What is the best way to protect a fresh water boat from salt water for the first time? Please advise with suggestions. I have a twin engine Formula and new to salt water. Thanks!

I also have a Formula w/Twins.....

And live in the salt.....

Neutra-salt

Also, fresh water rinse of the drives, tabs and steering...and it would not hurt to get in there and rub a little too.

DO NOT use your drains on the manifolds/block....use the Neutrasalt and be done in there....

and hose everything down with fluid film,,get a case of it,,cheaper to buy that way or buy it in a 5 gallon pail and use a pump sprayer to apply..
http://www.kellsportproducts.com/AS1...FQRrKgodXw0AuQ


flush each engine for at leaste a half hour or if theirs a fresh water river near by then the flush wont take as long..

I have heard great things about Q2O

http://midwestboatparty.com/pshop/ca...id_category=20

Been salt water boating my whole life.

Flush the motors with fresh water after every run. I dry store my boat and will leave it in for a whole weekend and flush it good when I pull it. No issues with a couple days use and then flush. It never takes a half hour, 5-10 minutes max and the water coming out the tailpipes is fresh.

Wash down everything good. Drives, tabs, etc. are obvious and scrub them with a wash brush and cleaner. Don't forget about the deck, hull sides, hardware, and interior. Unlike fresh water, salt spray effects everything and doesn't take long to start corroding stuff. Lastly, keep a good coat of wax on the boat. I do mine about 4 times a year. The more the water beads up and rolls off, the better.

That said, don't be afraid of enjoying salt water boating. My boat is 9 years old, run 95% in salt water and looks almost new still. It is all about how you maintain and clean it.

Salt-A-Way - do that every time. It truly is a good product that will inhibit rust. Also, needless to say, just hose everything down from teh drives to the tabs, to the trailer components. I am always real careful on my drives to get way up in the transom assembly, etc......

Don't leave your props on at the end of the year. Pull them off at least once a year and re-lube the splines (we just had to have a buddy's props pulled off with a puller because they were so corroded on there - but he hadn't taken them off in years!!

dont forget to wash down the trailer good as well.

Man, Makes me glad I live on the Great Lakes. I will stop taking that for granted.

Something also to consider if you are buying off of eBay or others.