Steel Sailboat Restoration | Welding Repair for Electrolysis & Galvanic Corrosion

Back in the Wrangell shipyard with our 80’ steel schooner S/V Alaskan Gypsy. This time, we’re tackling electrolysis damage caused by years in a marina with stray current and neglected zincs. In this 16-minute update, you’ll see: • welding into pits and divots left by electrolysis in the hull plating below the waterline • how galvanic corrosion differs from electrolysis (with a reading from Scott Fratcher’s excellent resource here: http://yachtwork.com/report-corrosion.htm ) • how some weld seams had literally dissolved away • practical repair strategies discussed before sandblasting and epoxy primer • thoughts on long-term steel boat restoration This is part shipyard log, part technical dive into marine corrosion. If you’re into steel boat refits, welding, and real-world lessons about electrolysis, you’ll find plenty here. Subscribe for more long-form refit videos, welding updates, and the eventual return of the Alaskan Gypsy to Alaska’s wild coastline! We can't wait. But we'll wait. Good things take time, sometimes. ⸻ 📑 Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Alaskan Gypsy & Shipyard Update 01:00 – Electrolysis Damage in Ketchikan Harbor 02:20 – Welding Hull Divots & Seams 03:40 – Electrolysis vs. Rust Corrosion 05:00 – Cladding Small Pits with Weld Beads 07:10 – Sandblasting & Epoxy Primer Plans 08:20 – Audrey Drops By | To Blast or Not to Blast 09:30 – Stories from Other Steel Boats in the Yard 11:00 – Encouragement: Steel’s Surprising Strength 13:10 – Reading: Scott Fratcher on Electrolysis vs. Galvanic Corrosion http://yachtwork.com/report-corrosion.htm 15:20 – Closing Thoughts & Next Steps