Last summer, I bought a used 22 Fast Deck boat for my family's enjoyment. The person I bought it from had the wrong anodes and some loose current wires, which caused corrosion and pitting on the lower unit's paint while the boat was in the water. Throughout the season, I ran the boat weekly without any issues, except for continuous corrosion on the lower unit. Towards the end of the season, the water level at the dock was lower, and I didn't trim the boat all the way up, resulting in breaking off the lower part of the skeg.
Fortunately, nothing else was damaged, and the boat ran perfectly fine afterward. Now, I want to address the corrosion issue by removing it, resurfacing, priming, and painting as much of the lower unit as possible. I'd like advice from people who have experience with similar repairs.
Since I prefer not to remove the unit from the boat, my options are limited. I plan to cover everything thoroughly to prevent contaminants from entering the unit. One option is to have the lower unit sandblasted, although I'm unsure if this is ideal with the unit still installed on the boat. Another option is using a hand and electric grinder, followed by applying epoxy resin to fill, sand, fill, and sand to smooth out the pitting on the unit. I'm also considering adding a skeg saver or fill welding the missing part, which is less than 4 inches. Afterward, I would prime it with the correct Chromate primer (I would appreciate suggestions on the best brand) and paint it with the proper Volvo Penta grey paint. Finally, I would perform regular maintenance tasks such as oil changes and impeller replacements to ensure no contaminants enter the system. Any advice or recommendations on this process would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for any input that will be helpful in making this project successful.
Fortunately, nothing else was damaged, and the boat ran perfectly fine afterward. Now, I want to address the corrosion issue by removing it, resurfacing, priming, and painting as much of the lower unit as possible. I'd like advice from people who have experience with similar repairs.
Since I prefer not to remove the unit from the boat, my options are limited. I plan to cover everything thoroughly to prevent contaminants from entering the unit. One option is to have the lower unit sandblasted, although I'm unsure if this is ideal with the unit still installed on the boat. Another option is using a hand and electric grinder, followed by applying epoxy resin to fill, sand, fill, and sand to smooth out the pitting on the unit. I'm also considering adding a skeg saver or fill welding the missing part, which is less than 4 inches. Afterward, I would prime it with the correct Chromate primer (I would appreciate suggestions on the best brand) and paint it with the proper Volvo Penta grey paint. Finally, I would perform regular maintenance tasks such as oil changes and impeller replacements to ensure no contaminants enter the system. Any advice or recommendations on this process would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for any input that will be helpful in making this project successful.
