how do you salt water guys do it?

[stubbsboogie]

So we went to St. Augustine this weekend. Had a wonderful time. We love going there. Weather was nice water felt great, Saturday night the ocean was super flat got to go as fast as I could until I got tired of going that fast. Awesome
Whole weekend was great.

Then we had to come home. Got back, and began the process of cleaning, flushing and general maintenence stuff. SOOOOOO much work. You guys have to do that every time. Dont get me wrong I love our few times a year that we go to the ocean. But wow fresh water is so much easier than salt!!!

I do not think that I would go out as much if I had to do all this deep detail cleaning each and every time I went out.

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

In Charleston it rains at 10:35 and 2:20 that takes care of it.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

You may clean all you want, however, it s really only important to wash the salt off. After a salty trip, just hose her down (the boat I mean), and let her dry.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

we don't use boats that need a lot of cleaning. An hour of cleaning is an hour less of boating. That doesn't mean we neglect our boats; there are degrees of care that range from neglect to perfectionist. Many of us leave our boats moored or otherwise out in the sun, so we get boats that can handle it without a cover, or with minimal cover.
Think of it this way: if you have a collector car that you want to keep looking perfect, you don't drive it on a rainy day due to all the cleaning afterwards to return it to looking perfect (even though you won't "hurt" the car if you don't.) Driving a boat is like driving any car on a rainy day. So you get one that tolerates it.

There's a guy in my neighborhood who washes his car at least once week. I saw him blow-drying it with a leaf blower once. I wash mine when it needs it. Some people put a canvas cover on their cars; I park mine outside. His will look better after several years than mine, but it will still just be a Honda Accord.

The real effect from salt water is not from the water that splashes on fiberglass and chrome. It is the salt air. It gets everywhere. I live on the water, and have a harder time with salt issues around the house than on the boat--porch furniture, fittings, screens, etc. and even cars show the effects. I cover my AC units in the winter. On the boat, the salt air gets the electrical system long before the salt water gets the boat.
I am, however, disgusted with the cheap stainless steel that shows up in fittings, leaving rust streaks. At least I'm in good company.

 

[dingbat]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

?Deep detail cleaning? is a once a year deal. I detail the boat when I pull the boat when Spring Trophy ends in early May. After that, it takes me all of 10-15 minutes to rinse and flush, if I bother to flush at all, and put the cover back on.

 

[Philster]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Salt and coastal living is in my blood, and it's better than dealing with these non-coastal wackos:

>losers who can't launch their boats
>dopes who skip boating because it'll dirty the boat
>whack jobs who fret over three teaspoons of bilge water

The above-mentioned people don't seem to litter the coast. I guess the salt air kills them.

 

[rwidman]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

I have boated in salt water since I bought my first boat. I love the salt air. In salt water, you can go pretty much anywhere you want, provided your boat is capable and you have the money.

I hose the boat down. I wash it when I get the urge. Even wax it from time to time. Same thing when I had a trailer boat but I hosed the trailer down also and rinsed the brakes.

Unless you have a very cheap boat (with zinc hardware) or a painted steel trailer, salt water will not harm it.

 

[rwidman]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

......................I am, however, disgusted with the cheap stainless steel that shows up in fittings, leaving rust streaks. At least I'm in good company.

I just ordered some of this after seeing recommended on another forum. It hasn't arrived you so I don't know how well it works, but it's supposed to address the rust on stainless steel.

http://www.spotlessstainless.com/

 

[sasto]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Some would say I'm saltier than my boat. I was in freshwater once..... the shower. :redface:

 

[stubbsboogie]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Like I say I love love love going to the salt. It is a super fun time. I know that my boat is a freshwater boat, so the cleaning is really important to me as it was not designed for salt. All my hardware is good stainless steel and my trailer is a very nice galvanized trailer and the boat does fine. It is just alot more cleaning and work after it returns. Maybe I am being overzealous but thisis the nicest toy I have ever had and I want to keep it that way.

Salt air is great as is the water.

BTW Philster

> I can launch and retrieve my boat in seconds
> I did not say I would not go, I simply said it was alot more work than my normal freshwater lakes and rivers.
> I do not fret in the least about bilgewater.

 

[Beefer]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

I just ordered some of this after seeing recommended on another forum. It hasn't arrived you so I don't know how well it works, but it's supposed to address the rust on stainless steel.

http://www.spotlessstainless.com/

I'd like to hear your experience with it once you get it.

As for the OP, Home Cookin' is right on. We use boats that are made to be used. No carpet in the cockpit (who thought that was a good idea?), self-bailing cockpits, and true stainless steel (stainless does not mean stainproof unfortunately.

I hose it down when I get back to the dock, and occasionally, I'll even cover it. The biggest maintenance headache (for me) is keeping the outdrive free from growth.

 

[nlain]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Stubbsboogie, your boat will run in any kind of water you put it in. With proper care you will use it for many years without any problems that would not appear in freshwater use. I am in Saltwater 99% of the time, yes cleaning is a lot more detailed than freshwater, Saltwater use is all I have ever done with the rare freshwater run, you get use to it, it is part of boating. In my area there is always a brown ring around the boat from the water, it has to be cleaned off. Engine has to be flushed after every use, use may be several days in water, back on trailer and flush. Those of us that do it all the time it is just part of boating.

 

[rwidman]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

.......... I know that my boat is a freshwater boat, .................

How do you know your boat is a "freshwater boat" ?

What exactly is a "freshwater boat" ?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Have you folks looked up the metals in Stainless steel? First of all there are many types, from cheap to make to expensive to make, all with different properties associated with metal(hardness, malability, toughness, rust resistance etc). The number one ingredient in stainless steel is steel. Therefore even good SS can get a bit of rust....

 

[stubbsboogie]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Well what I mean is that it has lots of viynl and is not really designed to deal with large ocean waves, open bow. As was posted earlier you guys get boats that are better equipped to deal with the harsher environment. My boat likes freshwater, or maybe I like my boat beter in freshwater.
I know it will go in the salt water and be fine. I do take it there from time to time.
Again I certainly wasn't trying to rile anyone up, just making an observation that salt is a lot different than fresh water. No insult intended.

 

[dingbat]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

I just ordered some of this after seeing recommended on another forum. It hasn't arrived you so I don't know how well it works, but it's supposed to address the rust on stainless steel

It will do absolutely nothing to stop "rusting" stainless. Nothing short of having the offending parts chemically cleaned and re-passivated will resolve the issue.

?Rusting? stainless has nothing to do with the properties of the base material. The problem stems from ferrites that where imbedded in the base material during the forming and machining processes. Normally, the parts are passivated. Passivation is a process performed by first cleaning the surfaces with solvents or an alkaline solution to remove the ferrite residues. The parts are then placed into a passivation solution. For stainless, the solution of choice is nitric acid.

Unfortunately, strict EPA regulation on the disposal of the acids used for passivation are having companies using less effective methods, or skip the passivation process all together.

 

[dingbat]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Have you folks looked up the metals in Stainless steel? First of all there are many types, from cheap to make to expensive to make, all with different properties associated with metal(hardness, malability, toughness, rust resistance etc). The number one ingredient in stainless steel is steel. Therefore even good SS can get a bit of rust....

There are two problems with these statements.

1. No such thing as "cheap to make" stainless. Runs 8-10X at of steel to produce. Highly dependent on Nickel and Chromium prices.
2. There is absolutly no "steel" in Stainless. Fe, but no steel

 

[sasto]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

It will do absolutely nothing to stop "rusting" stainless.

Thats true... but there are measures to clean up the stainless and keep it looking good with constant maintenance. I have used Never Dull and Woody Wax very effectively. The Woody Wax also works great on bronze thru-hull fittings and the bronze seastrainer.

 

[sasto]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

How do you know your boat is a "freshwater boat" ?

What exactly is a "freshwater boat" ?

I would call a "freshwater boat" one that has an inboard motor with only a raw water cooling system. They tend to shorten the life of the engine if used in saltwater.

 

[stubbsboogie]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

I would call a "freshwater boat" one that has an inboard motor with only a raw water cooling system. They tend to shorten the life of the engine if used in saltwater.

Well satso that's exactly what I got.