Saltwater Skiers

[shepherd]

I live on a saltwater bay off the Gulf. The boat ramp to the Bay is in my hood about 3 blocks from my house. The Bay is big and uncrowded and I can usually find some flat water. There is a fresh water lake about 10 miles away across town that is busy with jet skis, fishing boats, tubers, etc.

Anybody here use their MC mostly in salt water? Having any long-term ill effects? I rinse my boat and trailer completely with fresh water after each use and flush the engine for 5 to 10 minutes -- got me one of those hose connect fittings on the water inlet hose, thanks for the advice on that one guys!

Am I missing anything? Am I killing my engine? I'm sure I'm not doing my trailer any good.
BTW, I haven't been on that lake yet, I need to do some exploring. But the local ramp is so close!

[rodltg2]

i ran my mb on saltwater alot. never had any problems. i would do the same , rinse the outside , flush motor and i hose down the inside. really get the trailer and make sure your bearing buddies are good woriking condition. we also would keep a bucket of fresh water in the boat to store your rope and gloves. i would take the boat to a fresh water lake once week too.

[jimjohn]

Saltwater kills your boat and tailer doesn't it?

[jimjohn]

Unless of course your trailer is galvanized.

[AirJunky]

Done it a few times in other boats. It's a whole lot more work to rinse off everything when your done. Once in a while it was fine, but to do it daily would be a PIA.

[Ryan]

I mostly ski in salt water like you because it is way more convenient. The effort in cleaning will be worth it if you are getting smoother water. You live in an area where boats see salt so it won't kill you on resale either. A number of recomendations-

Use Salt Away (or other brand - I like it better than Overtons stuff), pretend it's really cheap and use it liberally. Especially on the trailer and leaf springs. I've also sprayed primer on my leaf springs. Once I rinsed half the boat with water and the other half with Salt Away - Huge difference. I also have a Flush Pro and recomend it over just a T connector since the spring loaded valve keeps the water going to the engine rather than a lot of it falling out the raw water intake. I have some good silicone spray that I put all over the trailer and engine.

Get sacrificial annodes for the drive shaft and the platform brackets (I do not have the latter and wish I did). Some say for the rudder too, but I never did.

Get a faster bilge pump - many have told me to wire right to the ignition switch. I just cycle it every ten minutes or so. You don't want salt water sloshing around the bilge because it can get into your transmition, corode the oil pan. Worste case it can even get the starter motor and engine mounts if it gets high enough. Prop the engine cover open and point a fan at the interior to really dry it out. Wash your gear. And don't scrub aluminum parts (binding plates), as Al oxidizes the the surface becomes a protctive layer (according to my Chemist ski buddy).

If your boat has only been in fresh water before this, I recomend paying up and getting a closed loop cooling system if you'll be doing this multiple times per week. If it's only couple times a month you can get by without it in my opinion.

[87Craft]

I lived in Pensacola prior to our recent move. I never used the MC in salt, but know many people who did use boats in salt water. By far, the trailer is most vounerable. Flushing the boat will minimize any impact, but the trailer needs special attention...assuming its not galvanized (mine's not). I knew a guy who ran PVC under the trailer and installed a hose connection. He drilled holes throughout the PVC. It worked as a nice "shower" flush for his trailer.

[Ryan]

If you really will be dunking your trailer in fresh water once a week, your trailer will last a fair amount longer than mine. Watch your wiring connections too on both trailer and boat. I used liquid electical tape on all connections on the trailer.

Boat wise, the only bad thing I've had happen was a corroded connection from my electronic ignition to the coil. And my exhauset manifold and risers show signs of corrosion, the paper based gaskets retain some salt unless you go closed loop.

But I get to ski more often. I'm an hour and a half from the closest, and very crouded, lake.

My boat had been in salt before I bought it though so all of this is easy to swallow.

[jimjohn]

true inboards for salt water have a closed cooling system

[jimjohn]

It doesn't take much to ruin a boat in salt water

[Ryan]

87 -

That's a really good idea since mine is corroding from the inside out in places. I just ground and repainted the trailer and was pleased to still see good steel under almost all of the rust.

I hope this all hasn't scared you away from going in the salt. As long as you are in and out just for skiing, flush the engine for 10+ minutes (that's about how long it will take to go through a full disipator) and hose down the trailer you should be good to go. I probably should have just said that.

[jimjohn]

I almost took my x2 to the beach in Texas before I was told not to by my dealership or everything would rust

[87Craft]

don't worry about salt, just wash the boat and flush the trailer and engine. closed loop cooling isn't a cure all. in fact, there are some serious disadvantages/risk. most boats don't used closed loop cooling.

[rodltg2]

I almost took my x2 to the beach in Texas before I was told not to by my dealership or everything would rust

you are way too paranoid. what makes a mastercraft any more vulnerable to salt than lets say a sea ray or cobalt? those type of boats afe always cruising the bays. if you take proper precautions and care of it will be fine. especially if you do the once a week fresh water dunk. after a trip to san diego in mission bay i did not have a hose or fake a lake to use so i just took my boat to the nearest lake on my way home and dunked it.

[J. Patterson]

I have taken my 90 Tristar to salt water for about one week each year for the past six or seven years. I hate the beach and there are some real nice small bays at Orange Beach, AL . My son and I get to ski instead of baking on the sand. I have even towed all the way to the FLA keys 3 or 4 times. We snorkle there. Ever been 5 miles offshore in a little slalom boat? Crazy I know. Flush real good. The hardest part to get salt free is the trailer bunk brackets. The salt stays in the carpet and corrosion develops. My trailer is the older channel steel style with no hollow tubes. The inside of the tubing on newer trailers is not painted. Flush it thoroughly or you will have the tubes corrode from the inside out. The rest is just a matter of washing down throughly. I use a mist of WD 40 over the engine and trans before I go. I also have sprayed the trailer down with Thompsons water proofing. Seems to work.
All this said. If I had a new boat I wouldn't put it in salt water. Makes a pretty good argument for not getting one. I have lots of fun doing it.

J. Patterson

[jbfootin]

I bought a boat in WI only to find out that it was a salt water boat from FL. The boat was an 88 ProStar 190 and the motor was rusting from the inside out. The only real noticable problem was that the water sleave of the manifold would plug up with chunks of rust and stop the flow of water on 1 side of the motor around the exhaust manifold. I would have to take off the exhaust pipe and poke the rust out with a knife blade until I had good flow. I did this several times a summer until the day I sold it.

Just my :twocents:

[Ryan]

I'll try to get a new pic of the repaint soon. The seaweed made the trailer look worse. But notice the running gear still looks great.

[mark g]

some people dont have much choice but to run on salt water,
i've been running on salt water for a couple of years now and no issues, just remember to flush out engine at the end of the weekend, and a good wash for the hull and upholstery, and rinse the trailer, most trailers over here in the uk are galvanised from new biggest problem from salt is the brakes seem to always be the worst affected probably due to not been able to flush out, just got to remember to service them a couple of times a year, strip down wash,paint,grease & reasemble.
its just another routine that you have to get into.

[sizzler]

MARKG ,,i agree .....always (until last year) ran boats on the saltwater estuary around the thames....it was a MC b/foot200 granted ,which i think are easier to flush than an inboard...but ,nevertheless ,the boat was washed after every outing and it lasted me 10 yrs with no rust or damage...the trailers ,being galvanised do last longer than just painted ones..........
we,being an island do not have the luxury of big lakes...the biggest freshwater lake in england,lake windemere,has just had an 8 knot limit imposed upon it......its 11 miles long (i think)..scotlands loch lomond is 24 miles long and is the UK 's biggest freshwater lake.....hardly a pond by your standards

[Jayc]

I love the whole saltwater/freshwater banter. Many of the people that post on the forums I read think that it only takes one dip in saltwater to make your boat rust away overnight. I'm sure some actually believe that if they use the boat on saturday by wednesday all that will be left is the hull and trailer tyres, everything else would have just turned into brown powder!

I have been skiing in salt for 20 years. My current MC has been used in salt for the past 16 years and its still fine. There is a guy who skis with us who has a 78 which has spent all its life running in salt and is on the same engine block with no problems.

Like others I spend an extra 10 mins after each use giving it a good wash and rinse and flush the engine for 5 - 10 mins with the hise while I'm going round with the sponge and soap. Quick spary of wd40 on the engine easch week and job done.

If your really anal about your boat then don't take it in the salt and trailer it to a freshwater lake but if you want to use it and enjoy it then go ahead just rinse it afterwards its not going to do any harm.

[sizzler]

boys ....you notice that its us from the UK who love saltwater....thats cos we got so much of it...hahahah

[Jayc]

I can't say I love the sea, well actually I do but I would prefer to live by the sea with a freshwater lake just 5 mins down the road.

But if its a choice of using the boat in the sea or leaving it on the drive waiting for the time to go to a lake I know what I'd do!

[jimjohn]

You can't do too much skiing in the ocean though! I guess if you like to fish....

[jimjohn]

I wonder if salt water makes it harder to have a better wake than fresh water - other than the fact that most salt water areas are never glass.

[betsy&david Harrison]

You obviously haven't seen the Cal coast area where I live. Lots of glass, just wouldn't put my boat near it.

[Ryan]

I didn't know we so many Brits on the site! I thought Sizzler was the only one. All of the sudden I feel like we have a little more class and culture. :dance: Did I hear correctly Andy Mapple was knighted?

Sizzler, what happened on Windemere? Did it get too crouded?
I'm impressed with the number of world class skiers that come from an area with so few places to ski.

[sizzler]

local residents complained of bank/soil erosion.......

the other lakes in the area are no-ski zones and windemere was supposed to be left alone to us...they renagde.......lots of businesses have reported losses and locals are up in arms.......they did not realise how much we bring to an area.....besides if you ballast up my X9 and wakesurf at 8 knots ,you create a hell of a lot of wake and soil erosion....far more than me at 36mph.....

[cloisel]

I thought I would like to re-assure some of you "lakist" that a ski boat cna sit in saltwater if correctly tuned and maintained.
I live on northwest coast of France, and we have a wonderfull bay which is flat most mornings and nights when no swell is coming in. My boat stays 6 months throughout the year moored in the harbour (antifouling bottom paint required!), which is a 2 minute walk from my flat, so we can ride pretty often, compared to the nearest lake which is a 100 mile away. I installed a closed-loop cooling system in my Sportstar so the motor block sees fresh coolant, and I flush with flushpro my boat after every outing during 5 mn so that my exhaust risers and manifold will hopefully stay in shape longer..... what is also importnat is trying to keep a dry bilge area and coat motor parts with 40WD.....so far so good!!!

[rick s.]

Having grown up on salt water, salt water will eventually eat your trailer, no matter what you do. The brakes go first, so pay special attention to them when you rinse with freshwater.

Freshwater tastes funny to me and you don't float worth a damn.

[Ryan]

cloisel - Let's see some pics. All these international MC'ers, now I'm waiting for one of those MasterBoat Brazilian skiers to show up.

I've had a lot of people ask me how the skiing is on salt vs fresh water - water density etc... Anyone have any input on differences? I don't think there's a difference once your up.

[shepherd]

Technically, salt water is denser so, if anything, your ski might ride a little higher. I personally haven't noticed much difference (except the taste!).

Wow, I thought you guys in the UK skiied on private English lakes at the manor or something, like you was nobility ;) . Or maybe on the Llangollen canal! I believe Mapple moved to FL when he went pro... nuff said...

[stevo137]

I did some salt water skiing in Cancun this year and really enjoyed it.
Scott who owns Waterski Cancun also gives excellent instruction.
It was great to be there in February!
They had two barefoot MC's and a Supra Launch.
The barefoot wakes were butter.
The outboards handle the saltwater much better than a raw water boat.

[Leroy]

Well put Rick s.

Freshwater tastes funny to me and you don't float worth a damn.

[parks_jr_55]

We stayed at the Sun Palace. (Hotel Right above the boats, far right).

I was tempted to take a walk down there, but never got around to it. Something about girls in bikinis and all the food you can eat and booze you can drink got the better of me. Maybe next time ill check it out.

[stevo137]

We stayed at the Sun Palace. (Hotel Right above the boats, far right).

I was tempted to take a walk down there, but never got around to it. Something about girls in bikinis and all the food you can eat and booze you can drink got the better of me. Maybe next time ill check it out.
Very nice place Parks. The all inclusive at the Palace hotels is very good.
I stayed at the Hilton during a business meeting which is just a short bus ride north and the Cancun Palace a few weeks later when I took my family.
The Palace hotels are a great time!

[parks_jr_55]

Very nice place Parks. The all inclusive at the Palace hotels is very good.
I stayed at the Hilton during a business meeting which is just a short bus ride north and the Cancun Palace a few weeks later when I took my family.
The Palace hotels are a great time!


We have gone to the Moon Palace too. Nice place, but away from the nightlife of cancun.

I like the Cancun Palace alot, its a good time down there. There is defiantly no shortage of girls or drunks.

I was a fan of the wristband system at the palaces too. Im the baby of the family and so I was the only one with a purple (under 18) wristband but I solved that. I pakced a bunch of rubber (livestrong) wristbands in all different colors just in case i needed them. Well i turned mine inside out and put the grey on and what do you know, I wasn't alone anymore being the only one under 18. That made the trip better.

[stevo137]

We have gone to the Moon Palace too. Nice place, but away from the nightlife of cancun.

I like the Cancun Palace alot, its a good time down there. There is defiantly no shortage of girls or drunks.

I was a fan of the wristband system at the palaces too. Im the baby of the family and so I was the only one with a purple (under 18) wristband but I solved that. I pakced a bunch of rubber (livestrong) wristbands in all different colors just in case i needed them. Well i turned mine inside out and put the grey on and what do you know, I wasn't alone anymore being the only one under 18. That made the trip better.
Bad boy! :D

[BriEOD]

Stevo what was a pull going for?

[stevo137]

Stevo what was a pull going for?
It think that I paid about $40.
He charges more if you use the course but I just happened to catch Scott and his partner while they were skiing themselves.
www.waterskicancun.com