Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

[sasto]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

[QUOTE
Saltwater boating is not a big deal.....Maybe I just don't know any better.

Sasto, the boats you and I have are made for either and last longer. There are some, however, with cheaper metal fittings and hasty electronics that aren't. It's like as I have experienced, getting a fresh water lure or even rod/reel and watch it rust or turn green.[/QUOTE]

You have a good point, Home Cookin'. The best thing I ever found for deck fittings and such is Woody Wax. I apply it and leave it on for days sometimes.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Sell it up there. Move here and buy this

1. No carpet
2. No plywood seats covered with cheap vinyl
3. Nothing that resembles a camper that floats
4. Nothing that does not have a decent deadrise. Unless you like getting beat to death.
5. Nothing that when sitting in the cabin you can tell when the sun is shining
6. Forget 5. You aren't going to use the cabin much anyway.
7. Outboard only. No I/O's
8. Don't even think about leaving it in a slip or in the water. It will be useless in 60 days. How many times have I seen that one.


1. A local manufacturer. Even a few of them are iffy.
2. Come home lift on the lift, rinse it inside and out with a garden hose and some soap. Flush the motor and go in the house. Its supposed to be fun. If you really want to boat down here buy the house with a lift. You will not trailer a boat and enjoy it when you get to the ramp, your sunburned, its 110 on the black pavement and you have to deal with idiots. Plus its one thing to have a beer, be responsible and boat down your canal to your house. Its a whole different ball game at the ramp.
3. No steel trailers here. For what its worth, you will rarely see a roller trailer here, if at all.
4. Its cheap, because its cheap.
5. Buy a Florida boat for use in Florida. No different than me moving up North on a lake and bringing my 26ft inboard diesel Dusky. Wrong boat for that use.

Boating is different here. No better or worse just different. This is a harsh environment. Things that were made to exist in a fresh water environment will fail here.

One point I forgot. Any house you look at make sure it is very low tide when you are there. It is pointless to buy a house on the water and pay all the extra money in insurance if you can only come and go at high tide. Don't trust the realtor. Talk to the locals. You will never enjoy living there if your goal was to move there to boat. Plus think about it. The deeper the water the bigger the boat the more the property is worth. At one point in my old neighborhood it was cheaper to buy a 900ft very small house and put your 40ft boat out back than it was to pay for a slip every month. That didn't last long.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

The folks railing against salt water usage are alarmists, and likely most of them have no salt water experience. The most important question you need to ask is whether the size and design of the boat is suitable for the new salt water environment? For example, a 14' semi-vee rowboat may feel big on a small lake, but put that same boat in a large bay, and it will get real small real fast. So is the Maxum suitable for your new salt water playground? if so, enjoy it.

On those I/Os, if you have raw water cooling, you will need to replace risers and manifolds, every 8-9 years. The cost is significant but the job is easy. I would pull each manifold bolt in turn and rub some marine grease on the threads so it won't seize. Decent quality boats like Maxum will already have marine wiring and hardware, so no worries there.

You will need antifouling paint on the bottom if it stays in a slip.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

One more item, install round clamp-type zinc anodes on the stainless trim rods and wire them to the Outdrive trim cylinder mounting bolts. The rubber mounts can isolate them, and you want them grounded. You need zinc anodes on stainless trim tabs, if you have them. Don't forget the standard ones for the outdrive.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Chris where do you live?????

 

[idonthaveaname]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Good advice from a lot of you guys. I liked kahuna123's response. Anyhow...I am a born and bred south FLA boy. Lived in the north once and ONLY once. I never realized it could get that cold. Brrrrr! Well...the remainder of this life it will be sunny and warm. Although we can fish the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee (fresh) as well as the deep blue sea and all parts in between (you will think I am crazy) I have never heard of a fresh or salt water boat. That said, I can offer this:

I would not own a I/O. It limits the areas where you can fish.
I would not own a boat larger than trailerable meaning 25' max but preferably about 17' to 21' with twin O/B and anything but a Merc.
My next boat will be a Key West and you should consider one.
I own a tinnie now (first one) and use it in salt and fresh. It may not last 30 years, but I keep it clean and flushed.
Sure...there will be corrosion. That is the way of life in FLA oceanside, but keep it clean, waxed, etc. and it will last a long time. Salt destroys everything including your house if you are close enough to the water.
I love it here and wouldn't live anywhere else.

 

[zagger]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

To Op, I had a Maxum for 12 years and run it 95% of the time in salt. Flushing/washing it after every use is a must as well as an galvanized trailer. Don't even concern yourself about wires, carpets etc, they were all made to take salt use. There is a cult out there that will scream bloody murder every time they hear salt but from my experience it is no worse than fresh water and well maintained boat will last a long time no matter where you use it. The only thing I had to replace after 8 years was the manifold riser and there was no signs of rust enywhere else. I had the boat on the market for 12 hours before it sold and this is how corroded it was after all this time of salt water use.

 

[Chris1956]

Kuhuna, I have owned a house on a salt water bay in NJ for over 20 years. I keep my boats in the water April to December, except for my small one, which is on a lift. I have owned raw water cooled I/Os as well as OBs. I had my '88 SeaRay in the saltwater until I traded it in in 2006.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Here's another option. They weren't around when I lived in Florida, so no knowledge if they work or not.

http://www.powerboatmag.com/salt-neutralizing-flush-kits.html

This won't work on an Alpha. Only works if the boat has a raw water pump on the engine. I have this system on my Volvo and it extends the life of the manifolds and risers.

I use my boat in salt water all the time and I have a painted trailer. I do make sure I wash the trailer well after every use and keep up on any spots that start to rust.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Zagger your boat is beautiful and your hard work shows. It brings up a point, though, which is some boaters would rather not, or don't have the time, to wash after each use and especially wax often. i don't; some like it. But most people wouldn't do that with a car, or own the type of car that requires that level of maintenance, but a collector might. I prefer maintenance free, and for that, you have to start with a boat better suited for salt air and outdoor use. Just a matter of choice and how to spend one's free time.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Bring your boat down and enjoy it.

It was made for use in salt and fresh water:facepalm:. It's fine just clean it after using it.

What I'm not getting here is why everybody thinks a 2008 Maxum would not have tinned wiring? or the cheapest hardware available? Sure old boats (especially when someone fixed it before) had extreme issues with salt, so yes the horror stories are true what can happen. What that has to do with you and your boat??? It's halloween baby I guess everybody wants to scare you.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

I have had 18 to 21 foot open bow I/Os for the last 15 years here in Southern California and used them 90% in salt water. I do, however, flush the engine and hose down the entire outside of the boat and trailer with Salt Terminator after pulling them out of the water.

A lot of people around here would rather drive 2 hours to a lake than 5 minutes to a nice calm lagoon, harbor, or bay. They think their boats will melt as soon as salt water touches them.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

I use my stern drive boat all the time in salt water but I also wash it down and flush the engine after I use it. Not sure what the big deal is.

 

[nlain]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

I live on salt water, in 1987 I bought a boat, 17' I/O, ran it for 17 years in this salt water, had to change the manifold and riser out after about 15 years. That boat was still running fine when I traded it for the 18' 04 I/O that I have now, I will have this one probably for the rest of my life. Take care of it and it will be fine, it will last many years. Now, I/O versus OB, most OB boats will get in shallower water than an I/O, most OB boats also have a different hull design, they draw less water than the I/O. If you are going to the Destin area I will say that the bay there can get real rough, you probably would have to be careful when boating in that water, but, you could do it with the boat you have. There would be some days that you may want to stay away from that area, the Gulf can go from flat to extremely rough in a matter of minutes. Now, having said all of that, it depends on what kind of boating you are going to do that will dictate what boat you need. So far as saltwater versus freshwater goes your boat is fine. Bow riders do not need to be in the Gulf, you need a boat designed for that water, self bailing is one requirement for the Gulf, I would also say that if you want an I/O for the Gulf, make it a closed bow, not a bowrider.

 

[lowery9]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Thanks again everyone for the advice. I talked to Maxum directly and they said it was built to handle salt water as well but as some of you guys have stated a little more TLC will be involved. I do need to look at getting a galvanized trailor as mine is painted now so that will be an expense. I am definitely not planning to get out on the gulf. For one I am not experienced at all with boating in the ocean and it doesn't seem pleasurable at all with a small open bow. We want to stick in the bay and bayou's for water sports and the occasional beer and fishing which usually equates to more beer than fish.

 

[lowery9]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Someone asked and I will repeat the question, what sort of cooling system do you have? My take, if it's raw water cooled sell the boat and replace it.

It is raw water cooled w/ an Alpha One

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

I do need to look at getting a galvanized trailor as mine is painted now so that will be an expense.

If you don't replace the trailer before you leave for FL you will not get much for the old one. If you wind up in FL with your painted trailer, I would just keep it. It will last you a long time if you hose it down well with Salt Terminator or Salt Away (after every use) and touch up rust spots with rust inhibitor and rustoleum every year.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

You said your boat is an 08. Lots of aluminum engine parts that are going to come under attack by the salt.

Like what? Block, heads, intake and exhaust manifolds are all iron!

Bubba...I am curious. Your profile says Missouri. Have you ever owned a boat that you regularly ran in salt water?

Please name one aluminum part on the engine itself that has saltwater running through it.

Personally owned one boat that had 1000 hours on the engine when we sold it with 80% of its life running in salt water. It also had a painted trailer that looked as new as the day we bought it because we washed it after use and touched up any spots that showed any rust.

 

[kahuna123]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Notice the ONLY other Florida native that chimed in agreed with what I said. But there is a bumper sticker here it says " I don't care how you did it up North".
I guess when I decide to snow ski I ask someone from Miami for their opinion.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Moving to FL with a freshwater boat

Notice the ONLY other Florida native that chimed in agreed with what I said. But there is a bumper sticker here it says " I don't care how you did it up North".
I guess when I decide to snow ski I ask someone from Miami for their opinion.

Anyone who boats in saltwater can make valid points. Just like asking someone from Colorado or Vermont about snow skiing. Two different places...same experience.