Rack Storage and Salt Water

F

FiremistSLK

Active Member
Sep 10, 2020
106
Central Florida USA
Boat Info
2007 Chaparral Sunesta 214 Mercruiser 5.0L MPI Alpha 1
Engines
5.0L MPI 260hp w/Alpha I
I bought a super nice 1998 Sea Ray 215 EC that was used only in a fresh water lake for its entire 22 years. I spoke to the original owner who told me that his house on the lake has a boat lift and a "boatport" type of garage. The boat looks brand new with less that 500 hours on the 5.0 Merc. I will be using it in Narragansett Bay (salt water) and using dry storage (no slip) in a rack storage marina. What do I need to know about rack storage marinas? Are they safe? And since the engine will not be flushed with fresh water after each use, will that be ok? Or should I put it on my trailer every few weeks and flush it out with salt away?
 
You need to flush with fresh after its pulled out every time. Salt is killer on stuff. The high and dry should at least half ass flush it for you when they pull it. Rack storage is safe. Just remember the best the boat will be is when you get it from freshwater unless you provide intense care in salt. I wouldn't want to be in anything other than saltwater but its tons of work. Good luck and have fun.
 
John Del Grosso said:
I bought a super nice 1998 Sea Ray 215 EC that was used only in a fresh water lake for its entire 22 years. I spoke to the original owner who told me that his house on the lake has a boat lift and a "boatport" type of garage. The boat looks brand new with less that 500 hours on the 5.0 Merc. I will be using it in Narragansett Bay (salt water) and using dry storage (no slip) in a rack storage marina. What do I need to know about rack storage marinas? Are they safe? And since the engine will not be flushed with fresh water after each use, will that be ok? Or should I put it on my trailer every few weeks and flush it out with salt away?
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Salt water isn't as bad as some people make it to be, But it is different then fresh water boating. If you do preventive maintenance instead of waiting for something to go wrong you will be fine. i would flush as much as you can. If salt water was that bad no one would boat in it lol! Thats just me good luck
 
You might consider installing a fresh water cooling kit PRIOR to running it in salt.
 
What's a fresh water cooling kit? I think I saw something that allows you to tap into the cooling water hose on the engine. It is a "T" fitting with a check valve in it and a garden hose connector. Is that what you are thinking about hottoddie? Thanks ...
 
Full Closed cooling is where the engine uses coolant to cool the block, manifolds and risers, but the elbows still have salt going through them with the exhaust. The coolant is cooled via a heat exchanger and the exchanger is cooled via raw/salt water. Adding this after the fact requires a kit that a mechanic installs. My marina flushes the engines after each trip, and rinses the boat off... yours should too... I have a port on each engine, and you connect a hose to it, with an adapter, to flush the engines.
 
Oh dear god, here we go again with the salt water is Armageddon. First, if you have a trailer and can take home to flush out once a month that is great, if not do it occasionally at the marina. Forget putting in a fresh water cooling system. the cost is ridiculous and you can replace 2 set of manifolds and risers before you break even. 2 sets is at least 10 years. You wont have this boat in 10 years so dont waste your money. you are in Narragansett Bay. your season is short, its not like your boat sitting in salt in fla all year. Enjoy the boat.
 
Using a salt neutralizer such as salt away will go a long way as well. Saltwater is way less of a problem in a cooler climate with a short season as was stated above.
 
Yes.. Thank you all for the replies. I will put it on my trailer once a month and flush it with salt away.
 
I kept my last boat on the High and Dry and my marina also flushed the engines and washed the hull down after each use. Did this for 10 years in saltwater with no issues.
 
I did not ask the marina about the engine flush after each use. They did say that the boat will be washed down after each use but I'll have to ask them about the engine flush.
 
Pirate Lady said:
Oh dear god, here we go again with the salt water is Armageddon. First, if you have a trailer and can take home to flush out once a month that is great, if not do it occasionally at the marina. Forget putting in a fresh water cooling system. the cost is ridiculous and you can replace 2 set of manifolds and risers before you break even. 2 sets is at least 10 years. You wont have this boat in 10 years so dont waste your money. you are in Narragansett Bay. your season is short, its not like your boat sitting in salt in fla all year. Enjoy the boat.
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I think you're very mistaken. I won't put my boat back in the water until I've put the FWC on it. I've lived my entire life around salt water. It is the single worst thing you can subject metal to.
Here is what the steering pin looked like after sitting in salt water. Previous owner could have prevented alot of it, but a salt water drip turns into this eventually. I replaced the transom assembly.
$1,200 for an FWC is absolutely worth it.

IMG_20200818_163623.jpg
IMG_20200818_152340.jpg
 
Hawk, That picture shows TOTAL NEGLECT of the boat. I doubt that much corrosion happened over a 5 month season in salt water. The previous owner should have taken better care of it as a salt water boat. $1,500 for a FWC kit and then another $1,500 to have it installed is a bit much to spend on a 22 year old boat. I will check with the marina this weekend to see if they will flush it after each use. If not, I'll do it myself once a month with salt away as I said above. Thanks for your input.
 
John Del Grosso said:
Hawk, That picture shows TOTAL NEGLECT of the boat. I doubt that much corrosion happened over a 5 month season in salt water. The previous owner should have taken better care of it as a salt water boat. $1,500 for a FWC kit and then another $1,500 to have it installed is a bit much to spend on a 22 year old boat. I will check with the marina this weekend to see if they will flush it after each use. If not, I'll do it myself once a month with salt away as I said above. Thanks for your input.
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I agree that it was neglect from the po in my case, but I'll take the upfront cost of the fwc over the cost of replacing a motor and/or expensive exhaust parts before their time and having to screw around with worrying about winterizing the engine etc. Flushed or not, salt water cuts the life of an engine. To each his own though.
Also, age isn't a factor for me. I'm starting fresh with a rebuilt motor and new transom assembly. I'm hoping this boat will last me a while.
IMG_20201022_111502.jpg
IMG_20200923_115047.jpg
 
Hawk,
with all due respect. i am on my 6th searay / merc, all in salt water. got my first in '86. so i know of what is speak, '86, let me guess, how was your high school prom that year? So "mistaken", i dont think so.
 
as i said, and i mean it, with all due respect, these are all just opinions, we boat in many various conditions acroos this 3,000 miles of country so no 1 opinion is correct for all, lets all just have fun, "call your mom, buy a boat, drink a beer", cmon, which song is that?
 
GREAT SONG!!! Kenny Chesney - "Get Along"... Thanks for that reminder PL..... My girl friend LOVES KC... And thanks for the good advise!
 
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