"

Hello Art,

If you are planning to take the rudders right back to bare metal, then you should use a suitable metal primer before applying the bottom paint. Check the paint manufacturer's recommendations of specific primers and methodology for painting onto bare metal.

If however, the paint is in good condition and has been previously painted with the same product as the bottom coat, then you can go ahead with giving it a light sanding (80 grit) and re-apply the same paint over the top. Remember, the paint is ablative so sand lightly and make sure you don't go down to bare metal, otherwise you will need to prime. Also, make sure you give it a good wash with soap and water to remove any sanding dust and let it dry well before re-coating.

On the annode, the most important thing is that it make full contact with the whole of it's surface area to the bare metal of the rudder/trim tab. It doesn't really matter if you remove the annode before or after you paint, just don't paint under where it goes and don't paint the annode itself, it needs water contact to do its job.

Best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg