how do you salt water guys do it?

[rwidman]

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.

"Inboard"? Or I/O? I don't see many inboards around here except in larger boats. My boat is an inboard. My previous two were I/Os with raw water cooling. No problem.

I/Os are common around here and most of the smaller ones use raw water cooling. They were even more common on the Chesapeake Bay when I lived near there.

While the terms "fresh water boat" and "saltwater boat" are used by some, I don't believe there is a difference.

Sea Ray, for instance, does not have one catalog for "fresh water boats" and another for "salt water boats".

 

[Philster]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

The answer to the OP's question really is along the line of this: Because it's worth it. Coastal life is worth it. Whether it's extra care around the house, or extra care around the boat, it's worth it.

Triple my pay and I am not moving. Quadruple it and I'm not moving. I need to be near an ocean. Cleaning a boat is not a chore. I don't even understand how it can be seen as one. I sit by the sea, cleaning out my boat (a good engine flush is the real necessity) and wouldn't DARE think of it as work. Look around, breath in... enjoy! The boat gods will straighten your wussy arse out with some seriously bad boating karma, if you were to consider any part of it as work. Scrubbing down, flushing, etc.... ahhh... you catch whoever is willing to listen and trade stories about your day. Storms, rain, wind, sun, fish, no fish, tubing, etc. Whatever comes up as you enjoy scrubbing the boat... that is pleasure. Looking down on your skin and noticing the salt crust just sitting there after being out all day.... and feeling it and tasting it. That's living.

To see it any other way is completely and utterly begging the boating gods for trouble.

Salt is an excuse to hang out with the boat longer. Ya know, ya gotta get her good and clean. Man, if you can't grasp that, join the "Dry Bilge Club" (Midwest Chapter is always growing) and tell stories about that wax job that lasted the whole season.

The only way it gets better is with some brewskies and freshly caught blue claw crabs.

 

[Philster]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

deleted

 

[Lou C]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

My way of dealing with it is I maintain the mechanicals very well because I need it to be reliable, but the cosmetics are not that important to me. I treat this boat as if it were a work boat that has to be reliable but a few scrapes and nicks don't matter. The boat was 14 years old when I got it and if anything it's in better shape now. You do have to be more vigilant with maintenance especially with a raw water cooled sterndrive but they do not automatically self destruct because of salt water. I wouldn't trade costal living for anything. I live up on a hill overlooking a protected harbor on Long Island. Salt air, marine life, beautiful scenery. And the water is always deep enough for boating, droughts don't really affect us. Here is my view out the back of my house....

 

[likalar]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

..... The boat gods will straighten your wussy arse out with some seriously bad boating karma, if you were to consider any part of it as work. Scrubbing down, flushing, etc.... ahhh... you catch whoever is willing to listen and trade stories about your day. Storms, rain, wind, sun, fish, no fish, tubing, etc. Whatever comes up as you enjoy scrubbing the boat... that is pleasure. Looking down on your skin and noticing the salt crust just sitting there after being out all day.... and feeling it and tasting it. That's living.......



Salt is an excuse to hang out with the boat longer. .....
The only way it gets better is with some brewskies and freshly caught blue claw crabs.

Oh, man, you've got it real bad! Do what you love, and love what you're doing! I'm glad you've found it!
Larry

 

[rwidman]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

........... I live up on a hill overlooking a protected harbor on Long Island. Salt air, marine life, beautiful scenery. And the water is always deep enough for boating, droughts don't really affect us. Here is my view out the back of my house....

But you can improve on that by moving to a place where the water isn't iced over six months of the year!

 

[Lou C]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

But you can improve on that by moving to a place where the water isn't iced over six months of the year!

true Ron, maybe I can keep the house in LI and get a house in a costal region in SC for the 3 months of winter......

 

[rwidman]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

true Ron, maybe I can keep the house in LI and get a house in a costal region in SC for the 3 months of winter......

Yes, one sold here recently for $7.5 M. It was listed for $10 M. Surprisingly, there are some pretty cheap waterfront homes around here but you wouldn't want to live in the neighborhood. Apparently, nobody wanted to live near the water thirty years ago.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

fresh water is harder on any wood parts you have- seat bases, backing/core behind gunnels, improperly installed screws become a bigger problem.

Fresh water rots wood!

 

[Pirate_40]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Growing up salty and boating in the salt all my life, I sometimes would wonder if freshwater boating would be easier. I'll probably never know.

Twice a season I do a full detail, once in the spring and again in August. I pull it for the mid-season clean. Everything gets a coat of wax. The fiberglass, all metal pipes and rails, windshield, etc. A small sacrifice to maintain a showroom finish all year long.

After a trip I spend a little time cleaning. Sometimes it's blood on the deck, and sometimes it's chips, crackers and spilled beer. No matter what it is, it takes me 45 minutes to hose the whole boat, chamois dry it and snap up the canvas. During that time the engine is being freshwater flushed with a second hose.

How do I do it, you ask? That's all I know for the last 18 boating years.

 

[Divecaptchris]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

I live on a fresh water spring fed river that leads to the gulf! the last mile of my trip to the house is a fresh water rinse for my motors! THATS the trick

 

[sasto]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Growing up salty and boating in the salt all my life, I sometimes would wonder if freshwater boating would be easier. I'll probably never know.

How do I do it, you ask? That's all I know for the last 18 boating years.

I think you summed it up for me too. I don't mind the salt life. And......I wouldn't know what to do if there was snow on my boat and the lake was froze over, glad we're all different, and in different areas..

As for stubbsboggie...I bet you had a good time..... A great place to visit, although we have never boated that area. No harm no foul, do it again and enjoy yourself. If ever our way, give a shout.

 

[Lou C]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Yes, one sold here recently for $7.5 M. It was listed for $10 M. Surprisingly, there are some pretty cheap waterfront homes around here but you wouldn't want to live in the neighborhood. Apparently, nobody wanted to live near the water thirty years ago.

Well believe it or not here in LI in certain areas you can get houses right near the beach, full waterview, beach community, mooring rights, use of ramp/dock for the high 800s to 1.5 M. The taxes are high here though and winters are long...but not that bad for the beauty that's there.

oh and as far as what's harder on boats,...the worst thing that can happen to a fiberglass/wood composite boat is wood rot. Rot is caused by a fungus, that thrives in freshwater, but does not live well in salt water. So in freshwater I bet it's more common to see rotted transoms than in salt. Yes the metal fittings have to be higher quality, if you have a sterndrive you're better off with full closed cooling...but like I said they do not self destruct unless not maintained. The only thing that might stop me from getting another I/O is the fact that I keep it on a mooring in that harbor in the pix I posted. It is a high fouling area and the paints they have now for aluminum do not work that well, you get barnacles and soft growth. It's a mess to say the least. If the anti fouling paints worked better and there was a way to keep the barnacles off the drive bellows I'd get another. Outboards are more complex but need less maintenance in this environment....

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

wooden boat people around here call fresh water "sweet water" (such as rain water, fresh water in a tank) and regard it like battery acid.

 

[dingbat]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Outboards are more complex but need less maintenance in this environment....

Interesting comment. How are outboards more complicated?

 

[Lou C]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Interesting comment. How are outboards more complicated?

Inboard V-8/V-6
pushrods overhead valves, two valves per cylinder, one timing chain, single carb, older models simple mechanical fuel pump. Newer models do have electronic fuel injection, some have both a low pressure and high pressure fuel pump.

Outboards
older models, carbed, V-6 has 6 carbs, VRO or other oil injection system, if it fails it burns up pistons, if the carbs go lean same thing.

newer models, either high pressure direct injection, high tech expensive injection pump, high and low pressure fuel pumps, VST tanks that can clog because of ethanol. electronic fuel injection or overhead cam 4 stroke, 4 valves per cylinder, belt or chain overhead cam drive, basically Japanese car engine turned on its end. Both much more complex than old school Chevrolet based small block V8/V-6.

One area where OBs are more simple is the power transmission to the prop, no gimble or ujoints.

My issue with modern OBs is that troubleshooting and some repair now out of the hands of do it yourselvers. We old school guys can still adjust points and tune a Quadrajet on our old school I/Os....

 

[veritas honus]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Philster,

I read your reply three times... YOU DA MAN!!! Very well spoken. This is the essence of the boating frame of mind. And don't forget the Old Bay with those blue claws...

 

[Philster]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

Old Bay: YES, of course! Y'all have Old Bay potato chips down there in The South ?

 

[dingbat]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

My issue with modern OBs is that troubleshooting and some repair now out of the hands of do it yourselvers. We old school guys can still adjust points and tune a Quadrajet on our old school I/Os....

It guess it boils down to our definitions of ?complicated?.

To me, complicated means, ?something consisting of numerous parts, intricately combined". i.e. valve train

Your definition appears to be, ?something difficult to analyze, understand, or explain?. i.e. anything made after 1975.

 

[Lou C]

Re: how do you salt water guys do it?

It guess it boils down to our definitions of ?complicated?.

To me, complicated means, ?something consisting of numerous parts, intricately combined". i.e. valve train

Your definition appears to be, ?something difficult to analyze, understand, or explain?. i.e. anything made after 1975.

Well I have no problem maintaining our 2007 Grand Cherokee, 1998 Grand Cherokee, and 1998 Subaru Outback. All have been maintained by me since new (except the 07 which I bought used last summer). I have the factory shop manuals for all 3 and an OBD-II scanner. The OB manufacturers do not make it that easy. There is not a generic scanner available that I am aware of that can be used to trouble shoot modern OB problems. If there is then I'd like to hear about it. I have fixed 3 check engine lights with no trip needed to the dealer at $105/hr diagnostic fee (one on the 98 Jeep 2 on the 98 Subie) with the generic scanner.

Valve trains are complicated but so are DI outboards. You can't buy the simple carbed OBs most places new anymore...I would not want to maintain 6 carbs on one engine, in this era of ethanol fuels...