One time Salt Water use
 

I was thinking about taking my boat into salt water this weekend. I have had other boats (non-wake boats) that had seen salt water. I have never put my current SAN 220 in salt water. I does not have a salt water series engine. I can get a flush kit for it and run salt rid after I go, but what do you guys think?

Go for it. Just rinse everything off, inside & out, really good when your done. I've done it with a few boats & just dropped the boat & trailer back into a fresh water lake & rinsed everything off ASAP. Even used the shower & hosed off the tower & interior in addition to the hull & engine.

rinse the inside of the trailer as well as the outside, bunk boards, bolts, everything and you will be fine. Also dip it fresh water to give a thorough rinse later.

I think it's a boat, it goes in water.

Salt water will start to corrode anything it touches instantley. I would tie your boat off at the dock and not only rinse your trailor but if its a tube frame I would flush it out before you go boating. Then do the same when you pull the boat out. I would also use salt away on everything when your done.

I just did the same thing this past weeked. Friday night put the boat in a saltwater bayou and let the wife drive me around while I got some time riding. Sunday put the boat back in the freshwater river which should have given everything enough of a rinse down not to cause any problems. I dont think saltwater will mess anything up if you can dunk the boat and trailer in freshwater shortly thereafter.

Its crazy man...if you leave your boat in salt water for more than 10 minutes your Gel Coat will even rust...

+1 for brian_b

Flush for 10 minutes plus, give it a nice bath after, and you're fine. I pull in to a do-it-yourself car wash and go to town, works great.

LOL yeah thats what I ment. Way to take something out of context, your much wiser than me. BTW, I was just giving some GOOD advice from experiance and if you looked into it youd see im right. Most who want to really take care of there stuff would not letting there trailor sit with salt water in/on it all day.

Heres advice from people who actually know what they're talking about, least most of them. Hope it helps.

http://www.performanceboats.com/html...oat+salt+water

Another online forum, it must be true.

Consig -you'll be fine man. I have been around different SAN's on salt water for 11 years...you don't have freshwater cooling, but for a 1 time use -as long as you flush for an extended period of time, use a salt-away product in a bucket with a couple sponges throughout the boat and trailer, and pressure wash.

Life is short, trailers are cheap, have fun.

Don't sweat it. Go out and have fun. When you get home let the boat idle on the hose for 10 mins or so and hose down the boat and trailer thoroughly.

If you are really concerned with the trailer you can spray a Lanox type spray in all the open sectioins of tube on the trailer to inhibit any instant salt reaction. Give it a good fresh water rinse after then spray inside the tube with a water repelant type spray to be additionally sure. I drop my steel trailer in salt alot so am going to employ an electronic rust protection system that runs off a 12v battery with a small solar panel to keep it charged.

man in australia everyone uses wake boats in salt water...I wish we had some nice freshwater lakes...

Geez, all the work you have to do before and after you put your boat into salt water is not worth it. Hard enough now to keep them looking good from just fresh water. I personally would not even think about putting my boat in salt water. Once you do and you try to sell it and they know it has been in salt water where I am from, you are not going to get hardly any buyers. If I hear a boat has been in salt water, I walk away no matter how good of shape it is in. Salt is a killer.

I considered bringing my 230 to Wrightsville Beach for a week this summer. I talked to several of my friends who work at cc dealerships both on the coast and elsewhere. I was basically told that, to prevent all negative effects, it would take an enormous amount of prep work, cleaning, and detailing. I'm just not willing to take the risk of something getting messed up.

I boat in salt water every weekend... If your going to doing it once you'll be just fine, if you have a steel trailer that would be my biggest concern. Make sure you rinse your trailer good after your done and just run your engine on the hose when you get home for 10-15 minutes. If your doing it every weekend then there's other things I would recommend but for one time you'll be just fine.