Gypsy: Man, you are all over the lot on this one. Posts now in two areas. Seriously, I applaud your determination to get to the bottom of your issue. It would be better, however, to have your own thread on the question.. tacking onto another thread confuses people. It's not a capital offense - we won't steal your first 50 lbs of rockfish. Just keeping things orderly here makes it easier on easily baffled old farts like me.
Peter gives you good info on the type of zincs available and where to use them. Why mags one place and not the other? Salt water carries electrical current easier than fresh so magnesium would start the electrons to really boogeying. That is why Peter mentioned that the metal in the welds would start joining the parade.
On the Capac meter: if it is fouled be very careful how you clean it. NO sandpaper or wire brushes. A very light touch with maybe a sponge or one of those no-scratch plastic dishwashing pads. The metal film of silver/silver chloride that makes up the reference terminal is quite thin and delicate. Don't paint it, either, or it can't do its detecting job.
Source of proper zincs is John Althouse - they run about $120 or so for a 6' long bar that gets attached to the keel. He'll cut it in half for easier shipping and you should attach a 3' piece to each side of the keel. I'm cheap..when they start to wear, I save and use a cut down, doubled-up piece on the trim tabs. or, again doubled-up, on the keel itself.
Joel Albert, Potomac MD
"Charlie B" - 1988 32' FBS
Twin 318's/FWC/16x15 nibral props
docked Deale, MD
