salt vs freshwater on my boat

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jekern1015

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 13, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Kearns, Utah
I have an aluminum Tracker boat with a 40hp 2 stroke and a 9.9hp 4 stroke as a kicker. What concerns should I have if I decide to put it in the Pueget Sound outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. I don't believe the swells of the ocean in the sound are any different than that of a large lake, since it is protected by a couple of large islands. Would running saltwater through my engines ruin them, or as long as I rinse them out there should be no problem.Thanks in advance for any info or comments you can provide me with.
 
Rinsing the boat is the easy part. Make extra effort on the trailer by using "Salt Away" or some other neutralizer. Be vigilent around the hubs and axle.

As for safety, I've been on Pugent Sound in near sea sick conditions. I won't say to do it or not do it but be smart about the days you pick if you choose to go out.
 
Salt Water

Easy rinse on your trailer, put it in freshwater soon after-- sooner the better. Put it in deeper than you did in salt. It's hard to rinse the inside if you have a tube frame. Even a galvanized trailer will rust if there are imperfections in galvanizing. Salt Away is ok, just hard to get inside.
Also wash and flush the motors-inside and out.
 
90%+ of the corrosion damage to an alum boat occurs inside from splash and salt deposits especially where a hose nozzle won't blast the stuff off.
under ribs/frames, around rivet heads, welds. liberal dose of SaltAway.

problem with the Straits of Juan de Puka and around the San Juan Is. is the long reach swells running W>E in the Straits and then a cross or trailing wind across the swells. We get some monster storms that roar down from Alaskan Pen/Bering Sea in the summer down the W. side of Vancouver Is and pour right up the Straits. will ruin a day on a small boat, even the bigger 30's get into trouble. WX around the Straits and SJ's can and does change quickly.

Wind comes up almost every afternoon 25>40 knots+

Through in 10 knot+ tidal currents and cold water 30 minutes to hypothermia death, they don't find many bodies

have seen the Straits glass smooth with not a ripple for 25 miles across to Canuck side. 1 hour later, raging blowing howling 8 footers that will beat a small boat under 40 ft to death.

watch the long range forecasts for wind/squall and wave conditions such as

1. [URL="http://www.atmos.washington.edu/data/marine_report.html"]http://www.atmos.washington.edu/data/marine_report.html
[/URL]

2. http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/marine/forecast_e.html?mapID=03&siteID=07003

3. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=PZZ131
 
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