DaveK26

My wife and I are toying with moving to Florida from Chicago area, somewhere between New Port Richey and St. Pete. Looking for any info/opinions on salt water boating vs the freshwater we run now. Our boat has the 496HO with closed cooling, do you just have to flush it with freshwater everytime you come back? Any other maintanence issues with salt? We boat Lake Michigan and Illinois river both of which you can jump in and float all day without worrying about sea creatures. Any insight as to what you have to watch for if swimming or beached on the intracoastal? I appreciate any info that helps us make a decision. Thanks

happy hours

No problems with critters. don't let shark week worry you. The biggest adjustment will be the shallow water outside the marked channels. Get a good GPS with the local chart, go slow and pay attention to markers. I dunno if you will store at marina or trailer, if you have a painted steel trailer sell it now, it is worthless in Florida and will be unsafe in about a year if you use it in salt water. Welcome to the area in advance and ask if you have more questions. (Live in St Pete)

Frequency

Dave,

I too am tired of worrying about getting slapped in the face by an Asian Carp.

I kept my boat dry stacked in Fort Myers during the Winter. Flush the engines and spray everything down (cover carb and dist.) after each use and you will be fine. If you don't, the effects of corrosion will set in.

That being said, I won't keep the boat there next year. An outboat powered center console or deck boat is much easier to maintain. I'm not ruling out dragging the Cig down for a fun run though...

Wildman_grafix

I have a question, when I look at boats used in Salt water I have noticed what looks like rust on the SS lines and even props?

What is this and how do you keep it off?

DaveK26

Thanks for all the input guys, not 100% sold on Florida but also dreading the thought of winter. Frequency we run the Illinois between starved rock and peoria, we are in an orange Baja stop by if you see us beached. What do you spray on the motor a fog of WD-40? What do they hit you a month to dry stack?

SS930

Check on insurance too, it's typically a lot more in FL.

Frequency

Dave,

Probably be out on the river next weekend,then towing the boat to LOTO.

Paid about $600/mo to dry stack. When I brought the boat back they flushed the motors and sprayed the engines down (using Salt-Away the whole time). If I had the boat down there full time on a canal I would keep a coating of T-9 on the motors - recommended over WD-40.

Greg

Wildman_grafix

Anybody? I didn't think SS could rust.

searaycer

Trust me...I learned alot after growing up in the western basin of Lake Erie and then moving here six years ago...It is all true...just consider your possession a piece of ALKA SELTZER!!!!! I have learned to live with it and budget for it...but it will take two or three years of watching your **** dissolve before you truly get it....SALT WATER IS NASTY STUFF!!!!!!!!!!

happy hours

Stainless can rust, there are many many types (alloys) of stainless and they have different degrees of resistance to cresting ferric oxide (rust). Alot of times stainless will get rust on it from the manufacturing process used to create whatever is stainless (screws etc.) They should always passivate the stainless after manufacturing to remove any iron that embedded into the part while it is being machined, stamped etc.