Big boy zincs...

I am having a survey done on a boat that I have an accepted offer on in a couple weeks. Assuming all looks good in the morning, I thought I would get a set of zincs to put on the boat when it is hauled. I mean how expensive could it be right? Might as well do it when it is easy and I don't have to pay a diver.

I am used to replacing zincs on my sailboat. Shaft, strut, and Autoprop. The Autoprop zinc is proprietary and so relatively expensive....

So, 2 shaft zincs, 2 runner zincs, 2 trim tab zincs, and 2 thruster zins later, I am looking at almost $150 worth of zincs!

Never mind the huge cost of buying the boat or the fuel bill which will be triple what I am used to paying, it is the increased cost of the "little things" that I think are going to be the biggest surprise for me.

I buy most of our zincs through boat zinc.com . Not sure they are the cheapest but they have good stuff and the shipping is not outrageous. The trick on shipping is buying just enough to put into a USPS if it fits it ships box. Think the last I bought was about $130 for 2 shaft, 2 rudder, 2 trim tab and the bonding plate zinc on the rear of the boat with shipping. Someone else might know a better source.

Thanks Jon. I ordered them from boatzincs.com. Since it was over $100 it was free shipping and they let me handle the state use tax.

Those 55 mm shaft zincs are hard to find locally and spendy. I think I spent close to $200 last go around for all zincs. Added another zinc to lower rudder support beam. May add an additional pair to trim tabs as they go rather fast where I am at. Again, good luck.

If it makes you feel better, that is about 10 times less than I've payed for zincs on an aluminum hulled boat I used to run.

Dave

I must have missed it, but what are you buying?

Tom

Hoping to buy is more like it. Hull and mechanical survey are going to be critical. North Pacific 43.

Get ready to have your eyes opened. We are long time Cat 36 owners who bought a Nordic Tug 42 last year. No comparison in the cost of maintenance. The $600 service of main and transmission became a $1900 bill. Everything is more, and more critical as well without a sail to bail you out in case of failure. Good luck with the survey.

bcam said:

Get ready to have your eyes opened. We are long time Cat 36 owners who bought a Nordic Tug 42 last year. No comparison in the cost of maintenance. The $600 service of main and transmission became a $1900 bill. Everything is more, and more critical as well without a sail to bail you out in case of failure. Good luck with the survey.

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Yeah, I am trying to get used to idea. I went from a Cat 36 to the Cat 400, and hopefully to the NP43.

dhays said:

Yeah, I am trying to get used to idea. I went from a Cat 36 to the Cat 400, and hopefully to the NP43.

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I went straight from the Catalina 36 to the Krogen 54

As a point of comparison for me - the larger of my two generators is the same size as the main engine on my Catalina 36.

No looking back now

Richard

I have an aluminum boat and I have about 26 aluminum anodes. Plus 2 1/2" shaft zincs. $150? Hah!

Xsbank said:

I have an aluminum boat and I have about 26 aluminum anodes. Plus 2 1/2" shaft zincs. $150? Hah!

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OK, now I don't feel so bad.

Costs regarding boats can be daunting.

Pleasure for owning/enjoying the "correct" one - Simply Priceless!

Going from sail to trawler you will experience higher costs but do more of the PM yourself. It keeps the cost down, fun to learn the systems and now days there is plenty of free help on the internet, sites like this one. AND no more spending your days steering out in the bad weather!!!
Yeh. ??????

Pgitug said:

Going from sail to trawler you will experience higher costs but do more of the PM yourself. It keeps the cost down, fun to learn the systems and now days there is plenty of free help on the internet, sites like this one. AND no more spending your days steering out in the bad weather!!!
Yeh. ??????

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Too soon to celebrate. Need to have the survey and mechanical done. While I am very excited, I am trying to keep it in check. I honestly think though that the boat will be the best choice for us given all the options out there and our perceived needs and finances.

There is going to be a big learning curve, primarily on systems management and maintenance. I am looking forward to it.

Dave,

A friend once summed up owning a sailboat in Juneau with

"I own a 5 knot boat with no view and my ass is wet most of the time."

I guess now you have more zincs than a sailboat, however I have adopted one trick I have seen on sailboats when I will be tied to a dock over the winter. I look for the cheapest zincs I can find locally (the ones on sale because no one uses them), drill a hole in them for a stainless bolt and connect a ground wire bonded to the grounding system in the boat and toss it overboard through a scupper. It adds another zinc and allows me to gauge the consumption of the zincs permanently affixed below the water line. Did you ever try that and did you find it effective?

Tom

tpbrady said:

Dave,

A friend once summed up owning a sailboat in Juneau with

"I own a 5 knot boat with no view and my ass is wet most of the time."

I guess now you have more zincs than a sailboat, however I have adopted one trick I have seen on sailboats when I will be tied to a dock over the winter. I look for the cheapest zincs I can find locally (the ones on sale because no one uses them), drill a hole in them for a stainless bolt and connect a ground wire bonded to the grounding system in the boat and toss it overboard through a scupper. It adds another zinc and allows me to gauge the consumption of the zincs permanently affixed below the water line. Did you ever try that and did you find it effective?

Tom

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You make a good point Tom. Last fall my Mom and I took the boat for a long weekend. I was in the cabin looking out the window and pointed out something of interest outside. She couldn't see it. I suddenly dawned on me, that at 6'2", I can see out the windows, folks shorter can not. A power boat has much better views of the surrounding when at anchor.

As for the zincs, I have not done that but I know it has been done a lot by many sailboaters. There has been some discussion amongst them as to whether it really is helpful or not. My Dad used to do it on his Catalina 36.

New zincs are on the spring to-do list for Xanadu. Two, 1-3/4" prop shaft zincs, and one 9" oval transom zinc, probably about $100 total. Well, I keep calling them zincs, but I mean magnesium since we're on fresh water now. Not cheap for sacrificial blobs of metal.

tpbrady said:

I look for the cheapest zincs I can find locally (the ones on sale because no one uses them)

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I only buy anodes of which I know the provenance. I don't have any faith in Chinese metallurgy. If the anode you hang over the side is not the same metal quality as those affixed to the boat you will see different results.

Zincs are like the key chain to an expensive car, doesn't even get you inside! All the best with your survey.

dhays said:

Yeah, I am trying to get used to idea. I went from a Cat 36 to the Cat 400, and hopefully to the NP43.

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I went from basically nothing at all and knowing nothing, to a Krogen 42 and still not knowing much. You'll do fine.

Congratulations Dave!


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

I feel your pain Dave. I have four 5" trim zincs, two 6" rudder zincs, four 2" shaft zincs and two 6" transom plate zincs. Total cost north of $200 from West Marine. The killer is I have to replace the entire ruddy lot of them "every 90 days".

It will be interesting to see how often I have to replace these (assuming the sale goes through etc...) On my current boat, I have a diver clean the bottom every 90 days and he checks the zincs each time. He replaces them when he thinks they are down "50%" which is usually about every 9-12 months.

The current owner of the boat I have an offer on, says that he has the zincs replaced every 60 days. Maybe overkill, maybe not.

dhays said:

It will be interesting to see how often I have to replace these (assuming the sale goes through etc...) On my current boat, I have a diver clean the bottom every 90 days and he checks the zincs each time. He replaces them when he thinks they are down "50%" which is usually about every 9-12 months.

The current owner of the boat I have an offer on, says that he has the zincs replaced every 60 days. Maybe overkill, maybe not.

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After one year of ownership I have only needed to replace one zinc. Others are still in good shape. My diver says the bowthruster prop nut zinc that he replaced typically lasts only 90 days or so. For some reason it's heavily used? Perhaps bonding tends to be poor in bowthrusters?

Richard

A good SOP is to replace yearly know matter what in salt water. Looks can be deceiving.

My parts guy prices stuff by the Troy Ounce and wears a jewelry loupe.