Electric fish

Batt switches sound ok. Not the way I do it, but shouldnt matter. The problem might not be your boat, it could be that your neighbors boat is placing high voltage in the water and your the other end of his high voltage annode, same effect but you have less controll. Also Masalai could also be correct if the shore power is not polarised correctly then that can cause the discharge. You might try your voltmeter both shore power pulgged in and unplugged. If this is the problem then I would think a power converter would solve your problem. However if your feeling enough voltage at your engine block to make your skin tingle then your likely putting more the 1 volt into the water....thats very bad.

Side note: I had a very bad mechanic install a new battery into a sailboat I used to own. The idiot wired it up backward. Pos to neg, in less then 2 weeks it ate through all the annodes and the shaft.

 

Someone once told me that I should have the Eng block always connected to the neg batt terminal. He was quite a clued up septic. He said that many stray currents can end up there even RF and if nowhere to go will go into the anodes.

Sounds feesable.

Ok 240 V-- It wont make any difference to me I have no earth (third wire) I have no ground. Everything I buy here has 2 pins. Power comes in through 2 double pole switches and then to 4 distribution 2 pole switches,--one common neg bus and back out. The only metal bodied appliance I have is the microwave.

The reason I do this is because of Masalais explanation. I have seen so many times European boats with ******* get the marina supply all confused. And I dont want to be someones ground if the marinas ground fails or even exists.

 

Is that with a steel hull, or FRP?

Just curious, cheers,
Andreas

 

see above - glass

 

Steel Andreas. Belay my last when talking about wood or FRP.

 

Thanks Kay9, you confirmed what I thought. I was curious because I am having a steel boat built, and want enough anode mass to last 2 years. Thanks!

Andreas

 

I dont have a hard fast rule for wood or FRP except I get as much as I can fit on my shaft without putting her out of balance.

Frosty. the annodes is EXACTLY where you WANT stray current to go. The will sacrifice themselves in order to save the metal you dont want to lose. Of course Im certain you know this. You mentioned .06 volts before, thats not bad, and Im assuming your in salt water not fresh, as in fresh you dont want zinc, but rather magnisium (sp?) for your sacrificing metal. Some things that might make your zincs dissolve faster then mine are the salinity of your water. (Closer to the equator the more salty the water the more moving water will create an electric charge the faster your zincs dissolve) the temprature of your water. Warm water faster dissolve. Finally other power sources around your boat.

In Oregon, my water rarely gets above 60 F and our boats spend the ebb in allmost fresh water and the flood in salt. So you may not get the same performance on your zonc as I do on mine.

 

A pound of zinc per wet square foot???????

Are your sure? not square meter?

Thats a lot of zinc and every 2 years? I like to hear from someone else on that one.

Yes I am in tidal flowing warm water just up a bit from the Equator. I suppose I should take that into consideration too.

 

Perhaps im not clear.....A 40' steel boat should have 40lbs of zinc.

 

Ah,--- thats better!!

 

Can't help you Frosty, but I like the idea of fish that shoot insects. Sounds cool!

 

What--???? youve never seen them on National Geographic programes on the telly ?

Again --yesterday,-- someone mentioned that I had my own private aquarium.

Anyone want a pic??

 

Yes with you in it too. and arrows to identify the fish from the floating debris

 

Move your boat to a different slip or area, preferably well clear of other boats. If the fish still linger it's your boat, if not, it's the environment your boat is in.

I've seen this happen on live aboards, that had goodies drain over the side from a galley sink. When was the last time you had a good look at the bottom of your boat?

 

Cant move slip ,--marina is full and I take 2 slips being a cat.

No galley outlet at the stern. Dived on it last week,only slime --wiped off with a brush.