Ships are susceptible to something called corrosion and zinc anodes have them covered! Metals release back into the water, causing corrosion or when metal is worn away and injured by saltwater and other chemicals. This material softens with temperatures high enough to dull metal, and sometimes it will crack. Zinc metal is perfect for stopping this from occurring on ships since it works in the form of a protective fence.
Ships remain in water all the time, and that is hard on steel. This is why we need to protect them in the first place. Zinc anodes sacrifice themselves to corrosion, so the rest of the ship does not have to. Specifically, it acts as a strong shield that shields the ship from being wounded by ocean sea in any way.
Picture this: zinc is essentially a magnet for anything bad that could damage a ship. As the ship sails in saltwater, the zinc anodes take all the salt and other corrosive features to them before it destroys the metal. It does this because it avoids the hull being damaged, which is very key when you are in open waters as weather can change really quick and if you sustain a hole... it turns into a bad day.
What makes zinc anode cool is they are sacrificial. They are thus designed which actually wear and tear or progit from ship rather than the ship metal itself. That is why, every time the ship docks or gets serviced, its old zinc anodes are taken out and new ones are inserted. This protects the boat against corrosion on a regular basis. It would be equivalent to changing the batteries in a toy to keep it functioning!
These zinc anodes protect the ship from corrosion, keeping the metal strong and preserving its use. This ensure that the ship is always prepared for whatever comes their way, be it squalor or a sudden obstruction. Over time, the metal of the ship would become weakened since they are constructed using zinc anodes (which could have deteriorated from corrosion), thus can be easily destroyed; a risk for sinking.
That is why zinc anodes are used to avoid corrosion in ships and prevent them from becoming old sooner. They are a special layer that consumes all the evils that would damage the metal of the frame ship! It has helped keep the ship as one of the strongest — and longest-lasting — in any fleet.
This call for a zinc anode is that the zinc anodes work as a shielding layer, They wear out instead of harmful things very easily and can be replaced afford-ably. It indicates, that ships are always safe from corrosion and their metal will remain strong for many years. Keeping your zinc anodes up-to-date is one of the best ways to maintain your ship.