Salt water Vs Fresh Water damage??

[Geronimo36]

I'll show you heads, exhausts, every freaking fitting and trailers that look different after dealing with the two waters.

In the end for the same boat I would rather have one that spent it's life in fresh water than salt water. I doubt many poeple would choose different all else being equal.

'Many people' are always right. Just look at who's our president.

There's no doubt that SW is corrosive, I was just stating that the comparison to battery acid was incorrect.

Exactly CigDaze!

GL, no one is saying salt doesn't have long-term effects on engine parts etc.... Our point is if you take care of your junk the effects aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be... Using your boat in salt once or twice is not going to ruin it, like some people believe and the "salt monster" wont eat you... :rofl:

My engine blocks/heads were manufactured in the early 1990's and have been raw-water (salt) cooled since assembled... I replaced a set of heads last year and the blocks are still original and have been rebuilt many times over the years... Most people can't even get their junk to last that long before completely blowing them apart in a melt-down...

Equally cared for boats, salt/fresh, the fresh water boat wins out.... There's no doubt about that...

And FYI, salt IS good for your skin....

 

[Geronimo36]

Your wiring will turn to junk too in the fresh water.

Exactly! Copper reacts with "OXYGEN" not water, whether it be fresh or salt.

 

[Seafordguy]

Just went thru my 575s. If the guy that had it before me EVER flushed I would hate to see one that wasnt.
Manifolds and thermostate eaten almost thru!

On our Outboards we used to pull the thermostats almost every year and toss them in the trash as a matter of de-winterizing. After we started using Salt-Away we quit doing that because the condition of the stats was dramatically better. I'm a believer.

And I agree - all else equal who in their right mind wouldn't choose a Fresh Water boat.

 

[Bradz]

How many time do you see a classified add for a boat that will say "freshwater only". It helps sell the boat. I do not think I have ever seen an add with "saltwater only" I have torn down and re-rigged fresh water and salt water boats. There is a big difference. I have seen salt boats where you can not even unbolt the outdrives or get the lower drive to let go if you get the bolts out.

 

[Geronimo36]

If you can't get an outdrive off a salt water boat it's because it hasn't been cared for and has been neglected. If I saw that I'd run for the hills... A salt water boat requires roughly double the care for of a fresh water boat.

When buying a boat I might have a stronger eye towards a fresh-water boat at first but it wont be the basis for my decision as there's plenty of neglected boats out there, both fresh and salt...

For instance, my buddy just bought a fresh water powerplay and when he first fired the engines the intake manifold was pizzinig water out from a crack so it had to be replaced. Then on the first test run we noticed one of the fairly new EMI tailpipes was leaking (again, fresh water boat) near one of the welds. He took the pipe off and there was a 3 inch hole inside the pipe.. He's used it once in salt water so I guess the salt monster must have done it! :rofl:

Frankly speaking, you fresh water guys have it easy!!! There's a lot less maintenance!

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I have lived and worked on boats in brackish {Cheaspeake}, Ocean salt {Jersey shore}, and now fresh. No question it is easier to care for a fresh water boat. I think salt water boats demands MORE than twice the effort. More cleaning, more maintenance, more parts replaced.

The thing about salt is when it dries and crystallizes it expands like water. Than add the corrosive effects. I have worked on some fresh water boats that are 30 years old. They look better and are easier to work on than a ocean boat 1 year old.

 

[Birdog]

Saltwater is demanding ! But, I think alot of saltwater boats come out of Fla...12 month season and BLAZING sun. Ages them. I have looked at northern Salt boats and they were much nicer

 

[Geronimo36]

Off topic but Salt or Fresh, I wouldn't actively want to buy a "poker run" or "race boat".

 

[Dude! Sweet!]

Off topic but Salt or Fresh, I wouldn't actively want to buy a "poker run" or "race boat".

I was 100% with you 'til you went there... :reddevil:

 

[Scarab KV]

Exactly! Copper reacts with "OXYGEN" not water, whether it be fresh or salt.

I have to disagree with that to a degree. If there's salt in the water, copper and aluminum is going react to it at a very accelerated rate versus freshwater.
I see it all the time with drivers who do sloppy wiring jobs on light bars they put on their trucks. Crimped butt connectors and scotch locks that aren't sealed don't cut it in exposed wiring. The guys who run south get away with it for a number of years before the corrosion problems start. Guys that run the northern routes in snow and salt will have those same corrosion problems in just one winter season.

I machine cut and polish all the aluminum on my truck to a mirror finish every spring. It will hold that finish until winter and it's salted roads. Salt will start to pit and corrode that finish in just one week. As long as the salt drys it won't do any damage, but if left on for a period of time in a damp or wet environment it will eat away at the finish and start pitting the aluminum. Water activates the corrosive attributes of salt. It's worse now with all the chemicals that gets mixed in with road salt like Calcium Chloride.

 

[Geronimo36]

I guess the statue of liberty is a junkpile! take care of your chit and dont let the salt water monster bite!

Debate it over the weekend, I'm going boating, see ya tuesday!

 

[Geronimo36]

Long weekend!

Put the boat in Saturday morning, went out with my wife and daughter. Saturday night I didn't even flush (oh dear!) the engines and used the boat on Monday in 4-6's out in the ocean and some 4-5's in narrows....

Luckilly the salt water monster didn't bite and we had a great weekend! :26:

I'm thinking I better junk all of it since it was sitting in the salt for the past couple days... lol:leaving:

 

[Ratickle]

I'm thinking I better junk all of it since it was sitting in the salt for the past couple days...

On my way to pick it up so you can save the disposal fees......


Just how nice a guy I am........:sifone:

 

[Bradz]

You are taking this a little too personal almost like we are attacking your boat as junk. Since you are an exception to the rule and take the time to care for your boat, your boat will live a long time. However the orginal post asked if there is a difference. The difference is most people do not take the time required to care for thier boat fresh or salt water use. That being the case the fresh water boats hold up much better with normal boat owner neglect.

Salt in the air... Go to Key West and look at the older trucks and cars. They rust from the top down unlike our midwest cars that rust from the bottom up from road salt.

 

[OldSchool]

Hey Craig, is Cambridge fresh, brackish or salt?


"Since the bay is an estuary, it has fresh water and brackish water. Brackish water has three salinity zones — oligohaline, mesohaline, and polyhaline. The fresh water zone runs from the mouth of the Susquehanna River to north Baltimore. The oligohaline zone has very little salt. Salinity varies from 0.5 ppt to 10 ppt and freshwater species can survive there. The north end of the oligohaline zone is north Baltimore and the south end is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The mesohaline zone has a medium amount of salt and runs from the Bay Bridge to the mouth of the Rapahannock River. the salinity ranges from 10.7 ppt to 18 ppt. The polyhaline zone is the saltiest zone and some of the water can be as salty as sea water. It runs from the mouth of the Rappahannock River to the mouth of the bay. The salinity ranges from 18.7 ppt to 36 ppt. (36 ppt is as salty as the ocean.)"

source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_Bay

Medium (See in blue above). Sorry for the late response, I was out ruining my boat all weekend!!! :sifone:

 

[Big Time]

Since you are an exception to the rule and take the time to care for your boat, your boat will live a long time. However the orginal post asked if there is a difference.

I think the point is that a saltwater boat can be every bit as clean as a fresh water boat, if not more, based on how well it is taken care of. I pulled my boat out last night, spent a good 1 1/2 hrs flushing and cleaning it (its only a since engine 29 ft boat), checking fluid levels, looking over the bilge for any leaks, sprayed a little WD-40 around, drained my headers, dried the boat, put my two covers on, etc.. I probably spent more time cleaning/washing the trailer alone (not even talking about the boat) than a lot fresh water guys spend cleaning their boats after a run (OK, that is a big generalization, but the pt is I spent a lot of time on it). I don't know too many performance guys over in my area that don't put in a similiar effort. Its the guys in the cruisers that keep their boats in the water all summer long that you really need to worry about.

 

[Geronimo36]

You are taking this a little too personal almost like we are attacking your boat as junk. Since you are an exception to the rule and take the time to care for your boat, your boat will live a long time. However the orginal post asked if there is a difference. The difference is most people do not take the time required to care for thier boat fresh or salt water use. That being the case the fresh water boats hold up much better with normal boat owner neglect.

Salt in the air... Go to Key West and look at the older trucks and cars. They rust from the top down unlike our midwest cars that rust from the bottom up from road salt.

Not at all boss, just poking some fun on the fresh water guys!!

I've been boating in salt water for 30 years so I definltely know what it can do so no need to educate me, just read back to my very first post on this thread. I state the same many times over and over again so I've been very consistend in my response.

I think the point is that a saltwater boat can be every bit as clean as a fresh water boat, if not more, based on how well it is taken care of..

Exactly, at least someone is payin attention!

 

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

If all you know is salt water you except to necessity of thorough cleaning and that meticulous care needed. Salt water boating in general is better boating in my mind. Great Lakes are the exception. Boundless boating. It is worth the extra care.

On the flip side, a salt water boat can never be as clean as a fresh water boat. It may be on the outside but, never in its entirety. Salt gets in all the places you can't clean too. To adequately clean a salt water boat you would need to disassemble it completely every year and scrape and clean the salt away from everything like all the internal gasket surfaces in the engine and drive for starters.

I grew up and spent most of my life coastal boating and love it. I do however enjoy working on boats that have never seen the salt. It is now easy for me to recognize a salt water boat. No matter how well cared for it may be.

Now the boats that don't get the extreme care are in a class of their own. Just one season of laze can change the boat for the worse with no chance of recovery. Boats that are 10 years old with salt use and little care can often be unserviceable.

I see it all the time. "I know it is a salt water boat. but I got it at a great price." Yea yea. They don't usually say that any more after the first service bill.

 

[Geronimo36]

If all you know is salt water you except to necessity of thorough cleaning and that meticulous care needed. Salt water boating in general is better boating in my mind. Great Lakes are the exception. Boundless boating. It is worth the extra care.

On the flip side, a salt water boat can never be as clean as a fresh water boat. It may be on the outside but, never in its entirety. Salt gets in all the places you can't clean too. To adequately clean a salt water boat you would need to disassemble it completely every year and scrape and clean the salt away from everything like all the internal gasket surfaces in the engine and drive for starters.

I grew up and spent most of my life coastal boating and love it. I do however enjoy working on boats that have never seen the salt. It is now easy for me to recognize a salt water boat. No matter how well cared for it may be.

Now the boats that don't get the extreme care are in a class of their own. Just one season of laze can change the boat for the worse with no chance of recovery. Boats that are 10 years old with salt use and little care can often be unserviceable.

I see it all the time. "I know it is a salt water boat. but I got it at a great price." Yea yea. They don't usually say that any more after the first service bill.

Jimmy, you pose a very balanced perspective and I happen to agree. :USA:

It must be really nice not having to add and extra hour/two onto each service estimate accounting for labor time to break free all those siezed bolts on every job, especially the older scals!:willy_nilly::willy_nilly:

 

[Big Time]

To adequately clean a salt water boat you would need to disassemble it completely every year and scrape and clean the salt away from everything like all the internal gasket surfaces in the engine and drive for starters.

I know it is not the same but every year I finish my boating season with a weekend on the lake. It may only be mental on my part, but I rest easier in the winter knowing that I got a fresh water "wash" right before I out it away. I even like to dunk the trailer a few times for good measure.