Converting from fresh water to salt...........

[joetheis]

A YOUNG lad is coming today to pick up my boat, (you know the best 2 times in a boat owners life.......).
He looked at it Saturday in a snow storm and HAD to have it!
He's hauling it to L.I. to run in a bay.
I told him a number of times, this was a fresh water boat, you need a pump? heat exchanger? to run in salt water.
I know I shouldn't care, but I got ALOT of sweat in this boat, and would hate to see it killed.
Just what DOES he have to do to make the jump to salt water?
(He also bought my Mariner 9.9.O.B. at a "kicker". What does he have to do to that)?
Thanks!
Joe

 

[Bondo]

A YOUNG lad is coming today to pick up my boat, (you know the best 2 times in a boat owners life.......).
He looked at it Saturday in a snow storm and HAD to have it!
He's hauling it to L.I. to run in a bay.
I told him a number of times, this was a fresh water boat, you need a pump? heat exchanger? to run in salt water.
I know I shouldn't care, but I got ALOT of sweat in this boat, and would hate to see it killed.
Just what DOES he have to do to make the jump to salt water?
(He also bought my Mariner 9.9.O.B. at a "kicker". What does he have to do to that)?
Thanks!
Joe

Ayuh,.... Raw water cooled I/Os are run in the brine, All the time,.....
Regular flushin' with sweetwater is a Plus, but not mandatory,...

Ya Sold it,... Quit worrin' 'bout things ya got no control over,....

 

[thumpar]

Unless it has pretty low hours it is not recommended to convert to closed cooling. Personally I would let it go and not worry about it. You are not out anything if it gets ruined.

 

[alldodge]

A YOUNG lad is coming today to pick up my boat, (you know the best 2 times in a boat owners life.......).
He looked at it Saturday in a snow storm and HAD to have it!
He's hauling it to L.I. to run in a bay.
I told him a number of times, this was a fresh water boat, you need a pump? heat exchanger? to run in salt water.
I know I shouldn't care, but I got ALOT of sweat in this boat, and would hate to see it killed.
Just what DOES he have to do to make the jump to salt water?
(He also bought my Mariner 9.9.O.B. at a "kicker". What does he have to do to that)?
Thanks!
Joe

Guess you might be looking forward to the next best time later

Right now the boat should not have a heat exchanger installed on it. Stuff breaks loose quite often and just goes out the exhaust, so if a heat exchanger is installed on an older motor it will just start clogging the exchanger up. Just make sure it has Aluminum anodes on it, and try to flush it with fresh water and let it go.

As for the outboard, just mention to the guy to keep it flushed.

 

[GA_Boater]

Once the money changes hands and the paperwork is signed, it's all on the buyer. Why worry about the things you have no control over? Just make sure you tell him about iboats so we can tell him he shoulda listened to Joe.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Just what DOES he have to do to make the jump to salt water?

Thanks!
Joe

Just tell him to flush it well after every saltwater use.

Cheers

Rick

 

[tpenfield]

The young lad may actually know what he is doing in terms of running and maintaining a boat in salt water. Millions of people have been doing it for years and years. If you want you can have him post on this forum for any guidance.

Basically, it is anodes and anodes. . . . did I mention anodes?

If the engine is older, then a closed cooling may not be achievable, although I added closed cooling to my engines after 740 hours in fresh water. Now they have about 100 hours in salt water.

 

[GA_Boater]

TP - Did you do a rebuild including boiling the blocks and heads before adding the closed system. I remember your thread about adding the closed cooling, but I don't remember all the details. :doh:

 

[tpenfield]

TP - Did you do a rebuild including boiling the blocks and heads before adding the closed system. I remember your thread about adding the closed cooling, but I don't remember all the details. :doh:

No, I had new manifolds, and just flushed the engine block as best I could, but no rebuild or anything like that. Full closed cooling system, does blocks and manifolds . . . So, far so good.

 

[Lou C]

As noted many people run raw water cooled inboards in salt and the thing to watch out for is the risers and manifolds, they will suffer from the effects of salt water far sooner than the engine itself. Even then if you are careful (flushing, fill it up with the good -100 AF when you winterize to keep out air), you can get 5-7 years out of them maybe more but after that it becomes a gamble. The engine,at least 10 years may be longer if you flush and fill it with AF when you winterize. I'm up to about 15 years in the salt pond on this engine...it could be even more than that...

 

[tpenfield]

Yea, on my previous boat, I got 20 years in salt water running my 1991 Mercruiser 454 with raw water cooling. . . then the heads started to rust through . . . made a heck of a mess.

 

[joetheis]

Thanks!
I watched it roll away yesterday with mixed emotions, (and a frozen face)!!
It's just that I HAD a lot off sweat in that boat bringing her back from a heap, as well as time wood working on it.
It wouldn't matter to me if he wore something out, but the maintenance guy, (anal?) in me gets upset when something is ruined because of neglect.
He's from N.E.Pa. like me, this will be his first time in salt water.
I already have her replacement under yet another tarp in the yard.
A 19' Grumman SF fishing boat, (P.F.B.- Patty's (my wife), F........................... fine? Boat)! (she got addicted to catching fish and wanted a "real fishing boat").
Before he drove away, we talked, he knows about anodes and to change the ones on the boat, so I guess I did everything I could.
I mentioned that I get a lot of tips and advice here and should look here for guidance.
Joe
So many orphan boats, so little $$

 

[tpenfield]

Supposed to be one of the two happiest days in the ownership of a boat

Anyway, if the truth be told, many of us salt water folks get our used boats from the fresh water guys.

 

[GA_Boater]

You did your best, Joe. Now it's all up to the young lad. Time to move on to the Grumman and take the Admiral fishing.....er, catching.