Do I need zincs on my trim tabs?

[ksgoldman]

Next month I will be launching a new 2010 Grady White Tournament 275 that comes with factory installed Bennett trim tabs. Do I need zincs on the trim tabs? Should I have the trim tabs painted?

I had Bennett trim tabs installed on my last boat (a 2006 Seaswirl Striper 2010DC) and the dealer installed zincs on the tabs (they drilled through the plane of the tabs and installed round zincs). I was actually very concerned when the zincs were gone after two months of being in the water and called boatzincs.com and they recommended larger zincs than what my dealer had installed on the Striper. I installed the larger zincs and they made it through the rest of the season.

The issue is that if the first set of zincs disappeared after two months, obviously there was something that caused them to deteriorate. I keep the boat on a mooring in a saltwater river (actually a tidal strait). I had my last trim tabs painted but the paint wore off in a month.

Although there are some trim tab zincs that fit on the mounting screws, because of the way that Grady White mounts the trim tabs, that style of zinc doesn't work.

I'm curious what others do about zincs on their trim tabs.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Do I need zincs on my trim tabs?

Next month I will be launching a new 2010 Grady White Tournament 275 that comes with factory installed Bennett trim tabs. Do I need zincs on the trim tabs? Should I have the trim tabs painted?

I had Bennett trim tabs installed on my last boat (a 2006 Seaswirl Striper 2010DC) and the dealer installed zincs on the tabs (they drilled through the plane of the tabs and installed round zincs). I was actually very concerned when the zincs were gone after two months of being in the water and called boatzincs.com and they recommended larger zincs than what my dealer had installed on the Striper. I installed the larger zincs and they made it through the rest of the season.

The issue is that if the first set of zincs disappeared after two months, obviously there was something that caused them to deteriorate. I keep the boat on a mooring in a saltwater river (actually a tidal strait). I had my last trim tabs painted but the paint wore off in a month.

Although there are some trim tab zincs that fit on the mounting screws, because of the way that Grady White mounts the trim tabs, that style of zinc doesn't work.

I'm curious what others do about zincs on their trim tabs.

Thanks,

Ken

I have had boats with and without anodes on the tabs. With a smaller boat, such as an offshore fisherman which goes back onto a trailer afterward, zincs are usually not required.

If I had a boat that stayed in the water (especially salt water) I would keep anodes on the trim tabs. I have 3" pancake zincs on mine and usually get 14-18 months out of them, but I'm in fresh/tannic waters.

Due to the sand in the water in a saltwater environment, painted trim tabs will not stay painted very long. You might have better luck with a powder coating, but how will you protect the hinge portion, which can't be powder coated and still remain operational?

Pancake zincs are a pretty cheap insurance policy when it comes to corrosion protection. You should have gotten longer out of the ones that were there, but you didn't list what size they were (mine are 4").

Also check for electrical leaks into the water in the surrounding areas. They will make short work of an anode.'

Good luck.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Do I need zincs on my trim tabs?

I have 3" pancake zincs on mine and usually get 14-18 months out of them, but I'm in fresh/tannic waters.

Sorry...meant to say 4"

 

[dan t.]

Re: Do I need zincs on my trim tabs?

Yes, you need them if you are moored in salt water,I run them on the top only to avoid drag, a 4 in seems to last 6 months with no problem

 

[Adjuster]

Re: Do I need zincs on my trim tabs?

Connect your trim tabs, outboard bracket and anything else underwater together with a continuity wire. Attache one end of the wire to an over the side (grouper) zinc. Pull it in and out of the water while your boat is at mooring. This saved me tons of money and time on replacing zincs as well as stopped all corrosion on my metals.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Do I need zincs on my trim tabs?

Ken, Paint the trim tabs with 2 coats of standard antifouling paint. Install some kind of zinc, on the top of each tab. I used the pancake zincs, as well. The 4" ones should last a season. if they do not, there is a lot of stray current in the water where you have moored your boat. You might try to figure out where it is coming from.

If you have an I/O motor, install zincs on the trim cylinder rods, as well as everywhere recommended by the manufacturer. More is better. Since the trim cylinder rods can be insulated from the outdrive, connect them with some heavy copper wire. I use crimp on eyes, which I solder to the wire, and connect to the zinc bolts and trim cylinder bolts.

Install zincs on the outboard transom bracket and gearcase as recommended by the manufacturer. I do not think you need the grouper, unless you are in a really high-current area.

It is better to connect the trim tabs to the outdrive, however, it is pretty impractical to have a wire in that environment. I recommend you skip it, or you will be replacing it often.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Do I need zincs on my trim tabs?

after reading this I'm putting zincs on mine! I have stainless Lenco's. I painted them but the paint didn't stick (yes primed and painted with antifouling for metal) so they got covered with barnacles--but the hinges and actuators still worked, maybe because I used it a couple times a week in season.
Also moored in salt water estuary. No power nearby.