Bolts for hull anodes
Richard Williamson writes: To my shame it never occurred to me to change the bolt holding the anode to the bilge of my Etap 26. Change the anode, yes, but the bolt?
When I came to change the anode recently the bolt sheared with relatively little pressure. A trip to Herm Seaway Marine Ltd in St Peter Port left me wiser: ‘Change the bolt every five years and keep the receipt for the insurers,’ was their advice. I also made a new hardwood backing plate to go inside the bilge. Use polyurethane sealant above the square plate welded to the bolt and between the anode and the hull (even if a foam backing pad is provided). Use sealant on top of the interior backing pad for the washer to sit on. A further bit of advice was to wipe the inboard end of the bolt clean with white spirit once it had been tightened up, otherwise sealant could insulate the anode from the wires going to their various destinations. I suspect it would also be sensible to check the electrical continuity between the wires and the anode – another job for when we next dry out.
And take a friend to help with this job – you’ll need another pair of hands at the other end of the new bolt.