Violent Rust Event??????

[Deep C]

As long as John has given us this great sub forum I wanted to toss a question out there... I have been at boating for about forty years now. I have seen rust before. It happens. But... Yesterday I had something happen I have never seen the likes of in my life!

We were having a very wet ride down from Daytona. Solid spray from 6-8 slop for 150 miles and six hours. As I was running I noticed my port windo starting to discolor to a kind of orange... It got worse as we ran... These are stainless and aluminum wipers built for sea duty and before my eyes the steel part rusted up and where it meets the motor went reallly bad...
There was a stain left that looked like this boat sat for years and it all took place in a few hours. The rust remover took it right off but way way bizarre. The other two wipers are fine just the one crapped the bed????
I noticed that her motor wasn't turning as smooth as the others and just have a theory. Nothing to back it up though. I'm wondering if some kind of short was feeding juice to the arm and blade and the salt water stream lit off some kind of wild electrolysis event...????

Anybody ever have anything like this or any ideas what could have went south in just one of three identical units?

[clt_capt]

Sounds like the seal in the motor went - probably let salt water into the inside of the motor - definitely a charge in there. It probably was an ongoing thing...

[Deep C]

Entirely possible... Eyeballing it the whole exterior is finished... Never saw anything like it...