BENETEAU SHAFT ANODE 55mm

Function and technical context

The shaft anode is the cathodic protection element mounted directly on the tail shaft of the boat, whose mission is to sacrifice itself electrochemically to preserve the noble metals of the drive train: the shaft itself, the horn, the bushing and the propeller. This component works in the underwater transmission system, interposing itself between the structural metal of the boat and the galvanic corrosion process that salt or brackish water aggressively accelerates. The 55 mm inner diameter anode is sized to adapt to the tail shaft of Beneteau vessels with that specific caliber, guaranteeing correct electrical contact and a sacrificial surface appropriate to the size of the propulsion assembly. If this anode is completely consumed without being replaced, the galvanic attack moves towards the adjacent metal parts, causing severe corrosion on the shaft, pitting on the propeller and deterioration of the horn, breakdowns whose repair is significantly more expensive than the anode itself.

When to replace this part?

The clearest sign that the shaft anode needs replacement is the loss of more than 50% of its mass: when it visually appears very reduced, irregular or with completely consumed areas, it has stopped protecting the shaft effectively. In vessels that navigate in salt waters or that remain moored, the inspection must be carried out at least once a season, usually at the annual beaching, although in areas with high conductivity or with electrical currents dispersed in the port a semiannual inspection may be necessary. Replacing the shaft anode preventively at each grounding is the most economical measure to avoid corrosion of the tail shaft and the high replacement or grinding costs that come with ignoring its wear.