ANODE PLATE 450x100x30

Function and technical context

Plate anodes are cathodic protection elements designed to be electrochemically sacrificed instead of the metal surfaces of the vessel: hulls, shafts, propellers, rudders and submerged structures. This zinc plate anode acts as a negative electrode in the galvanic pair that is formed when different metals coexist in salt or brackish water, diverting towards itself the corrosion that would otherwise attack the noble components of the boat. Its correct installation on the hull or on submerged metal structures is critical: an exhausted or absent anode leaves unprotected areas that can suffer pitting and irreversible material loss in a few weeks of navigation in seawater.

When to replace this part?

The clearest symptom that a plate anode needs replacement is the visible reduction in its mass: when it has lost approximately half of its volume, its protection capacity decreases drastically and it must be replaced even if the season has not ended. The general recommendation for hull anodes is to inspect them at least at the beginning and end of each sailing season, replacing them whenever wear exceeds 50% or before beaching the boat for an extended period. Renewing the anodes preventively is the most economical maintenance intervention available compared to the cost of repairing or replacing a corroded shaft, propeller or hull plates.