Hobie Cat Forums

Has any one considered putting an anode on the bars to reduce the corrosion?
I thought someone had done so on an older model of the AI.

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Fly4v,

I think that was Chekika and Chrisj that experimented with anodes installed on their crossbar to prevent corrosion. After disassembling my aka's and seeing the corrosion inside the tubing, it looks to be a good idea.



I had to use a vise grip to prevent the loose rivet from spinning while drilling. Drill bit size was 3/16.

Sanded with 150 grit aluminum oxide sandpaper and applied aluminum jelly to convert remaining corrionsion.

Two coats of primer then two coats of epoxy enamel.


Tools and supplies used.

Combining 3M 5200 adhesion with the mechanical hold of stainless steel rivets resulted in a very secure bond. I'm hoping the use of paint and 3M 5200 sealant are enough of a barrier to prevent any metal to metal contact. So far so good.


Aloha,

c2y

So Cliff, how old is your TI or better still, approx. how many sailing days did you get out of the TI before you had to do this repair ?

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Cliff - great post and excellent result
Thanks for sharing - a great help to all of us

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Mickey
2011 AI Golden Papaya
2011 TI Golden Papaya

Her 1 year anniversary was in May. Over 20 runs so far and most of them in exposed windward ocean conditions. After this fix, I'm much more comfortable taking her out again. But plan to closely monitor for stress and corrosion around the rivets and will share my findings as time goes on.

shaka,

c2y

Cliff,

Thank you for sharing your First Class Repair, Excellent Post, Excellent Pictures, and Excellent Explanations

I realize that this question may be hard to answerer but, after you cleaned and painted the connections and before you applied the 5200, did you feel like there was going to be (enough) of a gap between the joints for the 5200 to be effective ? Also, did you consider just cleaning/sanding/aluminium jelly prep. and not painting the areas that were glued with the 5200 ?

Your method is obviously an improvement over the original design, and only time and use will tell how long this repair will last.
Good Job

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Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2010 Tandem Island

Sun E,

I thought it was best to paint the aka to help prevent metal to metal contact with the aka joint. Note, I used a tooth brush taped to a rod to brush as much of the loose "white rust" inside the aka and joint. Liberally added aluminum jelly to the bristle, rinsed, then dried. Didn't look like it did much so I can't recommend it; but, it did help keep things clean when I test fitted the aka to joint after painting.

During the test fitting, there was enough of a gap that allowed rotating the aka within the joint without much trouble. However, it did scuff the paint a bit.
I liberally reamed inside the aka joint with 3M 5200 about a 1/4 inch from the base and at the edge of the rim. Hoping this will prevent water from "sweating" into the gap.

c2y

Cliff,
Got it, and thanks again. Please let us know how this works out. Hopefully we won't hear from you.

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Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2010 Tandem Island

Our AI's and TI's aren't the only boats with galvanic corrosion problems. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/06/shipbuilder-blames-navy-as-brand-new-warship-disintegrates/

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI

It would be good to know the full story on this one Bob. Perhaps they could wiz it around to Cliff's place for a repair job.

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Slaughter,

I don't think I have enough rivets

Fix is holding up well. But maybe too well since I'm noticing some creaking comming from inside the xbar around where the joints are inserted. Or, where the aka is connected to the saddle mount on the hull.

Aloha,

c2y

Howzit C2Y,

This issue rages on. I wonder if you could weigh in re your repair solution - 1 year later.

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"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."
- Ayn Rand

Me too, C2Y. How is your repair fairing? I'm involved in two other threads about this issue. My boat is new last summer, but I want to prevent what seemed to me to be a problem waiting to happen--which is why I started one of the threads.

I should have posted my latest pictures and what I'm doing now at this site as well, but instead I responded here
viewtopic.php?f=71&t=42667&p=177432#p177432

I wish I had posted in both places but it's getting confusing. May I suggest for simplicity sake, we direct further comments and ideas to that one.

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Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2010 Tandem Island

If you do this again in the future you do not want to paint the metal surface where your adhesive is being applied. Your adhesive is stuck to the paint not the metal, therefore your bond is only as strong as the first material touching the metal (the paint). The paint adhesion will be poor at best under stress and is acting as an insulator keeping the bonding agent from bonding.