Transom corrision 1999 Tournament V-18

[Robert Bland]

Has anyone had problems with Tracker Marine refusing to warranty corrision appearing on Tracker aluminum boat transoms. The corrision is appearing on my boat only on the transom where ever holes were drilled for drain holes, hardware and motor mounting. My thought is that it may be a case of stray currant which tracker says they will not warranty. It also could be the paint allowing salt to linger where the holes were drilled. Aside from what came with the boat from Tracker I installed a AM/FM radio which is not grounded to the hull. Tracker has even refused to comment on what might be causing the problem so that I can take stepts to prevent it from spreading. I have used the boat in salt water but have throughly washed it down upond bringing it home. I owned a Monark aluminum boat for 14 years and never had a hint of corrision. HELP

 

[Mark Hofman]

Bob:



If you have access to a digital camera or can have regular photos scanned, please put them up so we can see this corrosion. I've got a TV-18 and, although I don't fish salt water, I'm interested in any potential problem.



I haven't seen any corrosion on my boat at all. Are your sacrificial anodes more than 50% eroded? Is an anode missing?



I wish I could be of more help, but I am interested in your situation.



MO

 

[Robert Bland]

I do have photos which I have sent to Tracker. I'll post then soon. My Merc 115 came with two sacrificial anodes which are only 1/4 or less gone. In a day or so I'm planning on putting a mA meter on the hull to see if I can detect any stray currant. The currant could be so minor my meter might not pick it up. Stay tuned.

 

[Robert Bland]

 

[Robert Bland]

to see more pictures click on the link below.
http://www.nitroowners.com/shared/memberlib.asp?VIEW=4757

 

[JEFF WHITE]

what you got there is a reaction between dissimilar metals.i see it on over the road trucks and truck van bodies.the key here is dissimilar metals.steel on aluminum,stainless steel on aluminum.anywhere the 2 metals touch,there will be a galvanic reaction,such as the bolts for the motor,the transom rings,and drain pockets also.what to do is to take it down to bare aluminum,and treat it with a self etching primer then paint it.



since using it in salt water,the salt will adhere to anyplace that the paint has been broken,such as tightening down of motor clamps,transom rings,and such.

 

[Mark Hofman]

Wow. If that was my boat, I'd be making a stink too. I just went out and looked carefully at my drain holes, u-bolts, motor bolts, etc. No signs of corrosion (yet). Thanks for posting the pics. Now I know what to look for.



If I saw that happening, and I could get my hands on matching paint, I'd try to scour off the corroded areas down to bare metal, seal the holes really well and then re-paint.



Dumb question, but where do have the boat stored when you're not using it?

 

[Staci Matheis]

You are a wealth of info, Jeff!



Is that why I almost always see corrosion on Peterbilts where the mirrors bolt to the doors?



me?

 

[Robert Bland]

MoFish, back to you. I store the boat on a gal. trailer in my yard. That's after I throughly wash it down with soapy water and on top of that I spray W-D-40 on ALL the hardwhare that could possibly corroid. This is only after I use the boat in salt water which is only about 10% of the time. I'm saving your repaint suggestion till after I give up on trying to get tracker to warranty the problem. It won't be a easy job. Motor will have to removed and all the transom hardwhare removed if it's to be done right. As I had mentioned before, during my test if I don't find any stray currant in the hull I'm going to hound Tracker on the problem.

 

[Mark Hofman]

Bob,



I really appreciate your posting the photos so that I can keep an eye out for this with my boat. I didn't know aluminum would or could corrode like that. Now I do.



Good luck with the warranty appeal. I'm in your corner. Keep the rest of us posted.

 

[Mark Hofman]

Bob,



I just read through my TV-18 manual over lunch. Stray current and galvanic corrosion are two items explicitly mentioned as not being covered under warranty, so I think you're in for a tough fight.



But the reason I wanted to add to this post is that the manual discusses corrosion caused by salt water. I don't have it sitting in front of me right now, but it said that gavlanic corrosion is accelerated while the boat is in salt water. It isn't enough to simply rinse or wash the salt water off after each use to prevent galvanic corrosion from occurring. The transfer of electrons takes place while the boat sits in the water, and the manual advises the owner to consider installing additional sacrificial annodes if the boat will be used in a salt water environment.



You probably already knew this, but I thought it would be good to post it in case other owners are searching for salt-water related issues.

 

[TrepMan]

MO - would that only be on aluminium boats and only those painted? Will still be a few years till my extended warranty is done but when it is I want to go Saltwater again.



There won't be painted areas but will aluminium itself corrode/rust??

 

[Mark Hofman]

Check your manual under the section about Salt Water Use. I suspect, however, that the suggestion to install extra sacrificial zinc annodes would apply, since even on big salt-water fiberglass rigs they have big annodes to absorb the galvanic action taking place between the propellers and rudders (usually made of bronze). Your manual will tell you for sure. Remember, that galvanic action isn't caused by salt water being trapped underneath the paint, but by the transfer of electrons through water.

 

[Mark Hofman]

Galvanic action explained:
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/mas/masnotes/corrosion.html

 

[Robert Bland]

Update from owner. I had a lengthy conversation today with Sandy [Tracker Marine Service Rep.] After hearing her say tracker does not warranty galvaniic stray current at least 10 times as I explained the many possibilities that could be causing the corrsion, I was able to [at her suggestion] arrange for another visit to a tracker service center to reasses the problem. A small stept in the right direction.

I'v read the info attached regarding two metal galvanic metal corrsion. It partially explains the possible cause for some of the corrsion on my transom. I'm still baffled regarding the upper and lower drain holes that have plastic hardware rather than metal. They also have corrsion around them.