Is it a good idea to connect (bond) bronze through-hulls and other bronze hull hardware together and to the engine ground?
It used to be a common practise on wood and fibreglass boats to bond all metal objects in the hull which touched salt water together, and then connect them all with a wire to the main engine ground (the engine ground actually grounds to the sea water through the transmission, coupler, and propeller shaft). This galvanic bonding was thought to protect the through-hulls from galvanic corrosion, but now seems to have been a mistake, as older wooden and fibreglass boats are showing signs the bonding actually accentuated the corrosion to both the metal and in the case of wood boats, the wood. bonding damage to a bronze stern tube in a 1956 Chris-Craft “Sea Skiff” motor yacht…
