Leaving in salt water for a week

[newbote]

I searched for this but haven't seen anything specific. I am planning on leaving the boat in a canal off the ICW for a week while on vacation. How many of you have done this and what do you do about flushing the motors. I am coming from an outboard and when I left it in the water for a week if I used the boat everyday I didn't necessarily flush it every day but when I did I just trimmed it up and hooked up the house. The tow boat operators never flush as they use their boat every day with no effect and their motors last for years.

However - a little nervous with the jet engines on how to handle this. Are there issues with not flushing for a week - I will obviously rinse/wash the boat everyday but wondering if it will really matter if I don't flush. Plus if you don't lift it out of the water not sure it does any good anyway to flush the motors.

 

[robert843]

No need to flush until you pull it out then flush and clean everything good and maybe use some salt away.

 

[jpass]

Definitely use the Salt-Away when you do finally take her out at the end of your stay. If you happen to pull the boat out during the week, then I'd flush the motors while she was out.

 

[Bruce]

What kind of boat did you buy?

For Yamahas no problem. I suggest spraying things that might corrode with protective oil before launching then flush the engines and apply more protective oil after your vacation.

My boat has spent one to two weeks per year in salt water for the past four years without any issue. I tow the boat home and flush the engines by spending a day on a very clean lake.

 

[2nazt]

Agree with all the above. I used mine in the keys tied to a mooring buoy for a week with no ill effect. Just rinse real good once you're done and spray everything with a Yamaha spray at the end.

 

[Julian]

Agree with all the above....rinsing the trailer would be a good idea too!

 

[Drift Away]

What kind of boat did you buy?

For Yamahas no problem. I suggest spraying things that might corrode with protective oil before launching then flush the engines and apply more protective oil after your vacation.

My boat has spent one to two weeks per year in salt water for the past four years without any issue. I tow the boat home and flush the engines by spending a day on a very clean lake.

I was wondering about that with our boats sitting in the water in Bimini. What kind of protective oil do you spray on your jets?

 

[Bruce]

I was wondering about that with our boats sitting in the water in Bimini. What kind of protective oil do you spray on your jets?

Years ago I bought a gallon or more of CRC 6-56. I spray it on the engine compartment parts that are likely to corrode. I have sprayed it on the jet nozzles but the jet pumps have anodes and will not have any issue with a week in salt water. After two weeks they start to show a little growth that comes off after some hard runs in fresh water.

 

[newbote]

What kind of boat did you buy?

For Yamahas no problem. I suggest spraying things that might corrode with protective oil before launching then flush the engines and apply more protective oil after your vacation.

My boat has spent one to two weeks per year in salt water for the past four years without any issue. I tow the boat home and flush the engines by spending a day on a very clean lake.

I put a deposit on a 17 AR 240 and was just doing some final research before I fully commit. When I moved inland I sold my center console and am really biased to outboards. However I think with using this in a lake and kids wanting to do water sports it will be the best for how we will use it most of the time.

I will still fish when I take it to the gulf as I think fishing off the swim platform will work just fine. I will just have to figure out how to rig up a livewell. If anyone has any ideas on that I am all ears .

It's good to hear having it in the water for a week will be ok. I sprayed my Suzuki outboards down as well to prevent corrosion and after 5 years of only running in saltwater under the cowling still looked brand new.

 

[Bruce]

My family as well as many others fish from the swim deck. Some have installed rod holders and setup bait tables.

How about plumbing an ice chest as a live well?

Here is a short video of some amature fishing from the swim deck.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

As they say in the Bahamas ...."No problem mon!"

 

[ken4motion]

Speaking from my personal experience, I've kept the boat in the water for about 14 days, with regular use. The 14 days were the longest. These pictures are the result of that stay. Once week is not nearly as bad. This was kept in a salt canal in LI. It was a job to clean. I did notice small hard growth forming as well. It looked like new after a good wash with a brush. I used hull cleaner on the sections that were stained. Looked great afterwards. Three "short" LI seasons with the boat now and I use salt away on a regular basis...

 

[njmr2fan]

All good advice Im reading, and Im thankful for it all. I may have the opportunity to bring our AR190 to Cape Coral over the holidays and Im trying to prepare and educate myself on proper salt water care. Our boat is fresh water only and Ive always flushed it with a garden hose after every use anyway. If I understand everything correctly ill be fine by giving the hull and jet a quick foam spray of saltaway and then pressure wash / rinse it off. as well as rising the motor with a saltaway flush. My boat would be on a lift, so it wont remain submerged. Anything Im missing?

Is salt away environmentally safe for use in an open canal?

 

[MrMoose]

All good advice Im reading, and Im thankful for it all. I may have the opportunity to bring our AR190 to Cape Coral over the holidays and Im trying to prepare and educate myself on proper salt water care. Our boat is fresh water only and Ive always flushed it with a garden hose after every use anyway. If I understand everything correctly ill be fine by giving the hull and jet a quick foam spray of saltaway and then pressure wash / rinse it off. as well as rising the motor with a saltaway flush. My boat would be on a lift, so it wont remain submerged. Anything Im missing?

Is salt away environmentally safe for use in an open canal?

You'll want to spray it down with Saltaway from top to bottom because everything will have salt residue, including the cockpit, cup holders, seats... everything from top to bottom.

 

[2nazt]

I believe salt a way is safe use in a canal. It states non toxic, biodegradable etc. Spray everything with it like @MrMoose said. Also if you have the Yamaha spray stuff I would coat motors and everything before hand. But a short trip all in all I wouldn’t stress a whole lot just run and clean her when you get home top to bottom.

 

[Eric Ballard]

If you did want to flush the boat while it sits in salt water you just have to clamp off the water feed from the jet pump and connect a hose like you would in your driveway. This is the same clamp location you use when getting towed too. Sorry no pictures, but someone may have something they can add. The below link has some good info on this too.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-to-add-a-shutoff-valve-to-your-boats-cooling-system.411/

 

[2nazt]

@Eric Ballard he will be on a lift so flushing shouldn't be an issue as far as being in the water.

 

[swatski]

@njmr2fan Salt Away is in fact completely safe an biodegradable.
(Otherwise we couldn't enjoy craft beers!!!)

But seriously, the main active ingredient in Salt Away, sulfamic acid, is widely used in dairy and home/craft brewing as a cleaning agent. The residue left behind in the system gets neutralized into innocuous salts (reacting with ammonia NH3) without producing chlorine or other corrosives.

Heck, I think they even make sweetener out of it!

--

 

[Betik]

As far as the hull goes, I washed and waxed top and bottom 2 weeks prior to towing from Texas to Florida.
I dropped in the canal at 3pm on Saturday. I stayed at the canal until Monday 6:30 am when we started for Bimini. I returned to the same filthy canal on Saturday at 10am and was boat was out by 11am. There was clear black ( and some yellowish marks). We drove back to Texas and put the boat in the lake on Monday evening. I run the boat at 40+mph with only one tab fully deployed. I washed the boat on Tuesday and hull looked just as clean as it was 2 weeks prior to the trip.
I believe the wax helped a lot in removing the nastiness on the hull. I did not have to put much of an effort.

I spayed the metalic parts with Corrosion X and jets ( minus the anodes) with silicone. Besides a couple of rusty spots at the connections they looks just as good.

 

[zipper]

I spayed the metalic parts with Corrosion X and jets ( minus the anodes) with silicone. Besides a couple of rusty spots at the connections they looks just as good.

"Minus the anodes" Exactly right, now long does it take to deteriorate a mag. anode in salt water? I know zinc anodes are for salt water use. Would anybody add "zincs" for short week-long dips in the ocean? What if any corrosion on aluminum parts or corroding anodes have you Bimini folks noticed?