BoatHowTovideo

ASYMETRIC anode consumption on a CATAMARAN - warning sign?? 🧐 | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDER

4 de abril de 2026 · 4 min · 867 vistas

Multimeter testing engine electrical isolation on sailboat

¿Qué cubre este video?

On a catamaran with Volvo Penta saildrives, one zinc anode corrodes normally while the other shows no corrosion — and Nigel Calder explains why the non-corroding anode may be less alarming than the fast-corroding one. The critical diagnostic step is checking the electrical isolation between each engine block and its saildrive transmission using a multimeter in ohms mode: an open circuit confirms isolation is intact; low resistance means it has failed.2:06 Volvo Penta saildrives use a plastic gasket to isolate the engine from the transmission, and that isolation must be verified, not assumed.1:40 If the port saildrive's anode is corroding rapidly, Calder suspects its engine-to-transmission isolation may be compromised, causing that anode to protect not just the saildrive leg but also the rudder shafts and other bonded metals.3:35 The starboard anode's slow consumption is not itself a problem, provided the saildrive leg shows no corrosion.2:25 Connecting both engines and rudder shafts to the boat's AC grounding plate is normal and correct.3:02 Saildrive anodes should last a full season under normal conditions; rapid consumption signals a broken isolation barrier.4:01

Ver en YouTube

Más de BoatHowTo

Rewiring an old boat if everything works as should? 😟💰 | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERoct 2026Grounding on Aluminium Yachts 🔧 | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERsep 2026Boat ELECTRIC PROPULSION with only LEAD ACID Batteries ?? | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERsep 2026MaxProp: More Pitch in Reverse than in Forward? 🤔 | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERsep 2026

De BoatHowTo — ve el barco, la tripulación y cada video analizado del canal.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

Un correo electrónico con los mejores hallazgos de la flota: los momentos, barcos e historias que valen tu tiempo de visualización. Ingresa tu propia dirección para obtener tu propia copia.

Reportar un problema