[Chris Burkard]

Can shaft anodes cause vibration? The short answer is yes. The long answer is it is unlikely they are the direct cause of the vibration.

If the vibration just appeared out of nowhere, meaning you did not hit or strike an object, then it is mostly likely one of two things happened: 1) The cutlass bearing is worn and the shaft is now moving around within the strut housing causing the vibration. Cutlass bearings are wear items and have to be replaced from time to time just like the brake pads on your car. If you run in clear, calm water and your engines are properly aligned and your shafts and props are balanced, your bearings should last 3 to 5 years. Running in rough water, turbid water, or if your engine is out of alignment  or something is off balance will cause your cutlass bearings to wear faster. Going back to your original question, if the shaft anodes slide back and block the water flow to the cutlass bearings, this can rapid wear to the bearings. So indirectly, yes, shaft anodes can cause vibration in the form of premature bearing wear. 2) The other possible out of the blue vibration issue could be an engine shifted and is no longer aligned. Running in rough water can cause an engine to shift alignment. A loose engine mount bolt can cause an engine shift. Storing a boat out of the water on a couple of keel blocks and some jack stands for extended periods can cause the engines to come out of alignment. A proper supporting cradle would be a better way to store a boat out of the water.

I hope this gives you a little better understanding of vibration, although the above is by no means a complete list.

Good luck and let us know how it works out!