Salt water

Roostr

Roostr

Well-Known Member
I have enjoyed many reports on this thread , so I thought that I would ask this question.
What are the pros and cons of using my fiberglass boat and a 4 stroke yama in salt water ,
(thinking of using it for a trip south, lots of open water and fishing).
Thanks for your advice.
 
Hey Roostr: ye, you can take your fiberglass boat south. Safe trailering essential. Assuming your boat is 16' you can use it for bay fishing on the west coast of Florida or the Keys. Atlantic side possible, depending where you go. Best bet to learn about what your rig is capable of is to go to Floridasportsman.com. You don't have to sign up for the forum and it breaks Florida down by region. Lots to learn there. Hope this helps. Bassy
 
I wouldn't recommend putting your boat in saltwater. I have seen people find a "great deal" buying a southern boat. Think of it this way, why do cars last longer down south. They aren't subjected to salted roads like ours.
 
My buddy goes to the Keys and has taken his fiberglass boat the last 5 years and he has no problems. He flushes the motor out everyday down there when he uses it.
 
Well if your engine is not built for saltwater why bother? Dissimilar metals and gasket materials don't work well with electrolysis. Which in some small way you are introducing.

Saltwater designed engines have ways of dealing with this. You might be ok. Maybe email the manufacturer.

Short term- maybe ok, long term = bad idea. IMHO. Look up PH testing with a volt meter with automotive cooling systems, that might give you a better idea of what I mean. Doesn't take much to cause problems. I could be wrong but just my opinion- dman
 
I've taken my fibreglass I/O to Fla & after spending the $$ on docking along with having it flushed out every time that you use it, got quite expensive! Found out bout tide charts along with navigating the inner coastal the hard way(port charlotte) when I added it all up it I just pay to charter or fish off of the bridges/piers
 
I took an older 14 1/2 ft. Lund aluminum with a 30 hp Yamaha and fished Estero Bay off the gulf near Fort Meyers. I fished almost every day for 3 months that winter without issue except that splashed water in the boat from catching fish did leave black stains on the carpet that would not come out. However I did pull the boat every evening and hose the boat down and flush the motor as well. They had a hose right at the launch which made it convenient. Most have fiberglass boats in Florida because the barnacles in saltwater love sticking on aluminum hulls unless treated with a special hull coating to prevent it. No one there leaves aluminum pontoon boats in the water unless they are coated. Some leave their fiberglass boats in the water but most have lifts at their docks. If your motor has all stainless screws and fasteners etc. then corrosion should not be a problem. That being said saltwater definitely tends to be much harder on boats than freshwater.

One other thing I would mention is to know where all the underwater structure is where you will be fishing. When the tide goes out it leaves you vulnerable to structure that you can normally pass over during high tide, such as oyster bars that will make a mess of the bottom of your boat and motor in a hurry, or worse. Hope this is of some help. :)
 
I did some reef fishing in the Bahamas last January, first time. The tide totally changed our way back due to changing water level. I questioned the guide about it and he said that same thing, that is a good point waverunner
 
Thanks guys for the input and info, I have a 18' boat,the condo has its own dock, and we will be on the inner coast waters between Sarasota and St. Pete's.
Lots of oportuintys for fishing and liesurely boating.
Have more research to do yet.
Thanks
 
There are different sacrificial anodes for salt, brackish, & fresh water (aluminum, zinc, and magnesium). If you're leaving you boat in for any length of time it may be worth getting the proper ones to avoid corrosion issues. My boat came from salt water and had the wrong anodes for fresh and I had corrosion issues until I swapped them. I cut and pasted this from a Yamaha aftermarket site but the other manufacturers also sell the same materials. Most boats delivered to the Great Lakes regions already have the correct ones and many dealers are not even aware of this:

How to Choose the Correct Type of Anode

Throughout the world you may find many different water environments which may all require different solutions. The three main water types are salt, fresh and brackish. Martyr™ zinc and aluminum anodes protect very well in salt and brackish waters where magnesium anodes protect the best in fresh water. DO NOT MIX Zinc and Aluminum Anodes on the same vessel.

  • Zinc Alloy Anodes = Salt water only
    • Not recommended for use in fresh water
    • Alloy is manufactured to meet or exceed US Military Specification (MIL-A-18001K)
  • Aluminum Alloy Anodes = Salt, Fresh or Brackish water
    • Not recommended, but can be used in fresh water
    • Proven to last longer than zinc due to increased capacity
    • Alloy is manufactured to meet or exceed US Military Specification (MIL-A-24779(SH))
  • Magnesium Alloy Anodes = Fresh water only
    • The only alloy proven to protect your boat in fresh water
    • It is not recommended to use magnesium anodes in salt or brackish water .
      • The result may be an accelerated corrosion rate, which may damage the metal parts of your boat and leave you with no anode protection in a short period of time.
    • A Special Note on Magnesium Anodes for Fresh Water… Essentially, fresh water is a much less conductive environment than salt water, therefore magnesium anodes are your best choice as they are much more active (less noble) than zinc or aluminum anodes
    • The result is increased efficiency thus superior protection for your underwater metal components
 
Last edited:
duck blind said:
I've taken my fibreglass I/O to Fla & after spending the $$ on docking along with having it flushed out every time that you use it, got quite expensive! Found out bout tide charts along with navigating the inner coastal the hard way(port charlotte) when I added it all up it I just pay to charter or fish off of the bridges/piers
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Hi Paul. It's Larry Donovan. Could you please call me 519 754 7593
 
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