www.iFourWinns.com

I think I might be overthinking this...but I've read all the posts about types of anodes that should be used in certain types of water...but I am still unsure. My boat came with the aluminum anodes and I have not changed them...to be honest, I didn't even know that a change may be needed until I started reading these posts...

Anyway I've had my boat now about a year and a half and have only used it on lakes...as of yet, no salt water outings, but I'd like to take it out onto the Puget Sound once in a while which is salt water. My question is, what exactly is meant by "brackish" water.

I found a site that sells the three types of anodes and it has explanations for all three, the zinc, aluminum, and magneseum. After reading the posts on this site (ifourwinns.com), I thought that I might need to switch to magnesium. But after reading the explanations and considerations on the site I found, now I'm thinking I should just stay put and keep the aluminum anodes my boat came with. Is there a definative answer to my quesition....magnesium or aluminum?? I have posted a link to the site I found below for those how are interested to see what I am referring to...

http://www.boatzincs.com/volvo_penta.html

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2006, 220 Horizon
Kent, WA.
"Semper Fidelis"

First, overthinking this stuff is a good thing IMO. If you're like me, you really want to do all the right things to keep your boat in great shape and working like it's supposed to. I can tell you the first 1-2 years of ownership is full of these kinds of decisions, and then after that you just do it all automatically and don't worry about it anymore (or you stop doing it because you don't feel like screwing with it anymore, but at least you know what you've decided to stop doing and why ).

My opinion is that if you boat most of the time in fresh water, use magnesium anodes. The occasional use in salt shouldn't hurt anything, but it might be worth investigating whether ACPS would help cover a little better during those times. The last thing I would do would be to keep the aluminums on there.

Brackish water is water that's more saline than fresh, but less saline than seawater.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Law -- Mike explained it very well...

My H240 came with aluminum -- I am going back and forth on switching to magnesium vs keeping the aluminums...

A good example of brackish water in our area is the water down by the locks off lake union. But, even then - it's more freshwater than saltwater.

Think of your anodes as made up of metals of certain hardness. Saltwater will eat away at a soft metal (magnesium) very quickly, where a harder metal (zinc) will hold up better over time.

Fresh water will eat away as well. Just not as hard as salt water.

The idea is that your drive is made of aluminum and the corrosion process will go after the softest metal first (magnesium). Aluminum is an interesting "all around" selection.

I don't think the anode question is a huge issue for trailer boaters. You really would be fine with aluminum since you pull your boat out of the water regularly.

Conversely, I have a slip on Lk Washington and I am seriously debating switching to magnesium or staying with aluminum. I do plan on boating thrugh the locks into saltwater regularly -- thus the advice I have gotten is to stick with aluminum for now.

The move to magnesium isn't going to hurt you by any means -- I think it can only help you since you spend most all your time in freshwater. Staying with aluminum probabl won't hurt you... but it probably won't help you much either.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Hey Cougar...thanks much!! Your example of the water by the locks off Lake Union was a great example. Nice to talk to some folks like you with local experience...and you are right...Mike knows his stuff. You are now the forth person I have spoken to locally that has said to stick the aluminum based on my type of boating...

If I wind up doing more salt water boating than I realized...I'll reconsider my options, in any case though...I did place an order for the magnesium anodes just to be safe. On a side note, I called both FW and VP and gave them my scenario, the folks at both places said that based on my boating and the waters in our area...to stay with the aluminum...they also said that magnesium would definately help......

_________________
2006, 220 Horizon
Kent, WA.
"Semper Fidelis"