A final shipment of anodes arrived in Wrangell late last month and divers will install them at three harbor locations throughout April. Anodes are a critical piece of infrastructure – they slow down the corrosion of metal pilings that hold floats in position in the harbor.
Last year, Harbor Master Steve Miller found out that Heritage Harbor didn’t have any anodes.
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“The anodes protect the pilings from basically rotting away,” he said. “Steel and saltwater just don’t get along and they tend to corrode and after 10 or 15, 20 years, they start showing it and then, of course, the cost of replacing them is much more expensive than putting in.”
He said there are many different electrical currents in the harbor, such as DC and AC currents, and they need to find a way to ground. This results in the metal corroding.
The anodes act as a “sacrificial metal” that are attached to the metal pilings.
Wrangell’s most recent pilings were installed in 2009 at Heritage Harbor. Miller said that although these pilings are new, they look older than other pilings that have anodes attached to them.
Divers will install 830 anodes at Heritage Harbor, the Marine Service Center and City Dock, a T-shaped dock where cruise ships moor.
Wrangell’s borough manager, Mason Villarma, said out of all the locations, Heritage Harbor is the primary focus.
“Heritage Harbor was the worst site, just with all the vessels there that conduct DC currents that don’t really have anything to latch on to other than the pilings themselves,” he said. “There’s some hotspots there, so Heritage getting those on there will be the biggest concern.”
City officials anticipate completing the project by the end of April.
Miller asks patrons to keep an eye out for divers and to give them space so they can complete the work.
