The sad fact of the matter is that aluminum boats are just susceptible to corrosion. Any metal boat is, of course, a candidate for corrosion, and aluminum boats are especially at risk when they’re used in salt water. And, of course, your boat insurance doesn’t cover the damage that the water does to your boat over time. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to protect your aluminum boat from corrosion.

It’s important, first, to understand exactly what corrosion is. Corrosion is the dissolving, softening or wearing away of a substance by interacting with its environment in either a chemical or electrochemical way.  Usually, corrosion refers to natural agents like air and salt water.

Naturally, you might ask why bother building an aluminum boat when they’re susceptible to corrosion. Well, an aluminum boat offers a great way to get performance and easy maintenance with a lower cost.

So, how do you deal with corrosion? There are several steps, mostly having to do with observation:

1. Start by being vigilant. Check your boat regularly. Decide to educate yourself about the causes of corrosion, as well as about the kinds of protective materials you can use to prevent organic material from building up.
2. Know the variables. For example, the electric activity nearby your boat, the temperature and salinity of the water and the presence of other metals all go into determining how fast corrosion can happen.
3. Avoid corrosion starters. Things as simple as copper pennies, shell casings or wire used as a fish club can be starting points for corrosion. Don’t ever leave these things in the bottom of your boat.
4. Know where to look. Inspect your boat at the key corrosion locations. These include places like bolt holes, places where there are scratches or dents, paint chips, edges and cracks.
5. Avoid buildup of organics. Plant material, algae and barnacles will all add to the possibility of corrosion.
6. Don’t mount anything metal. Don’t put anything but aluminum or high-quality stainless steel on your boat. Even fasteners should either be plastic or made of stainless steel.
7. Isolate the hull from electricity. Ground your battery to the boat motor. Don’t ground other electrical devices to the hull.

Photo via RickC