P42 max prop zinc on end of prop - need it?

[Puesta del sol]

I have a zinc on the end of my max prop it is gone every year when I pull the boat. Do I really need a zinc on the end of the prop when I have one on the shaft.

Thinking about putting two zincs on the shaft I have plenty of space

 

[seadaddler]

I have a Zinc on my shaft and a special Zinc on my Flex O Fold and sounds like you need to change or check your Zinc more often and I did that but now my diver does it for me no extra charge,I would not want to take a chance on a $$$$$ prop.
I did recently find a good deal on new Zinc for my Flex O Fold and purchased a few of them after doing a lot of searching for a good price.
At one time I did have 2 Zincs on shaft and my diver said don't need 2 on shaft.
Nick

 

[RoyS]

I have a max prop also. I keep two zincs on the stainless steel shaft and one on the prop. My experience however has been different from yours. My prop zinc lasts several years while my shaft zincs last only one. Is your shaft clean when you install the zinc there? I do not have the courage to leave my expensive prop without a zinc.

 

[Puesta del sol]

Any thoughts on why I would be losing the zinc on the end of the prop? The screws are all there. Whe I drove around the boat yard every boat still had theirs ( okay maybe not every I did not check them all- but a good 15 or so). I had planned to check on it throughout the season and did not (had 30 trips this year).

 

[Puesta del sol]

I was thinking two on the shaft incase one busted off. Only about $10 or less seems like small insurance even through the like hood of loss from the shaft is low - I have not lost one over the last 6 years

 

[seadaddler]

Maybe electric current in the water from another boat near by and I have my 2 Zincs
one on shaft and one on the prop and they both get replaced at different times and really don't keep track and my diver replaces before they are gone.

 

[Don Lucas]

I have a zinc on the end of my max prop it is gone every year when I pull the boat. Do I really need a zinc on the end of the prop when I have one on the shaft.

Thinking about putting two zincs on the shaft I have plenty of space

YES you need it! Having had a MaxProp and now a FlexOFold, both which had zincs on the end of them, and with 2 zincs on the shaft the zinc on the prop has corroded. That tells you that just the shaft zincs aren't going to cut it.

 

[Puesta del sol]

I guess the real question then is how do I keep the zinc from coming off. Saw a post about using finger nail polish - any thoughts on this idea?

 

[seadaddler]

The Zinc is made to wear and the Zinc is doing it's job instead of the prop,
we all do replace Zinc's every year some more often and not real sure but my boat
is in the water 12 month's and at least once a year but I don't track how often I change Zinc's,but maybe I will start and see when I change it in my record book.
My diver usually changes it maybe 2/3 worn away and one time it was gone completely and the bolt was gone also,never heard of using nail polish.
Nick

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Keith, each year I have a diver clean the bottom of mussels and install two light shaft zincs. These give us the protection for a year after which a small amount of the zincs remain. That seems to work for our PNW sea water environment. I've never installed a zinc on the end of the shaft.

 

[fstbttms]

Do I really need a zinc on the end of the prop when I have one on the shaft.

What's the replacement cost of your Max Prop? $3000-$3500? And you're quibbling about a $10 anode? Unbelievable.

 

[Puesta del sol]

Nope no worries about the $$$. I am concerned that the anode does not stay on the end of the prop for any length of time and would like to find options to improve the likely hood of keeping it on long enough to be affective as replacing while in the water is problematic. My $10 comment was I have no prob putting two on the shaft if it is possible that I could not put one on the prop itself. It just seems odd to me that I am one of the only boats in the yard that seems to be missing the zinc at the end of the season. Looking for thoughts on what else might be happening ... I did some Googleing and there is some speculation that the screws are close to the edge and perhaps the zinc on the edge is wearing through first causing it to loosen and pop off during use. All three bolts are still screwed into the prop. Just seems odd......

 

[seadaddler]

The special Zinc are more like $20 or $25 but it not that big a deal per year
and my Flex O Fold was $2000.00 and it still looks like new and works great and other than keeping clean during the year and when I do a bottom job every few years I take the prop fins off and just give a good cleaning and that is all I do and I never see any
pitting of the metal and use a wire brush on a portable drill to give it a good cleaning every few years and so a $20 Zinc to me is good insurance and peace of mind.
Nick

 

[seadaddler]

How long does the Zinc actually last on your boat and how many months is the boat in the water,if you research here about Zincs not last and some Zincs wearing too fast compared to other boat in same location and info may help why yours are not lasting very long

 

[Puesta del sol]

In the northern Chesapeake bay for about 7 months (may - November).. The zinc on shaft is slightly worn (I replace each year) and this has been true the last 6 years. I clean the prop each year and the is no issues with the prop metal looks same as when I acquired the boat.

I may just have to swim under on a regular basis and see what is up. Not My favorite Activity.

 

[seadaddler]

That is what we do here in Florida and most have a diver clean bottom and replace Zincs and maybe dive under in July or August.