• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

saltwater vs. freshwater boat

drcam1

Member II
I am interested in finding a 35-3, but all the ones for sale seem to be in saltwater. I will be sailing in Lake Erie. The freshwater boats for sale make a BIG deal about being freshwater only boats. What do I need to do or watch out for with a boat that is currently in salt water?
 

Mort Fligelman

Member III
Salt Water vs Fresh

Simple answer......one heck of a lot......

More than I care to go into here.......email a phone number and a good time to call and I will go through the whole litany....

Regards
 

drcam1

Member II
Mort,

I can tell by your response. Keep looking for a 35-3 that is floating in the fresh stuff.
 

treilley

Sustaining Partner
Salt water certainly is hard on a boat but one of the things that can occur if you move a saltwater boat to fresh is the appearance of osmotic blisters. And you will not find them for a while.
 

Touchrain

Member III
Unless I'm missing something, I think it's a bit more complicated than "a lot." I've had boats in both fresh and salt. Obviously, the big thing is corrosion. Standing rigging is probably the biggest item here, although galvanics can also affect through hulls and shaft. Plus, there are electricals to think about. Since an older boat may need new rigging anyway, even just for your peace of mind, that may or may not be a factor. In addition, the climate is a factor. All of my boats have been in the north (Pacific Northwest and Vermont --Lake Champlain). Corrosion is a much bigger problem as you move south to warmer climes and saltier water. To be honest, wear and tear on my boats in both places were pretty similar. And interior moisture is another factor. How dry is the boat and the ventilation? I'd like to hear about what other items people consider to be big problems.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Having purchased a boat that spent its initial years in warmer salt water climate, I'm voting with Mort.
It isn't just the exterior ss staining and corrosion and the accelerated reaction with any ss stuff against aluminum, it's also the sea air...
As salt crystals condense out inside the boat the resulting dampness affects everything from upholstery and the headliner zippers to all the wiring and instruments.
Salt air is pervasive and relentless. A formidable foe, as it were.

Having said that, over half of the potential problems are directly the result of prior owner(s) not doing their maintenance / due diligence and keeping everything wiped and/or washed down with fresh water, well-ventilated, and dry. (This personal opinion worth about .02 on most days, of course.) :rolleyes:

As mentioned already, the standing rigging will be directly affected, and probably best be on a 15 year replacement cycle. In fresh water I would go 20 years, and some blasé owners around here cheerfully let it go for 30 years.

So, nothing wrong with a salt water boat, just more regular maintenance that needs to be factored in.

LB
 
Last edited:
Top