West Marine style "prop nut" ???

[Larry Austin]

Does anyone have any thoughts or comments on the West Marine 1" Zinc prop nut? I used my last Perry Nut last year and this year I thought I would use the west marine prop nut...but when I picked it up it felt like it weigh 40lbs! Is this too much weight to have at the end of the shaft? There is a lot of zinc on the nut and I could probaly go all season on that one zinc,,,but just woundering about that much weight out on the end of the prop shaft.
Thanks

Larry Austin
CD30MKII #2

going in next tuesday!!



laustin@us.ibm.com

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Larry,

West Marine carries the ElectroGuard bronze propnut/zinc combination. I believe the size is 3/4-10. Yes, it is heavy, but will last all season, and no, it isn't too much weight on the end of the shaft.

I have been using it for the past three years with no problem.

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

[John R.]

Larry,

West Marine carries the ElectroGuard bronze propnut/zinc combination. I believe the size is 3/4-10. Yes, it is heavy, but will last all season, and no, it isn't too much weight on the end of the shaft.

I have been using it for the past three years with no problem.

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

I'm in the same situation as Larry. I've only got a couple of Perry Nuts left and thats the end since they are not being produced any longer. I was in West Marine last evening looking at the Canada Metals "Martyr" brand prop nut zincs. That's the one that uses the special hex fastener in the end to hold the zinc onto the bronze nut/core. Unfortunately they didn't have a complete unit (typical) only the zinc portion so I couldn't examine it closely.

I noticed in the catalog they also sell a prop zinc for Beneteau's. If anyone knows the difference between the two I'd appreciate more info and also if the beneteau style prop nut anodes would work on the CD shafts like the Perry or Martyr.

I have never seen a Electro-Guard prop nut zinc so if anyone has good info on their design please post it also. I think Dave may be confusing Electro-Guard with the Canada Metal "Martyr" zinc. Correct me if I'm wrong Dave. If so, please make a note of the model # or part # of the zinc you are using.

[Ken Coit]

All,

I have purchsed a Canada Martyr for installation on Parfait. Unfortunately, it is on board and I am home so I can't describe it well. I did describe it in an earlier posting. There is a bronze nut device which fits inside the anode. The anode is held to the nut device (sort of a bird cage behind the nut) with a stainless screw that has had a few drops of sealer applied to the threads. The inside of the anode has no casting burs that need to be squashed, unlike the earler Canada products, so it shouldn't need to be hammered down. Whether the thread is correct, I don't know. We hope to haul Parfait for a few days in the next week and do the necessary maintenance, including a new prop nut. When we do, I'll report back on the success or failure of that endeavor.

Ken
S/V Parfait
Raleigh, NC

Larry,

West Marine carries the ElectroGuard bronze propnut/zinc combination. I believe the size is 3/4-10. Yes, it is heavy, but will last all season, and no, it isn't too much weight on the end of the shaft.

I have been using it for the past three years with no problem.

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30

I'm in the same situation as Larry. I've only got a couple of Perry Nuts left and thats the end since they are not being produced any longer. I was in West Marine last evening looking at the Canada Metals "Martyr" brand prop nut zincs. That's the one that uses the special hex fastener in the end to hold the zinc onto the bronze nut/core. Unfortunately they didn't have a complete unit (typical) only the zinc portion so I couldn't examine it closely.

I noticed in the catalog they also sell a prop zinc for Beneteau's. If anyone knows the difference between the two I'd appreciate more info and also if the beneteau style prop nut anodes would work on the CD shafts like the Perry or Martyr.

I have never seen a Electro-Guard prop nut zinc so if anyone has good info on their design please post it also. I think Dave may be confusing Electro-Guard with the Canada Metal "Martyr" zinc. Correct me if I'm wrong Dave. If so, please make a note of the model # or part # of the zinc you are using.

parfait@nc.rr.com

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Larry (and others),

If you want to see what this looks like go to westmarine.com, in the search box top left of their home page, type in ELECTRO-GUARD (in all caps). It will display 3 items, click on display all 6 items and it will show prop nut zincs, click on that and it will show a picture of the zinc I have been using on Hanalei.

I do believe the shaft thread is 3/4-10. That's the size zinc you will need, and I think it is a 4 pounder. More than enough to last the season.

If you do a search on "prop nut zinc" you will see ONLY the Canada Metals ones that others have mentioned.

If I can help further, please let me know....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

[Larry Austin]

laustin@us.ibm.com

[John R.]

Larry (and others),

If you want to see what this looks like go to westmarine.com, in the search box top left of their home page, type in ELECTRO-GUARD (in all caps). It will display 3 items, click on display all 6 items and it will show prop nut zincs, click on that and it will show a picture of the zinc I have been using on Hanalei.

I do believe the shaft thread is 3/4-10. That's the size zinc you will need, and I think it is a 4 pounder. More than enough to last the season.

If you do a search on "prop nut zinc" you will see ONLY the Canada Metals ones that others have mentioned.

If I can help further, please let me know....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

Dave,
I checked out that West page you referenced and that anode looks just like the Martyr unit. If you type MARTYR into their search box it brings up a list of zincs and you can bring up a long list of Martyr prop nut anodes. The problem is they don't show a photo of the Martyr anode. The Electro-Guard shows ony what appears to be two sizes available, a 1/2 and a 1 1/4.

Also the Martyr description points out that it is held in place with a special nylon hex of some type and I assume that to be something like a Nyloc hex nut or similar. They say it won't vibrate or come loose. In the past some folks have said they've had a problem with propnut zincs other than the Perry coming loose and they were trying to use dabs of caulk to keep them secure. Anyone that has had that problem please post what brand it was. How is that Electro-Guard secured and has it in any way whatsoever come loose or vibrated since you have been using them?

I'm going to call West and get some detailed info on both of these anode prop nuts and also find out what the deal is with the Beneteau one they list in the catalog. By the way it is interesting the Electro-Guard prop nut zinc is on their website but not in their catalog and the two West Marines in my town only have the Martyr replacements, no Electro-Guard.

[Tom]

Larry (and others),

If you want to see what this looks like go to westmarine.com, in the search box top left of their home page, type in ELECTRO-GUARD (in all caps). It will display 3 items, click on display all 6 items and it will show prop nut zincs, click on that and it will show a picture of the zinc I have been using on Hanalei.

I do believe the shaft thread is 3/4-10. That's the size zinc you will need, and I think it is a 4 pounder. More than enough to last the season.

If you do a search on "prop nut zinc" you will see ONLY the Canada Metals ones that others have mentioned.

If I can help further, please let me know....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

Dave,
I checked out that West page you referenced and that anode looks just like the Martyr unit. If you type MARTYR into their search box it brings up a list of zincs and you can bring up a long list of Martyr prop nut anodes. The problem is they don't show a photo of the Martyr anode. The Electro-Guard shows ony what appears to be two sizes available, a 1/2 and a 1 1/4.

Also the Martyr description points out that it is held in place with a special nylon hex of some type and I assume that to be something like a Nyloc hex nut or similar. They say it won't vibrate or come loose. In the past some folks have said they've had a problem with propnut zincs other than the Perry coming loose and they were trying to use dabs of caulk to keep them secure. Anyone that has had that problem please post what brand it was. How is that Electro-Guard secured and has it in any way whatsoever come loose or vibrated since you have been using them?

I'm going to call West and get some detailed info on both of these anode prop nuts and also find out what the deal is with the Beneteau one they list in the catalog. By the way it is interesting the Electro-Guard prop nut zinc is on their website but not in their catalog and the two West Marines in my town only have the Martyr replacements, no Electro-Guard.

In response to your request, I was one of those people who had a zinc come off. We had sailed down the ICW and out to the Bahamas and spent 6 months there. (In others words had been out quite a while). We were motor sailing back when I heard a loud thump that seemed to come from the rudder area. I checked the rudder and everything but couldn't find any problem so we continued one, thinking we must have hit an unseen floating piece of wood or something. When we got to West Palm Beach and hauled I discovered that the zinc was missing from the Perry nut. The zinc, the round head bolt and the star washer - the whole works was gone so obviously the zinc hadn't just corroded away.

I figured that what must have happened is that the zinc corroded away to the point that the tension was lost on the lock washer which allowed the bolt to unscrew, and what I had heard was the zinc firing back into the rudder as it came loose (proving that there was still zinc left). I think it was the yard boss at West Palm Beach, but it might have been a later yard when I recounted this experience who told me that what they routinely do is put a dab of 5200 on the bolt so that it cannot vibrate loose even if the zinc corrodes away to the point that the lock washer looses its tension.

I posted that information on this BB to a lot of consternation and confusion. Probably if you replace your zinc every year so that it doesn't get too far gone and lose it's strength you won't have the problem, but if you let it go longer and the zinc disintegrates more as they are designed to do, it might be a problem. This was an electro guard unit which utilizes a quarter twenty round headed machine screw to secure the zinc to the bronze nut. The original Perry Nut apparently used a cotter pin to secure the zinc to the bronze nut so didn't have this problem.

I haven't seen one of the new Matyr units so I don't know what type of system they use to hold the zinc on, but someone on this board pointed out that a star washer is used to provide a gas proof connection to the prop shaft via the quarter twenty bolt. This would seem to imply that you don't want to use a plastic bolt to secure the zince to the bronze nut. However, there is another arguemnt that says that the contact between the nut and the zinc is internal along the inside surface of the zinc and the bolt doesn't matter. I'm not sure what is right, but it's certainly true that the zinc wears on the outside surface and not along the inside where it contacts the bronze nut. I'd be leery of "new" designs until I was sure they are working correctly. If anything a plastic bolt would seem to be more likely to vibrate loose than one that corrodes in. Maybe they fixed one problem and created a more serious one, or maybe it's just cheaper to supply a plastic bolt than a stainless steel one. If anyone goes to the new Martyr unit let us know in a year if there is any sign of electrolysis damage on your underwater bronze or if there is any problem with the bolt vibrating loose. If it's just a standard bolt but in plastic you could always switch it out for a stainless or bronze one.

Tom Coons
CD 31 "Heiress"



TomCambria@mindspring.com

[charlie palumbo]

Does anyone have any thoughts or comments on the West Marine 1" Zinc prop nut? I used my last Perry Nut last year and this year I thought I would use the west marine prop nut...but when I picked it up it felt like it weigh 40lbs! Is this too much weight to have at the end of the shaft? There is a lot of zinc on the nut and I could probaly go all season on that one zinc,,,but just woundering about that much weight out on the end of the prop shaft.
Thanks

Larry Austin

Larry,
Long ago, I realized that these prop nuts were difficult to get and inquired if there was a good substitute. For fourteen years I have used a 1" zinc donut on the shaft of my cd36. Not only have I never had any problems with the shaft... when I haul in the fall I still have some zinc remaining......charlie p

CD30MKII #2

going in next tuesday!!

jcp1347@gateway.net

[John R.]

Larry (and others),

If you want to see what this looks like go to westmarine.com, in the search box top left of their home page, type in ELECTRO-GUARD (in all caps). It will display 3 items, click on display all 6 items and it will show prop nut zincs, click on that and it will show a picture of the zinc I have been using on Hanalei.

I do believe the shaft thread is 3/4-10. That's the size zinc you will need, and I think it is a 4 pounder. More than enough to last the season.

If you do a search on "prop nut zinc" you will see ONLY the Canada Metals ones that others have mentioned.

If I can help further, please let me know....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

Dave,
I checked out that West page you referenced and that anode looks just like the Martyr unit. If you type MARTYR into their search box it brings up a list of zincs and you can bring up a long list of Martyr prop nut anodes. The problem is they don't show a photo of the Martyr anode. The Electro-Guard shows ony what appears to be two sizes available, a 1/2 and a 1 1/4.

Also the Martyr description points out that it is held in place with a special nylon hex of some type and I assume that to be something like a Nyloc hex nut or similar. They say it won't vibrate or come loose. In the past some folks have said they've had a problem with propnut zincs other than the Perry coming loose and they were trying to use dabs of caulk to keep them secure. Anyone that has had that problem please post what brand it was. How is that Electro-Guard secured and has it in any way whatsoever come loose or vibrated since you have been using them?

I'm going to call West and get some detailed info on both of these anode prop nuts and also find out what the deal is with the Beneteau one they list in the catalog. By the way it is interesting the Electro-Guard prop nut zinc is on their website but not in their catalog and the two West Marines in my town only have the Martyr replacements, no Electro-Guard.

In response to your request, I was one of those people who had a zinc come off. We had sailed down the ICW and out to the Bahamas and spent 6 months there. (In others words had been out quite a while). We were motor sailing back when I heard a loud thump that seemed to come from the rudder area. I checked the rudder and everything but couldn't find any problem so we continued one, thinking we must have hit an unseen floating piece of wood or something. When we got to West Palm Beach and hauled I discovered that the zinc was missing from the Perry nut. The zinc, the round head bolt and the star washer - the whole works was gone so obviously the zinc hadn't just corroded away.

I figured that what must have happened is that the zinc corroded away to the point that the tension was lost on the lock washer which allowed the bolt to unscrew, and what I had heard was the zinc firing back into the rudder as it came loose (proving that there was still zinc left). I think it was the yard boss at West Palm Beach, but it might have been a later yard when I recounted this experience who told me that what they routinely do is put a dab of 5200 on the bolt so that it cannot vibrate loose even if the zinc corrodes away to the point that the lock washer looses its tension.

I posted that information on this BB to a lot of consternation and confusion. Probably if you replace your zinc every year so that it doesn't get too far gone and lose it's strength you won't have the problem, but if you let it go longer and the zinc disintegrates more as they are designed to do, it might be a problem. This was an electro guard unit which utilizes a quarter twenty round headed machine screw to secure the zinc to the bronze nut. The original Perry Nut apparently used a cotter pin to secure the zinc to the bronze nut so didn't have this problem.

I haven't seen one of the new Matyr units so I don't know what type of system they use to hold the zinc on, but someone on this board pointed out that a star washer is used to provide a gas proof connection to the prop shaft via the quarter twenty bolt. This would seem to imply that you don't want to use a plastic bolt to secure the zince to the bronze nut. However, there is another arguemnt that says that the contact between the nut and the zinc is internal along the inside surface of the zinc and the bolt doesn't matter. I'm not sure what is right, but it's certainly true that the zinc wears on the outside surface and not along the inside where it contacts the bronze nut. I'd be leery of "new" designs until I was sure they are working correctly. If anything a plastic bolt would seem to be more likely to vibrate loose than one that corrodes in. Maybe they fixed one problem and created a more serious one, or maybe it's just cheaper to supply a plastic bolt than a stainless steel one. If anyone goes to the new Martyr unit let us know in a year if there is any sign of electrolysis damage on your underwater bronze or if there is any problem with the bolt vibrating loose. If it's just a standard bolt but in plastic you could always switch it out for a stainless or bronze one.

Tom Coons
CD 31 "Heiress"

Tom,
Thanks for your comments on the Electro Guard zinc experience. It does sound like a potential problem with loosening if it is just a bolt and washer pressing against the zinc to keep it tight. You are correct that as the zinc decomposes slack or space will develop under the washer and bolt head which would allow it to loosen. I'm glad you pointed out the brand. Obviously if a boat is exposed to or has a stray current problem then the loosening problem would probably manifest due to zinc decomposition. On the other hand a boat with no exposure to stray current would not have a problem with the zinc screw and washer coming loose because the zinc would still be in it's original condition, fully intact. That explains why some folks have no problem with loosening and others do.

The original Perry Nuts were somehow cast together. The bronze nut core and the zinc shell were basically one piece, an excellent design but more costly because the bronze core was always replaced because it was a fixed part of the zinc. Nothing to seperate or come loose. They were locked on to the shaft with a cotter just like a typical prop nut.

The Canada Metal "Martyr" anode prop nuts are stated to be secured by " a locking pin and a special nylon patch hex fastener". I do not know what they mean by a patch hex fastener but intend to find out tomorrow. West Marine had no detailed info on these things, yet they sell them. I'll get in touch with Canada Metals and hopefully get the full scoop. I'll post a message on whatever I find out. Sounds from their basic description it might be the way to go as a replacement for the original Perry since they claim it can't come loose or cause vibration. A product certainly like a prop nut anode should not require 5200 or any caulk or adhesive be applied to hold parts in position, that means something is wrong with the design and it's an inferior part. I think you were fortunate you heard yours come off.

Canada Metal has a website for anyone interested in contact info. See the link below. Tom, thanks for the details you posted on the Electro - Guard.

[John R.]

Forget that Canada Metal link in the previous post. Their site has problems.

Here's their contact info:

Canada Metal
634 Derwent Way
Annacis Is.
New Westminister, B.C. V3M 5P8
Canada

PH: 604/525-0471
FAX:604/540-3650