My .02.....

It won't hurt to do so. $170 is cheap insurance

My AFR heads are 1992 era castings and have been used every summer in fresh water with no problems. No hard anodizing. There is mineral deposits and buildup in the water passages but minor pitting etching of the aluminum. Heads have been on 3 motors and rebuilt 3 times with no work to the water passages.

Thanks for the replies guys. I've decided to pass on the hard anodizing. Almost no chance this boat will ever see salt water. I figure the $170 can go towards a good set of pushrods - the final piece of the puzzle, hopefully!