Delray Diver delivers this service.

What are anodes made of?

Normally, they are made out of Zinc. But not only,

Anodes are actually more often then not, referred to as Zincs. This is because they are most commonly fabricated out of this material. However that is not the only material they are made from. Sometimes they are made from Aluminum, and sometimes Magnesium even. However it seems rare to see utility in Magnesium anodes in South Florida.

The missing word

Sacrifical

Nearly all anodes used in the marine environments are actually called Sacrificial anodes. But for short they are just referred to as anodes or zincs. If you were wondering why they are called “sacrificial”, well, it’s meant quite literally. There is a chemical (electrochemical) reaction that takes place in various parts around your boat. That process has a corrosive effect on critical metal parts such as props, prop shafts and trim tabs. The process is so reactive, that without adding anodes, those unprotected components would “dissolve” or corrode away. The anodes are added to that reaction process as a vector for it’s corrosive effects. Ugh, so sciencey. Can we just use the boat now?

What we do

We’re already very familiar with the different styles of anodes and their install methods. We keep the most popular anodes in stock, US and European styles. If you’re worried we may not have yours, you may be surprised. But for your peace of mind, we also have relationships with local vendors in case we don’t.

Anodes are checked every time a boat is cleaned. The present state of the anodes are shared with the client on their boat report (produced by Delray Diver). Boat reports are included with each cleaning. This allows for customers to keep track of various things going on under their boat as well as their anodes.

Service Area