ANODE HELMET 159x70

Function and technical context

Hull anodes are sacrificial elements that work within the boat's cathodic protection system, acting as a negative pole in the galvanic cell that is formed when different metals coexist in contact with salt or brackish water. This 159x70mm anode is installed directly on the boat's hull to absorb electrolytic corrosion that would otherwise attack structural components such as propellers, tailshafts, rudders or keels. Its correct assembly guarantees that the electrochemical degradation falls on the anode itself - which is the dispensable and replaceable part - and not on the expensive and irreplaceable metal parts of the hull or transmission. Without active cathodic protection, galvanic corrosion can compromise the structural integrity of the vessel in a single boating season.

When to replace this part?

The professional rule for hull anodes is to inspect them at the end of each season and replace them when they have lost approximately 50% of their mass, without waiting for them to be completely consumed. Symptoms that the anode is depleted include the appearance of pitting or whitish-grayish discoloration in the surrounding metal of the hull, visible corrosion on shafts or propellers and, in advanced cases, perforations in aluminum plates or severe erosion in bronzes. Recommended practice is to change all sacrificial hull anodes at each annual grounding: a new anode costs a fraction of the cost of repairing a corroded tailshaft or replacing a propeller damaged by electrolysis.

Compatibility