Galvanic Isolator

[Gunner065]

Evening all, about to acquire a 2010 R25 SC. I was able to put my hands on the electrical diagram and it shows some type of "Isolator". Can anyone confirm if these GI have fail safe capabilities?

I did some research on galvanic isolator and here's what I found:

"The ABYC standards for galvanic isolators have changed a few times over the years. The first iteration required “active monitoring“. This was in the form of a remote lighted panel so an owner could glance over and know they had a safe and operational GI with the safety ground intact. This “active monitoring” added significantly to the cost of GI’s and was a total PITA in terms of parasitic loads because it had to be “wired in” to more than just the green wire. It also created an issue with ELCI’s and GFCI’s as it “pulsed” the safety ground which could cause nuisance tripping.

A number of years ago a company called Dairyland Electrical Industries, or DEI for short, invented/brought the “fail safe” galvanic isolator to the marine market. This advancement brought simplicity, and no monitoring, back to the GI and did away with the lights and related circuitry. Unlike traditional diodes that tend to fail open the fail safely diodes fail closed and all you lose is galvanic protection. Today the ABYC standards require the use of Fail Safe galvanic isolators such as the ProMariner ProSafe FS30 or the ProMariner ProSafe FS60.

The designation FS or fail safe means that these devices fail closed instead of open as a normal diode would. By failing closed you only lose galvanic protection but not your SAFETY GROUND to shore.

Today companies such as ProMariner & DEI both make ABYC compliant galvanic isolators with the fail safe technology. Yandina & Sterling Power also make GI’s but they do not meet the current ABYC safety standards.

If you’re a mooring sailor who rarely stays at a dock the Yandina GI or Sterling Power GI can represent a value purchase but they must be routinely tested. If adding a GI, for regular dock side use, the author strongly recommended installing a fail safe product."

Any insight/thoughts on the matter? Since I will have the boat tied up at the marina and will be plugged to the jetty, is this something considering as an immediate upgrade?

 

[Headlee]

I just had a ProMariner FailSafe 30 installed yesterday on my Cutwater 28. I keep it in the marina all year and on my previous boat the zincs would disappear in weeks when plugged in. I unplugged and things improved tremendously, but I was also without shore power. This product, which I bought for about $240, should pay for itself in the first six months by avoiding a haul out (I don't have a trailer for the boat). Goldstar Marine in Port Townsend, WA installed it for me and were very knowledgeable and helpful. I'm confident this will be the solution for my zincs.

 

[BB marine]

You may want to look at the isolator installed. The factory wiring schematic is showing a battery isolator not a galvanic isolator. I don't think G isolators were ever an option for Ranger Tugs. I do think the galvanic isolator is a good devise to install to help extend the time the anode will last. I installed the ProMariner Failsafe 30 also. Even the failsafe units should be tested. Not because of the safety aspect of loosing the ground but to confirm that it is working. (not in the failsafe state)

 

[Gunner065]

That's what I thought, Since the boat is a 2010, I highly doubted that the isolator would be a GI. Having worked in the marine industry, I am accustomed to the damage that can be dealt to ships should protective equipment not work properly. I'm on the West Coast of Canada and from the previous owner's comments, the zincs only required to be replaced during the annual haul out.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the GI is not just used to lengthen the life of the Zincs, but also enhances your electrical system so as to "protect" from other boats hooked up to the marina's shore power that might not be grounded properly and transmit electricity through the saltwater.

This might be a dumb question, but has anyone ever thought about installing an active cathodic system on a boat this small? I understand that active cathodic systems are mainly installed in ships mainly constructed of steel and come at a cost higher than GI, might be worth it on 100', maybe not so on a 28' pleasure craft.

 

[Kaptajnen]

I installed a Volvo Active Corrosion Protection system on my previous 36 foot sailboat which used to need zincs replaced every 2 months.

After installing it, the zincs did not need replacement.

Volvo designed it for small powerboats and It only cost some $250. Sadly, it is no longer available from Volvo, who has replaced it with an ACP system for larger boats at a cost of $4K. I believe it is an option for the new Ranger 41.

I found an original ACP on eBay and plan to install it on my R31-SE at the next haul-out.

 

[Gunner065]

So for all of you owners out there worried about corrosion of metals below the waterline, engine mounts and all other components somewhat attached to the hull, I found an active corrosion system designed for small pleasure boats.

https://www.boatcorrosion.com/product-208.html

Yes, installed and all might cost around $2k, but think about how often you haul the boat out, replace the zincs, replace metal components rusted out and lost sleep thinking about this at night.

I'm certain that a few fellow tug owners have had to replace engine mounts in the past. Once the engine is lifted/removed, more corrosion is discovered and the bill keeps on increasing at an exponential rate.

Btw, I am not affiliated with this company or any other marine systems company out there and I am not receiving any financial benefits.

I'm in the process of acquiring a R25 SC and this, along with a GI, will be my first two upgrade priorities, unless the survey identifies more pressing issues.