Positioning Zinc Plates on Boats for Maintenance

"Hi, I'm Albert Hedgepath with Expert Village, and today we're going to talk a little bit about boat maintenance. Another really essential part of boat maintenance is making sure that your zincs are good. Zincs are actually there to make sure that the actual metal parts on the engine and on the outdrive itself don't rust and corrode while in the water. They pretty much break down and attract all the rust to them, so that your actual working parts don't end up rusting and oxidizing. Zincs like this are usually on the back of most outdrives. These usually are tightened, and they actually give a plane that'll counter the rotation of the props so that the boat can be guided in a straight direction. These usually lock a little off center, just to give enough planes so that the boat tracks straight. You'll also have zincs on your trim tabs, and on your actual boot mounts. Any place that's under water that has bolts should have a zinc merit. All that's going to do is it's going to increase the longevity of the parts, the actual working mechanisms that are on the boat, and it's going to ensure that the engine has a long life and doesn't lock up on you."