Do you have any concerns about rust if operating in salt water?
Electrolysis?: Will you be adding more zincs?
Will you need to remove the rudder to gain access to the propeller for its possible removal?
Mark:
Not concerned about rust. If in a few years it starts to get badly corroded, we'll have another made. This was not that expensive, especially relative to other boating costs.
Most of the fisherman do not add extra zincs or connect the cage to the bonding system (if they even have one).
Will see what it all looks like, including our usual zincs, when we haul the boat in 5 months or so and see if the zinc/bonding question needs to be re-visited.
It looks like I could just get the prop off and out of the cage w/o interference by the rudder. If I can't, I will just take one side or both sides of the cage off (it is made up of two pieces port and starboard) and the whole kit and kaboodle is designed to be removable.
I drilled and tapped the fiberglass of the keel for three 1/2"-20 bolts for the forward edges (on both port and starboard) of the cage. The glass was about 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" thick. The bolts tightened up nice and snug, but if they show any signs of not holding, will go to Plan B of through bolting using threaded rod (after we raise the boat from the bottom).
The aft end of the cage at the top of the hoop is bolted to a "T" fitting, which fitting in turn is through bolted with two 3/8-24 bolts up into the Lazarette and through a backing plate. The lower aft end of the cage is also fastened with a 1/2"-20 bolts on each side of the aft end of the skeg first into glass and then into about 1/2" of bronze that was inside the skeg. Am very confident in the aft end fastenings.
All holes and fastenings were well and thoroughly gooped with 3M 4200 (not 5200 thank you).
Two more photos showing the two pieces that make up the cage: