A hull lot of new boat owners have a special interest in boat rust prevention this year.

Boating sales in the U.S. last year reached a 13-year record high, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Sales of recreational vessels are expected to remain at historic levels in 2021, with many manufacturers still scrambling to fill backorders from last year.

Whether you’ve got a personal watercraft, a wake boat, freshwater fishing boat or pontoon boat, schooner or later, you’ll need a plan to prevent rust and corrosion. These chemical processes are a threat to all types of vehicles, tools and electronics, but boats face unique risk. That’s because they are constantly exposed to the elements – water, in particular, and saltwater especially. Rust is a specific form of corrosion that occurs when oxygen meets iron meets moisture. Other chemical processes can cause other forms of equally damaging corrosion.

Corrosion damage can be very expensive to fix – and count on insurance help, either. As BoatUS Magazine notes, rust damage is rarely covered. Sometimes, insurers can fairly allege that even some accidents and cases of sunken boats are denied coverage because of the role corrosion played in the incident.

So you’re far from the first deckhand to face down possible rust-related boating blight. The U.S. Navy, for example, considers it a “$6 billion scourge.” But the military, just like many large auto makers and computer electronics suppliers, have all significantly reduced their losses on this front by employing something called vapor corrosion inhibiting technology (VCI). Now, it’s available to recreational vessel owners, and is highly effective at shielding boats from rust and corrosion damage while in storage.

How VCI Offers Boat Rust Prevention

VCI capsules release a colorless, odorless, non-toxic vapor that inhibits corrosion on a wide array of metal components, including iron, steel, nickel, aluminum, brass, copper and silver. (Rust is a specific type of corrosion solely affecting iron and its alloys, but Zerust products offer protection for many different metal elements on your boat. This is important because a significant number of boats and personal watercraft are made with aluminum, stainless steel or some combination of those.)

The vapor molecules attach to exposed metal surfaces to form an invisible, protective layer that blocks the electrochemical reactions that cause rust, tarnish and other types of corrosion. The vapor won’t adversely impact the mechanical or electrical properties of your vessel. In fact, it works to protect the functionality of your boat by blocking further damage to corrosion that isn’t yet plainly visible. This is important because a little rust has the potential to rapidly turn into a lot of rust on anything metal that’s kept in areas with high humidity, high temperatures and water (especially salt water).

VCI is not a brand new process, but Zerust has patented a product formula and delivery mode specifically designed to offer maximum protection to marine vessels. The high-performance capsules release rust-repelling, non-toxic vapor within a radius of up to 6 feet of an enclosed area.

Use VCI capsules to prevent boat rust, because once it’s visible, you’ll have a tough time treating it. Rust has the potential to eat away at the structural integrity of a vessel, weakening its seaworthiness. Strong metal is eroded into flaky, brittle powder. Boats on saltwater bodies are especially vulnerable because salt is another corrosive element, attacking not just metal but plastic too.

Zerust vapor capsules for boats will help, and you can purchase them by the case so you have them on hand for replacement whenever your boat goes back into storage.

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“>Contact Zerust for information on Vapor Capsules and boat rust prevention by emailing us or calling (330) 405-1965.

Additional Resources:

NMMA reports 13-year high for U.S. boat sales in 2020, Jan. 7, 2021, Boating Industry Magazine

More Blog Entries:

Don’t Let Boat Rust Keep You Anchored This Summer, May 11, 2019, Zerust Boat Rust Prevention Blog