Hit some logs and possible damage to prop and/or rudder

[baz]

Barry, I'm glad the Prop Shop took care of you... they do really good work and they also a good place to look for a spare prop.

Your boat is "brand" new, yet that proprietary prop zinc can't be cheap and it was wasted. You've steered clear of galvanic isolators on previous boats, but your marina slip is definitely hot. Has the marina done a test recently "see" where your stray currents are coming from... I'm hoping the isolator I installed wasn't in vain!

Bob

Bob: I don't understand why you have a GFI as you trailer your boat and for most of the time is not in the water ????????

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

I put new 2" pancake zincs top/bottom each trim tab prior to Poets Cove rendezvous this past spring... got home and I had more stray current patterning on the bottom zincs than I was comfortable with for the 5 days/4 nights we were moored. Although the zincs did their job, I decided a galvanic isolator might help... I want all the help I can get!

 

[baz]

Bob: how will you test the effectiveness of your GFI ?

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

Probably nothing more than visual inspection of the deterioration rate of zincs.

 

[baz]

Probably nothing more than visual inspection of the deterioration rate of zincs.

Well that is not very scientific. You need to establish a baseline and measure from that. I went from 3 months and 50% erosion to 9 to 12 months with 50% erosion using my shore power on/off method.

 

[Red Raven]

I put new 2" pancake zincs top/bottom each trim tab prior to Poets Cove rendezvous this past spring... got home and I had more stray current patterning on the bottom zincs than I was comfortable with for the 5 days/4 nights we were moored. Although the zincs did their job, I decided a galvanic isolator might help... I want all the help I can get!

Hi Bob,
On our boat (R27 Classic) the trim tabs are not bonded. They are screwed into the fiberglass. Without bonding a galvanic isolator will do nothing for the trim tab zincs. Our trim tab zincs protect the trim tabs and nothing else. Since there are no dissimilar metals in the trim tab assembly the zincs may not be even necessary but adding them helps protect your tabs from corrosion due to crevices and contaminants in the metal etc. It would be worthwhile to check your tabs for possible bonding given the stray current patterning you observed. If they are bonded then the GI should help.
Curt

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

Thanks for the insight, Curt.

Our tabs are electric, and it's where RT chose to mount our underwater lights... I don't know if this has any significance as to whether the tabs are bonded or not.

Bob

 

[baz]

My trim tabs on my 2019 R29 CB aren’t bonded and hence they have zincs on them for that reason. According to RT the trim tab installation calls for them not to be bonded. I believe on my R27/OB they were also not bonded as I recall.

The part of the trim tabs that seem to suffer from erosion are the pins that are part of the hinge and the bolt heads that secure the hinge plate to the transom. On my R25 Classic after some 6 years of being in the salt water one or more of the bolt heads were badly corroded and when I had the boat out for bottom paint I had them replaced. If the bolt head erodes to the extent the bolt cannot be extracted it becomes a PITA as the bolt shank has to be drilled out.

I thought about bonding the tabs and did go ahead and do that, but with the trim tab zincs still doing their job it made little difference. I also installed a prop shaft brush hoping that would help, but it was a waste also IMO.

My shore power on/off proved to be the ultimate solution for me.

 

[baz]

Took the boat out today to verify the repaired prop is performing correctly.

1) No shudder/vibration felt at the helm wheel at all speeds.

2) Ran WOT for some 5 mins at a speed of 25.5 mph against current and boat ran fine with no shuddering etc.

3) I stopped and hung out in some 20-30 feet of water with engine in idle and fished for around 30 mins. Caught several Flounders (bottom feeders) and released them all back for another life. 😀 This was a test for a location for Flounders in my area, and now have the special spot for the grandkids to do their new fishing activity. The Flounders bite very quickly without me having to do much other than lower the lure down to the sea bed and moving the rod back and forth and jerking up at times when I felt a bite on the rod.

4) I'm ready to cruise again. 😀 😀 😀

Shared photos -> https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1AG7HOIlG2ZVQD

 

[baz]

FYI...
My final bill for having the prop repaired that includes all the necessary activities for removing the prop, taking it to the prop shop, picking it up and reinstalling it came to $778 + sales tax. The significant fees were for the prop shop repairs and the diver's service for removing and re-installing the prop. Note to myself.... pay better attention to avoid hitting logs.

 

[SgtAlf]

The Flounders bite very quickly without me having to do much other than lower the lure down to the sea bed and moving the rod back and forth and jerking up at times when I felt a bite on the rod.

What lure are you using?
Thanks,

 

[baz]

The Flounders bite very quickly without me having to do much other than lower the lure down to the sea bed and moving the rod back and forth and jerking up at times when I felt a bite on the rod.

What lure are you using?
Thanks,

I'll take a photo of the lure I used. It was was one of those colorful worm-like jelly things that had a wiggly tail. It was threaded onto the hook leaving the tail to flap as the lure was dragged through the water.

I know we are obviously 'off topic' here, but....
Here's a video for you -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9beKmdBbnU&list=PLo22nBM4mjeStU58nRnZFYCys3hAtT2Yg&index=11&t=0s

 

[SgtAlf]

I know we are obviously 'off topic' here, but....

au contraire mon ami, you mention fishing, therefore free game! Thanks for the video!