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Why Some Stainless Boat Hardware Rusts
Stainless boat hardware rusts for three specific reasons — wrong grade, no passivation, or crevice geometry. Each leaves a distinct corrosion pattern and has a direct prevention at the specification or fabrication stage.
Marine Metal Finishes: Passivation vs Electropolishing
Passivation and electropolishing both improve corrosion resistance in marine stainless steel — but through different mechanisms, to different degrees, and at different costs. Here’s how to specify the right one for each application.
Preventing Corrosion in Marine Stainless Steel and Aluminum Parts
Marine hardware fails in a predictable sequence: wrong alloy, inadequate finishing, then design flaws that create corrosion pathways. Preventing it means addressing all three, not just specifying stainless.
Galvanic Corrosion Between Stainless and Aluminum
Stainless steel and aluminum are both excellent marine materials individually. Together in direct contact in saltwater, they form a galvanic cell that corrodes the aluminum. The fix is a design decision, not a material change.