What to apply to anodized mast after it has been scratched

[tidalwave]

When I bought my 26 , the dealer had it ready for me to trailer
home. I checked to make sure that everything was bungeed down including the shrouds. Unfortunately, the dealer had bungeed one shroud
over the mast without putting a wear pad between the two. When
I got home, the shroud wire had polished through the anodizing on the
mast...
I now have a bright shiny patch of aluminum on the mast.

Is there any kind of touch-up chemical I can use to partially coverup
the bright wear spot?

[moonie]

I use Aluminium paint on mine for small scratches.I just paint it on very carefully with a cotton bud.Looks fine.

[macxintosh]

Stopping the mast corrosion is most important. Cover the scratch with zinc chromate primer then paint with a matching color aluminum paint. Epoxy plus paint should also work for larger gouges provided the gouge does not compromise the mast.

[Sloop John B]

Gees, a shiny patch on the mast! I gotta run out with a flashlight and see what kind of shape I'm in. I don't mind looking a little unfashionable but if corrosion collapses this spar I think I will die, absolutely die.

[waternwaves]

kerist........

grab some of your wife/girlfriend/significant others nail polish in a matching color and be done with it... Aluminum will not stay bright and shiny for long.....and the oxide corrosion product is very tight...and sealing it with nail polish is plent..... Mast flexing will not remove the polish.

If you are really bothered....gets some room temp gun blue liquid (I'll check on what this is....) for aluminum at your sporting good store and, and this will work fine also.

[Tom Root]

Please tell me it isn't so....people really do repair scratches on their anodized aluminum?

If it were that important, then the 1976 25' Venture MacGregor I have sitting in the back yard and has logged years on salt water, should be just a Fiberglass hull! No mast, and other fittings left on her:?

Reality folks is that if you are that anal about rubbing and scratches, that's your buisness. Personally I think a few rubs gives it character....I use the damn thing!

Sheez, no bad comments if I take pictures, don't have a blue hull, and scatches all over my aluminum hardware...OK?

Having worked in Aerospace for decades, two major things to remember here. If the areas that are exposed to extreme humid conditions for a very long time, it may pose a problem. (decades) Second if the area is overlapped with disimilar metals and aluminum is the less noble metal, it may corrode galvanicaly, particularly in an oxygen deprived area, and again an electrolite solution (acidic) of some sort present. (Oh and never use aluminum wiring, even if it's free, it'l toast your boat!)

IMHO, no Aluminum surface is that vulnerable with the exception of possibly the pre-1999 rudder system on an X. And only others out there can attest to a failure because of corrosion being a factor. I again highly doubt it!

[Graham Carr]

FYI: here is a quote from Don Casey author of Inspecting the aging Sailboat". Actually Im not going to quote verbatim. A good coat of wax once a year will help prolong its life. Oxidation. For all metal parts on a sailboat, corrosion is the enemy, but on aluminum it is also a friend. The white powder coating of oxide that forms tends to protect the underlying metal from further corrosion. If you are that concerned its time to have it reanodized or painted.
Intersting

Graham Carr

[waternwaves]

additional info on aluminum oxidation on surfaces....

FWIW

Generally the aluminum oxide coating is tougher than any chemical coating or treatment.

the one exception to the letting it oxidize in place is if there is a lot of flexing or friction and the capability for a oxide surface to wear on an adjacant metal surface. Then a coating or electrocoat might make sense...