Convert boat from fresh to salt water???

tjpfab · **Joined:** Sat Jun 21, 2014 10:46 pm **Posts:** 4

Have a 2008 H240 and am moving to Florida. Do I need to do anything to convert my ride to salt water? Finding comments both ways and not sure how to proceed?!

Paul I. · **Posted:** Tue Sep 09, 2014 7:44 pm

Change your anodes to ether Al or zinc. I would check the manual to see which ones you need.

rpengr · **Posted:** Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:31 pm

Welcome to Florida

Most people here use zinc anodes.

Will you be trailering, or wet slipping (docking)?

If trailering, there is nothing really that you need to do except run your engine on a hose after each salt water use. Run at least 5 minutes on cuffs at idle, so it has time to warm up. Your anodes will last 5-10 years or more. Exhaust manifolds and risers last about 6-7 years. Since yours are already 6 years old (in fresh water), they will still go faster since they already have rust, so I would plan on replacing them about 3 years in salt. (my boat had 10 years fresh, then 2 years salt, then it was time for changeout).

If docking, I would consider adding a "nutra-salt" system or equivalent, so you can rinse the engine while in the water. If you don't rinse, then cut the life of the manifolds and risers in half.

The thermostat housing is another item that does not last forever. It might last 8-10 years, or you could just change it when you do the manifolds. And never use an automotive thermostat. It must be the marine (brass) one.

Despite peoples fears, salt water does not have a significant impact on the cast iron block, if it is kept full of water. The manifolds and thermostat housing rust because the do not stay full, and the air brings the oxygen needed for corrosion. My 1987 cobra did not have any serious corrosion in the block after 25 years.

If you are coming to South Florida, enjoy the fact that you do not need to winterize. I run my engine at least once every 2 weeks year round, and it is always ready to go. If you run in salt and DO need to winterize, then I would refill with corrosion protection anti-freeze or coolant so the engine block is not exposed to air inside.

Dry exposed steel inside your engine compartment (such as brackets or engine spots with missing paint) can rust very easily due to salt moisture air. This is easily remedied by spraying with Boeing T-9 rust preventative (my favorite rust inhibitor), even if you spray right over the rust. It even creeps under flaking paint and into cracks.

It's not as bad as people make it out to be. I have salt water and fresh water boating available to me, but I love boating in the intracoastal, the Atlantic Ocean, the Florida Keys, and the Gulf of Mexico. That's why I live here!

Ray

LouC · **Posted:** Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:56 pm

I agree with Ray, salt water boating is not the monster some think. When it's more problematical is when you have it in a marina. The antifouling on the drive does not work well and if there are stray electric currents it can eat up the drive fast. If you trailer or can use a lift no worries. I'd remove the drive once a season because they can get corroded on if you don't and you need to check the bellows for water and do the other drive maintenance.

As Ray said the block / heads do not rust as fast as the Thermo housing and the manifolds. When I winterize my boat I fill the engine and manifolds with the best -100 antifreeze with Corrison inhibitors . This fore sure has helped it last longer than leaving it dry all winter.
Something you won't need to think about lol...

babbot1 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:46 pm **Posts:** 570

All excellent points above but I would add one more thing. Rinse anything on the boat that has been touched by salt water after each trip. When you are flushing your engine keep yourself busy by rinsing everything else off. Even stainless will eventually rust so a good rinse will prolong the life. If you are trailering rinse that off too.

rpengr · **Posted:** Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:07 am

babbot1 wrote:

All excellent points above but I would add one more thing. Rinse anything on the boat that has been touched by salt water after each trip. When you are flushing your engine keep yourself busy by rinsing everything else off. Even stainless will eventually rust so a good rinse will prolong the life. If you are trailering rinse that off too.

Very true.

I wipe down the interior of the boat with fresh water dampened microfiber rags. I hose off the outside and wipe somewhat dry with more microfiber rags. Hose the trailer off also.

When possible, I dip the trailer and run the engine in our local fresh water lake on the way home, instead of on a hose. That's better for the trailer because it rinses everything that got wet in the salt.

One thing that we did not mention, is that the Four Winns Steel trailers are not meant for salt water use. Water does go inside the tubing, and they rust from the inside out (hidden damage). I have been using the steel trailer, but I have started the process of building a new frame from Aluminum I-beam and galvanized steel tongue...but that project will be a different post.

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Sep 10, 2014 10:46 am

Ray can't wait to see your design for a real salt water trailer. I have a galvanized Load Rite that's 20 years old and the frame rails and crossmembers are still good. I found this interesting in perusing the Load Rite factory catalog : you can buy every single part from them (tongue, crossmembers, winch stand) except the main frame rails; it's as if they don't want you to build your own trailer from their parts. The vin sticker is on the port tide frame rail usually.
If the frame on mine rusts I'd try to get a used frame of the right size for the axle but then registration issues get complicated.

tjpfab · **Joined:** Sat Jun 21, 2014 10:46 pm **Posts:** 4

Thanks for the comments everyone. We will actually have the boat on a lift and my plan was to always rinse with fresh water after using. Plus we are building a home in a development built around a fresh water lagoon and our boats use a lift to get to the Manatee River so I am hoping that the fresh water will do a decent job of rinsing out the motor as I idle back to the dock. This gives me a little more comfort that I dont need to do anything extensive or worse, get a different boat!

rpengr · **Posted:** Wed Sep 10, 2014 2:42 pm

tjpfab wrote:

Thanks for the comments everyone. We will actually have the boat on a lift and my plan was to always rinse with fresh water after using. Plus we are building a home in a development built around a fresh water lagoon and our boats use a lift to get to the Manatee River so I am hoping that the fresh water will do a decent job of rinsing out the motor as I idle back to the dock. This gives me a little more comfort that I dont need to do anything extensive or worse, get a different boat!

That is the ideal situation. If your neck of the Manatee River is fresh water, then your engine will be rinsed before you get home. An H240 will be a great boat around Sarasota. It will handle almost any condition you would see on the bay or the gulf.

Just keep a good boat cover on the boat when on the lift, and 304 treat the upholstery at least once per year. The UV exposure here is pretty hard on the upholstery.

babbot1 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:46 pm **Posts:** 570

That is a great situation. Similar to mine on the CT river where the boat is slipped in 100% fresh water but its not a long ride to LI sound or the ocean.
One thing to note is the anodes, mentioned above. Magnesium is for fresh water and will disintegrate quickly in salt. Aluminum is for brackish or both fresh and salt and zinc is for salt only. On a lift you don't have to worry to much but a good thing to know.

rpengr · **Posted:** Wed Sep 10, 2014 3:39 pm

LouC wrote:

Ray can't wait to see your design for a real salt water trailer. I have a galvanized Load Rite that's 20 years old and the frame rails and crossmembers are still good. I found this interesting in perusing the Load Rite factory catalog : you can buy every single part from them (tongue, crossmembers, winch stand) except the main frame rails; it's as if they don't want you to build your own trailer from their parts. The vin sticker is on the port tide frame rail usually.
If the frame on mine rusts I'd try to get a used frame of the right size for the axle but then registration issues get complicated.

Lou,

I'll wet your appetite a little by getting the thread started:
http://www.smwebhead.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=13467
however, it will be a few weeks before I can get back to work on it.

Ray

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

I'm thinking you will need to change your thermostat to a lower temp....I think it needs 150 degrees or 145 degrees for salt. This is because the salt water crystallizes at the higher temps...you can check the manual to make sure of this though.

deafwish · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:35 am

TX H210SS wrote:

I'm thinking you will need to change your thermostat to a lower temp....I think it needs 150 degrees or 145 degrees for salt. This is because the salt water crystallizes at the higher temps...you can check the manual to make sure of this though.

Interesting, as I've never heard of this one before!

I've only ever seen 160F for raw water cooled engines in both fresh & salt applications, but happy to be corrected.

LouC · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 5:49 am

I've read about that but have never found a 140* unit for the OMC/Volvo style housing. I've run mine all these years I have not had overheating issues due to salt crystallization. It may be true only in areas with very salty water like the Gulf of Mexico. The only issues that have caused hot running due to salt water use were marine growth in the water intakes and clogging in the exhaust risers.

rpengr · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 7:06 am

TX H210SS wrote:

I'm thinking you will need to change your thermostat to a lower temp....I think it needs 150 degrees or 145 degrees for salt. This is because the salt water crystallizes at the higher temps...you can check the manual to make sure of this though.

Never heard of that one or seen salt crystals in my engines. Have never seen salt behave that way either. (disolves rapidly in my hot spaghetti pot).

www.iFourWinns.com

Convert boat from fresh to salt water???

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