Pontoons Pitting

[shorty28]

I recently bought a Suntracker Party Hut 28' with three toons. The original owner kept it in the water year round since 1989(freshwater). As you can imagine, it has a serious layer of algae. I was only able to clean what my trailor would allow me to clean. The areas that I was able to clean showed pitting in the aluminum. The pitting looks like an imprint of a bunch if Rice....weird analogy I know.. Anyway, I can't get to all of the area of my toons because of the trailor, and the tight spaces created underneath due to the third pontoon. Should I be worried abount leaving the algae on there and putting boat back in the water year round again? Will the algae eat through my pontoons in my lifetime??? If this is a serious problem, any ideas on raising my boat up off my trailor??? Thanks for any input---Shorty

 

[kd6nem]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

I know almost nothing about aluminum hulled boats, except they are often lighter than fiberglass. I know outboard motors need to be protected by zinc anodes which take the brunt of electrolysis. Do you have a zinc on your motor? I wonder if adding one to each pontoon somehow might not be a good idea. Not sure how I'd do that, though- wouldn't want to drill any holes in that aluminum without good reason. Is this even electrolysis? More questions than answers here, but maybe should be considered. So how do you 'tooners handle this?

 

[DJ]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

shorty28,<br /><br />The algea didn't pit your pontoons, stray electrical currents did. As mentioned, the aluminum should really be protected by zincs. I would have a look at the zincs on the engine too.<br /><br />Also, make sure that NOTHING electrical is grounded to the hull(s).<br /><br />With all that said, your dockage may not have the stray electrical currents that the previous owners did, so you may be ok.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

Is this even electrolysis?

Sure Sounds like it to Me........

 

[navigator336]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

I don't for sure about your year Sun Tracker, but the new ones have pressurized hulls. With this in mind, don't drill holes in them to mount zincs. I'd call the factory and ask them for their recommendations on attaching zincs.

 

[Cal_MI]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

Most pontoon tubes have a little platform on the rear for attaching a speedometer pickup or fish finder transducer. That can be drilled for a zinc.

 

[shorty28]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

Thanks...I'm docking in the same slip as the previous owner, so I will likely continue to have the problem. My boat is a 1988, so I'm guessing its not pressurized, regardless, I can drill Zincs to the rear mounting plates. Any specific suggetions on the zincs??? Thanks very much.

 

[kd6nem]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

I would mount so they stay submerged and check frequently- replace as needed. They WILL be dissolving, perhaps rapidly from the sound of things. You want them to be big enough, to be visible enough to check, not in the way of anything else, and have them make good metal to metal contact where attached. (Right guys? Not bad for an owner of a trailered fiberglass boat, huh!?)

 

[DJ]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

Shorty,<br /><br />Good advice. Also make sure the zincs stay CLEAN and not covered by algea, paint, etc.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

Pontoon logs are not pressurized. They actually have a vent in the plastic top plugs so that when they get hot from the sun they can vent the hot air out before they go boom. You might want to clean those logs now, using a product called "Alumibrite", which is sold at Heating and Air Conditioning suppliers for about $10.00 a gallon. More than enough to do your logs twice over. Spray or brush it on and hose it off. Logs will look great and then use this product to keep them like that. It works....<br /><br /> sharkhide.com

 

[kd6nem]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

Oh, yes. NEVER paint the zincs!

 

[BillP]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

Freshwater sacrificial anodes are magnesium. If you use zinc in freshwater the aluminum is the sacrificial anode. Zinc is used in saltwater.

 

[navigator336]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

The Sun Tracker pontoons on at least their 2003 model are pressurized. Either that or the dealer who checked and confirmed the pressure on my friend's were balanced doesn't know what he's doing despite being the dealer for most of Southern California.

 

[kd6nem]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

BillP- you're quite right! Great point. I didn't know until you said that. Had to look it up online to get the reasoning behind that. Glad you said that.

 

[NevadaRick]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

I have serious pitting after leaving our Pontoon Boat in the Sacramento Delta (Fresh Water) for two years. I think the suggestion of the Magnesium Anodes is a excellent idea. Thanks to BillP for the post that pointed out if you use Zinc the Aluminum becomes the sacrificial metal. My manufacturer warns of the stray electrical from leaving you batteries connected while the boat is in the water over time will cause the described damage. I assumed that just by turning the battery selector to off the problem would be handled, WRONG. I now realize the the battery cables should be disconnected when leaving the boat in the water and what the heck, why not disconnect the batteries anytime the boat is not in use.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Pontoons Pitting

The dealer didn't know what he was doing. They add pressure to test for leaks but other than that the pressure varies with the air temp. I actually had small holes drilled in the back of my tubes so I could remove the screws and stop the LOUD popping that my wife yelled at me about late at night as the air cools.