Salt....Hack....Ptooeey!

[Pilar]

Moby
Chromer
Member # 1319

posted 03-22-2002 09:32 AM
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Get me out on the briny and I'm a happy man. But when I talk with my friends about my ocean adventures, they shake their heads and start in on me about all the damage I'm doing to my boat and trailer by allowing salt water to get near it.

Whenever I return from the ocean, I flush the outdrive with fresh water for ten to fifteen minutes. But, this happens after a minimum two hour drive. And, to be honest, the flush job sometimes doesn't happen until the next day. I also spray the axle and wheels with fresh water as well as the outside of the outdrive. Still, the salt monster haunts my dreams.

I was pulling my boat out of Newport a few weeks ago and saw a fella at the top of the ramp doing the freshwater flush/spray routine on his boat. I figured he was a wise person but I wanted to get on the road not wait for him to finish. And, the fresh water could have been located in a better place than right on the ramp. I'm sure he was being cussed by many a launcher/retriever who had to negotiate their trailer around his.

And then I think of the folks (self included) who moor their boats in ocean ports for months at a time. Holy crap that has to be bad on the entire system.

So what's a fella to do? Should I just enjoy myself and start putting aside some cash for a new outdrive and trailer axle down the road? Am I doing all that I can by flushing/spraying when I get home or should I be taking the time to get all the salt I can off before I get on the road. And how about mooring the dang thing in saltwater. Should I check that off my list of favorite things to do?

Life is too short for these types of worries but I don't swim in money. I need my toys to last.

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The best things in life aren't things

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Posts: 146 | From: Stayton, Oregon | Registered: Jul 2001 | IP: Logged

Pilar
Ifish Forum Guide
Member # 270

posted 03-22-2002 09:57 AM
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Moby, that's what you are paying $6 at Newport for. They have the best fish cleaning station and boat ramp on the coast. The freshwater washdown is most effective right after pulling the boat out. A clean up of 10 minutes is reasonable and most guys who use that ramp are willing to wait for their turn. Run all your engines and use the handy dumpster for the trash and old bait while you are there.

If you must let it sit in a moorage then install extra zincs and check the ones you already have.

As far as the axle and trailer goes ... find a fresh water boat ramp on the way home and dunk the boat and trailer. This is an inconvenience but it works. If you are somewhere besides Newport, you can also flush your motors at the freshwater boat ramp while you are there.

Salt eats anything eventually. It's part of the love/hate thing we have with the ocean.

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The bend is your friend!

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Posts: 1660 | From: Portland, Or., U.S.A | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Threemuch
Chromer
Member # 1321

posted 03-22-2002 10:01 AM
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I rinse the outside of the boat, and you better believe I will rinse the trailer once I get her fixed up, but other than that, things will get eaten eventually and there is nothing you can do.

Does everyone here flush their motors? Can anyone here tell me of one failure they know of due to satwater corrosion or salt buildup in the cooling system? I know loads of fishermen who do the ocean only. Probably 50-60 boats, maybe more. I don't know one who ever had a corrosion or buildup related cooling problem.

KB

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Kurt Bergner, Portland
Threemuch II, 22' Olympic Pilothouse

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Posts: 216 | From: Portland, OR | Registered: Jul 2001 | IP: Logged

Roeboat
Chromer
Member # 475

posted 03-22-2002 05:21 PM
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Salt will most definitely eat the guts out of your cooling system. I worked in a boatyard years ago and it is common.

One great invention for the trailer maintenance is welders cold galvanizing paint 99% pure zinc. Just spray at the slightest hint of rust. No need for prep, you're just spraying metal. Love that stuff!

I saw a device for about 200 bucks at the sportsmans show that attaches to the engine to flush it at home from the top, without the need to run the engine at all. Looks like it takes a bit of plumbing, but is probably well worth the effort for the ease and peace of mind of really blowing the crud out.
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Posts: 106 | From: Kent, WA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

BlueWater
Chromer
Member # 1406

posted 03-22-2002 08:08 PM
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I mostly fish off the Columbia bar so I have always felt that the ride back up the river flushed the motor enough. I must admit I have a closed cooling system and this does help save the internal engine cooling chambers IMHO. I have been know to use the ramp at the john day river on the coast for a quick dunk of the trailer and a running of the motor a time or two also.
As far as the trailer goes galvanized is the only way to go. My brother in law's boat is the same age as mine and has had half the use of mine (his boat was bought out of a dry storage stay of a number of years) and his trailer being painted is already showing rust. Mine being Galv. is fine. My brakes systems drums and brake cylinders(sp) seem to rust and get sticky very quickly though. I have yet to find a solution to this problem and just live with rebuilding the brakes and cleaning them when needed.
Electrical to me seems to take the bigest beating in the salt. Any week links in your wiring conections will show up very quickly. A good die-electrical grease does wonders and having the least amout of splices and crimp type conections as possible is critical.
I guess if you want to play you have to pay and pay and pay and pay...well anyway you know were this is going.
Just my .02
BlueWater.

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Take your kids fishing.

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Posts: 129 | From: Vernonia, OR | Registered: Aug 2001 | IP: Logged

Hook-up
Chromer
Member # 2243

posted 03-23-2002 07:59 AM
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I found a great way to help protect electrical connections. I first used it when I put new trailer lights on. I was trying to figure out how to water proof the connection where you hook the light pigtails to the harness. Find any piece of hose (leave some space around the wire, but not to much, you do not want to fill a huge gap with a ton of glue) cut it about 3 inches long and slide it up one of the wires. I used an old piece of hose from the old kitchen spray hose I had just replaced. You can get a piece at any hardware or auto parts store. Then use a butt connector (slide one wire in each opposite end and crimp) to join the two wires. Slide the hose down over the electical connector and fill the ends with hot glue (I borrowed my wifes, but they only cost around $10). Be careful not to touch the insulation on the wire with the hot metal tip on the glue gun. The glue dries hard in about one minute. Just hold the wire in the middle of the hose and fill in around the wire on each end. Clear as mud??? Anyway I then started using this whenever I could like when I put a CB in. Anytime I had to join wires. Hope this helps some.
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Posts: 15 | From: Wilsonville, OR | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

Pilar
Ifish Forum Guide
Member # 270

posted 03-24-2002 07:34 PM
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Why wouldn't you use heat shrink and liquid tape? Solder your connection, paint it with liquid tape and shrink the tubing on it with a lighter. If you did it right the liquid tape squirts out both ends of the splice. When that stuff sets it is watertight. I have trailer light wiring 4 years old that still work good.

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The bend is your friend!

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Posts: 1660 | From: Portland, Or., U.S.A | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Keta
Chromer
Member # 2027

posted 03-25-2002 02:20 PM
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Moby,
Is your boat fiberglass or aluminum? If it is aluminum you should wash it off as soon as
possible. Fiberglass can wait until you get home but sooner the better, same with all of your
gear. If you have a raw water cooling system I wouldn't use it in salt water but if you do flush
it out as soon as you get out and do a good job of it. Put zinc plugs in your water passages and check them often. If you have a heat exchanger make sure it has zincs too as well as any other metal that is in the water. Sacrifice zinc not your boat!

I had a 24" Uniflight in Alaska that stayed in salt water year round with the exception of two or
three trips to the grid for zinc replacement, scraping, painting and inspection. I washed it
down every trip and had over 15 lbs of zincs on it, prop shaft, rudder, exhaust system, engine, and heat exchanger. I inspected the zincs very often. When we were diving I always checked the underwater zincs and once a month I took out the zinc plugs from the engine, exhaust, and heat exchanger for inspection. I had no galvanic corrosion and little rust on my boat. A 3' spruce tree fell on my boat and smashed it when I had it on blocks for R&R! The tree got my brothers shop and air plane too.
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Posts: 105 | From: Klamath Falls, OR | Registered: Jan 2002 | IP: Logged

Deepsleeper
Chromer
Member # 1270

posted 03-25-2002 05:49 PM
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Pilar, I think the shrink tubing works great. I have never heard of the liquid tape though. Is there a name brand? Where do you get it? What does the container look like? If it's anything like permatex though I think I will stay away from it.
thanks,
:zzz:Ed
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Posts: 55 | From: Albany | Registered: Jul 2001 | IP: Logged

Pilar
Ifish Forum Guide
Member # 270

posted 03-26-2002 08:07 AM
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Ed ... you can get it at Home Depot or Baxter auto parts. It's called Liquid tape. A 4oz can with a paintbrush in the cap. I think the can I have is yellow and red. There's no magic here except that you are eliminating air pockets and sealing the break in the wire insulation jacket.

RTV works too.

The big deal is to solder all connections on a boat, including ring terminals. If you do that and heat shrink every break in the wire insulation, the wiring is bulletproof. Water never gets in to do the damage.

Those cheap crimp splice connectors are water collectors and wire rotters. They belong on the 57 Chevy not your boat.

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The bend is your friend!

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Posts: 1660 | From: Portland, Or., U.S.A | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Hamachi
Chromer
Member # 1357

posted 03-26-2002 03:56 PM
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I agree with Pilar. My first choice is to solder the connection, then use marine grade heat shrink tubing. I then put a coat of liquid electrical tape over the whole connection.

A faster, easier way is to use Ancor Marine's water-proof butt connectors. They have the heat shrink material attached. You should then use a coat of the liquid electrical tape. I have used these connectors with no problems.

I feel it is imperative to use marine grade products.
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Posts: 29 | From: Federal Way, WA | Registered: Aug 2001 | IP: Logged

Pilar
Ifish Forum Guide
Member # 270

posted 03-26-2002 04:12 PM
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Hamachi, the marine grade heatshrink is good but expensive. I think the difference is UV light resistance. My wiring is buried under the gunnel so no worries about UV.

Put the liquid tape inside the splice and totally get rid of air pockets. No air pockets means no water eating away at your wiring.

I've never used the splices you are talking about Hamachi but I do have a line on a solder splice/ heat shrink butt connector. Pretty cool stuff. Just strip wire, poke a wire in each end and heat with a lighter. It's clear and you can see the solder connection to check it when you're done.

We use this splice on instrumentation wiring in a 250 degree F 100% humidity environment. It works really good and makes a good solder joint with no tools but a lighter and pocket knife.

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The bend is your friend!

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Posts: 1660 | From: Portland, Or., U.S.A | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged