I am doing the annual maintenance and I have doubts if the part numbered as 1 in the picture must be painted or not. I am not sure if the anode only need electrical contact through the bolt holes or also through 1. Also in 2 can be seen the bare metal. It is corrosion? What is the best option, remove all the paint and repaint with something like interprotect?
Hi Mova,
I have the same boat but 2007.
I have never painted that area, it's not needed since marine growth will not settle there, and as you indicate it also works as an electrical contact area for the anode.
The other area in your picture is definitely corrosion. My sail drive body is completely slick without these corrosion spots.
Are you using the same antifouling coating on the sail drive as on the hull?
That could be the cause - The sail drive is made of aluminum and there are often copper in antifouling for hulls.
You must use an antifouling with no copper in it, I have always used Jotun Aqualine spray can, it works perfectly and one can has now lasted 4 seasons.
And there are never any significant sea growth on my drive.
Hopefully this was helpful :-)
Thanks a lot!!. Yes, it always was painted with the same paint that the hull, this is like a tradition in my area. I will follow your advice.
As already stated the sail drive leg should not be painted with normal antifoul. I use Hempel Mill Drive spray which I find excellent. You need to sand it back to the metal and then prime with Hempel primer or something like that and then it will be fine.
Quote from: Aquila on March 18 2016, 09:09
You need to sand it back to the metal.
We have a Volvo 120 saildrive and it's factory coated/protected with a glossy hard coating that I understand should not be breached, so sanding down to the bare metal might not be a good idea.
Quote from: JEN-et-ROSS on March 18 2016, 11:58
Quote from: Aquila on March 18 2016, 09:09
You need to sand it back to the metal.
We have a Volvo 120 saildrive and it's factory coated/protected with a glossy hard coating that I understand should not be breached, so sanding down to the bare metal might not be a good idea.
But where there's corrosion you have to get back to bare metal in order to prime and paint properly.
Ah. misunderstood, I thought the intention was to remove the whole lot.