Please critique my take - I think saltwater may be too much of a hassle to keep boating …

[LakeSinclair]

I’ve had boats on a freshwater lake in Georgia for 25 years and loved it. We just moved to a brackish river in Annapolis, MD, 8 miles upstream from the Chesapeake, and I fully expected to get a new boat up here. But I’ve been researching boat and engine maintenance in saltwater and frankly, I’m just falling out of love with the idea. At the lake, I never washed my boat, never flushed the engine, had professional maintenance done once a year and had 99% fun with 1% diligence. I’m talking to people up here who spend 30-60 minutes after each use washing, flushing, conditioning with additives, etc. Really, if I was facing an extra 30-60 minutes of labor every time I got in my car, it’d be a major deterrent for me to want to drive. So is my take realistic or am I missing something here?

 

[ttmott]

Depends upon your passion to be on the water. It is important to have a boat that is configured for use in saltwater. Regardless it looks as if you've talked yourself out of it anyway....

 

[Golfman25]

You're not. And if you don't enjoy the "maintenance" end of things, then keep it on a lake or find something else to do.

Reality is, flushing and washing aren't that big of a deal these days. There are numerous products that can take the "labor" out of it. Plus, it's good beer drinking time.

 

[Espos4]

I can flush the motor and cover the boat in 15 minutes.

30-45 minutes would be for a complete wash of the boat, dry it, flush the motor and mooring covers installed.

It’s a bit of work, but worth it in the end….for me.

 

[blaster]

Get a trailer boat with an outboard or keep the boat at a boatel. The water there is a little salty but not like the ocean. The Chesapeake bay system is one of the best most diverse boating locations in the nation.

 

[Scott215]

It takes me an hour to flush with salt away and wash and cover. But for me being on the water is the best part of being on Cape cod and I we love boating. I may just hose it off once in a while if I'm tired ,but never ever not flush the motor.

 

[Blueone]

I’ve had boats on a freshwater lake in Georgia for 25 years and loved it. We just moved to a brackish river in Annapolis, MD, 8 miles upstream from the Chesapeake, and I fully expected to get a new boat up here. But I’ve been researching boat and engine maintenance in saltwater and frankly, I’m just falling out of love with the idea. At the lake, I never washed my boat, never flushed the engine, had professional maintenance done once a year and had 99% fun with 1% diligence. I’m talking to people up here who spend 30-60 minutes after each use washing, flushing, conditioning with additives, etc. Really, if I was facing an extra 30-60 minutes of labor every time I got in my car, it’d be a major deterrent for me to want to drive. So is my take realistic or am I missing something here?

I kept a boat on the sassafras up at Skipjack cove… brackish but pretty light on the salt….I had little to no maintenance

 

[JeffM]

We’ve kept our boat on the Magothy River, next river north of Annapolis, since 2005. For most of the time we were in a boatel, and after the first year or so I haven’t flushed the motor. How often you wash your boat depends on how clean you want it. We wash maybe 2-3 times per year, but I do often hose the topsides down before we leave the dock.

it’s not very onerous maintenance and the Chesapeake is a fantastic area to boat in.

 

[jmauld]

I’ve had boats on a freshwater lake in Georgia for 25 years and loved it. We just moved to a brackish river in Annapolis, MD, 8 miles upstream from the Chesapeake, and I fully expected to get a new boat up here. But I’ve been researching boat and engine maintenance in saltwater and frankly, I’m just falling out of love with the idea. At the lake, I never washed my boat, never flushed the engine, had professional maintenance done once a year and had 99% fun with 1% diligence. I’m talking to people up here who spend 30-60 minutes after each use washing, flushing, conditioning with additives, etc. Really, if I was facing an extra 30-60 minutes of labor every time I got in my car, it’d be a major deterrent for me to want to drive. So is my take realistic or am I missing something here?

You’re worried way too much about this! Use the boat frequently and clean it occassionally.

 

[Golfman25]

I get the OP's concern. Back when I was young, grand parents had a boat in Florida. Family would go out for the day. When we got back, I was the one with the hose, bucket, and brush. Everyone else (several brothers) hit the pool. I enjoyed it. And still wash/detail my own boat to this day.

 

[Skybolt]

I’ve had boats on a freshwater lake in Georgia for 25 years and loved it. We just moved to a brackish river in Annapolis, MD, 8 miles upstream from the Chesapeake, and I fully expected to get a new boat up here. But I’ve been researching boat and engine maintenance in saltwater and frankly, I’m just falling out of love with the idea. At the lake, I never washed my boat, never flushed the engine, had professional maintenance done once a year and had 99% fun with 1% diligence. I’m talking to people up here who spend 30-60 minutes after each use washing, flushing, conditioning with additives, etc. Really, if I was facing an extra 30-60 minutes of labor every time I got in my car, it’d be a major deterrent for me to want to drive. So is my take realistic or am I missing something here?

So I boat out of Kent Narrows, basically across from Annapolis. Coming from 100% saltwater originally, this is only 1/3 of what real salt is, completely brackish. Hence the murky water. I have diesel inboards and Because of the murky water I flush my engine once a season. I actually miss the full salt water, never flushed in that.

You have an inboard so I would think your fine not flushing every time out. A 20' boat, so a day boater, also sounds like your Middle River. There is a lot to do there, much more then any lake has to offer. If your thinking about going bigger, your in one of the best boating spots there is. I couldn't imagine being on the Chesapeake and not being on a boat.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

I grew up in Michigan. Mom and dad had a home on an all sports lake and I got into boating early. Boated on Lake St Clair until I moved south to Florida. I had a little 24 ft Sea Ray Laguna that I took south. I kept it for 2 years and got out of boating. I was a working stiff down there and could only use the boat on the weekends. Rack storage was too expensive for me in the Sarasota area. I found indoor storage and I trailered. Way too much work getting out of storage, to the house,then to the boat ramp (way too early). Then after boating for too short of a time, get it loaded on the trailer and back to the house. Flush the outboards (muffs back then) and wash the boat and trailer. Two plus hours to do it right. Then take it to storage. No fun. I concentrated on cars after. Both money pits.

 

[northern]

We have had boats on salt water since 2000. Maintenance has been turn motors off go home. Had manifolds replaced once and risers 3 times on present boat we have had since 2005. Replaced and fixed a lot of things that failed because of age not salt water. Lake boating you have limited travel. Salt water you can go far. We have been from WA to AK. We anchor most of the time going north and are upset if we see another boat anchor near us. It all depends on what you want to see an do. We also have a 21 foot Jetboat. We have done several rivers north of the 60th. I do not see much difference in maintenance. Both cost more than you expect and both get you away for your normal life. A tent and a compact car can do the same.

 

[USMC(ret)]

Well, I just bought an ‘02 SA320 & keeping it at the coast in dry stack, so I don’t agree - but it’s my first boat, so what do I know?‍

 

[Pirate Lady]

I am a few miles north of Annapolis. Been almost 40 years boating here. I replace risers and manifolds about every 8 years. Last year I replaced a corroded lower on my B1.
Look if you’re saving it as an investment you doing it all wrong. Mine stays in water all summer til winter haulout.
I dont do squat all year. Turn off key and go home.
Wash once a month.
How many threads i seen that are scared of the dreaded salt monster. Yes, its bad in FL. Not on the Bay.

 

[Brite Idea]

I've boated all my life on salt water and don't do more than normal maintenance. I will say go with outboards as they are the easiest to maintain. I have stern drives but always make sure they're closed cooling(FWC). The boat is used regularly and hosed down afterwards but a real scrub down a couple of times a season. Go boating and consider your new home an adventure!

 

[Henry Boyd]

It boils down to what boating means to you. For us, we enjoy traveling in our boat through out northern New England. And when the season is open, I can go tuna fishing with any number of marina friends most of whom have commercial licenses. I doubt if we were limited to lake boating we would even make the effort of owning a boat.

 

[Yendor]

Well, I just bought an ‘02 SA320 & keeping it at the coast in dry stack, so I don’t agree - but it’s my first boat, so what do I know?‍

Congratulations! Nice first boat . . . and a New Year to go with it.
Not sure what it is you don't agree with.
Left coast or right coast?

You likely haven't had the chance to prove this to yourself yet, but you should know that you will be having far better weekends than most if not all of your neighbors. (Even if your weekends are in the middle of the week, which is something we've come to put a value on).

Should this not pan out to be the case, I dare say you are doing it wrong.

 

[USMC(ret)]

Congratulations! Nice first boat . . . and a New Year to go with it.
Not sure what it is you don't agree with.
Left coast or right coast?

You likely haven't had the chance to prove this to yourself yet, but you should know that you will be having far better weekends than most if not all of your neighbors. (Even if your weekends are in the middle of the week, which is something we've come to put a value on).

Should this not pan out to be the case, I dare say you are doing it wrong.

OP’s thread title says “I think saltwater may be too much of a hassle to keep boating”
^ can’t say that’s what I agree with.

Thanks for the congrats. I bought it in Miami & brought it up the Gulf coast of FL: 8 days, 900 mi & 1400 gal - so Gulf coast. Life ain’t meant to putz around; I try to take advantage of every opportunity so that when I go, it’ll be in sideways screaming, “what a ride!” Mitigating the risk, of course - but I did fill it with 199.75 gal in the Everglades, churned sand in Gasparilla pass & went from Steinhatchee > Carrabelle in a small craft advisory & gale force warning with near to at times full right rudder & the throttle split to make the entrance (won’t be f-ing with that again).

Ports of call:
• Key Biscayne (Rickenbacker Marina)
• Marathon (Key Colony Beach Marina)
• Everglades (Everglades Isle Marina)
• Cape Coral (Tarpon Point Marina)
• Sarasota (Marina Jack Yacht Basin)
• Clearwater (Clearwater Beach Marina)
• Salt River (Twin Rivers Marina)
• Steinhatchee Marina at Dead Man Bay
• Carrabelle (C-Quarters Marina)
• Panama City (St Andrew’s Marina)
• Destin (Harbor Walk Marina)
• Elberta, AL (Barber’s Marina)

 

[Yendor]

Wow! May have set a new record for number of feet in my mouth, that time.
Sounds like you found a keeper. That's a nice jaunt, especially for right out of the gate.

I'm in agreement with you about the salt water. It is what it is, that being the price of admission.
Do it long enough and it isn't extracurricular, it's just normal. It was an astute observation made earlier that age and time will wreak more havoc than will the salt content of the water.

You surely must have some pics of your maiden voyage, you should start a thread and post 'em up.
(and your new boat)