FRESH WATER TO SALT WATER?

[superiorcarpentry01]

I own a 1962 36' Chris Craft Constellation and I live in Midland, Michigan (Fresh Water) and I am moving to Corpus Christi, Texas (Salt Water) What do I have to change or do to get my boat ready for salt water? I don't want to spend a fortune, I just want it to be safe in the salt water.

 

[Buttanic]

Re: FRESH WATER TO SALT WATER?

You may need to change the type of bottom paint. A lot more growth in warm salt water. If your engines are not closed cooled they will need to be flushed with fresh water preferably after every trip. Keep the whole boat washed down. The secret to long life in salt water is to keep everything as free of salt as possible. Parts that may last 10 years in fresh water with no maintenance won't last a year in salt water. Anodes hav a shorter life in salt water so they will need to be changed more often. You might want to post this question in the general boating forum, this doesn't just pretain to Chris Crafts.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: FRESH WATER TO SALT WATER?

As Buttanic says, to the General Boating forum.

 

[jprasisto]

Re: FRESH WATER TO SALT WATER?

Are your engines fresh water cooled or raw water cooled? Agree the above post, lots of zincs! Put 'em on the shafts, rudders and trim tabs(though you prolly aint got em!)Talk to the new marina about bottom paint. Will it stay in all year? If so plan a haul out schedule for mntc. Mich. prolly gave you a pretty well defined season and Tx is certainly more liberal with the weather. Also, just for fun, check the clamps on your through hull fittin's. They should be stainless and doubled.(uh, and in good shape)(double uh, and the fittin's should be bronze) Above all, buy bigger fishin' poles Just make sure to lube up stuff real well, salt in the shorts do get abrasive. Interested in how you're gettin her down there??? <br />Now I got a few ideas about BBQ but that's a diffnt forum

 

[Texasmark]

Re: FRESH WATER TO SALT WATER?

Just remember, Chris Craft has been around for 50 years and probably spent more of that time in Salt Water.<br /><br />You're going to drop a couple of bucks to get that baby down here. Grin<br /><br />However, don't disagree with the suggestions at all. Great Ideas.<br /><br />And one more thing. You need a storm preparedness plan. We do have storms down here and you need to decide what you are going to do with your boat. Sometimes you have a lot of notice and sometimes just a half dozen hours or so. Some years we have several bad storms, and sometimes none. Sometimes they hit the Texas coast and sometimes they don't.<br /><br />Mark