Marinette Boat Forum

I have a 73 - 28ft express that I have really done a ton of work on. Its becoming a very different kind of boat.

That said, there are some pits in the hull that I want to address and it has been in Lake Erie for its entire life.

I have moved to Florida and don't make it up to Ohio much at all anymore. I want to bring it down. Is that suicide?

I would just buy a boat down here but man, I gutted the inside and spent a ton of cash and TIME customizing it. I don't think I could reproduce it ever again with my current situation (no shop & tools)

I saw the 28 for sale in Key West.... I would end up gutting the inside all over again.

Any advice?

D

No problem if:

1. The anodes are correct and in good condition

2. There are no dumb stuff like bronze cutlass bearings (ah-hem)

3. The flap over the stuffing box to keep salt water spray down is in place

4. The CAPAC is operating properly so you can see what's happening.

Jeff

One other thing: FWCooling so the exhaust system will last more than 5 years.

Jeff

Just curious about this.. My water inlet has a shut off and a hose hook up. Can you flush the system that way after using in salt water? Im sure it would help, just not sure how much.

One other forum denizen used to keep his boat in FL waters and didn't report unusual problems (as you keep Jeff's tips in mind)

Some BigMs came from the factory with the hose coupling for the freshwater flushing. My uncle visted the factory before he bought his 32 where they told him the tale of a Florida owner who left the intake valve (why they didn't use seacocks remains a mystery) open while attempting to flush an engine with freshwater. This resulted in a hose flying off and the boat sinking. They told him they replaced the boat, cleaned up the one that made the voyage to the bottom of the slip and sold it to someone else--with full disclosure.

At the end of the day, my uncle opted for freshwater (enclosed) cooling because it seemed like a lot less trouble than hooking up a hose to each engine and flushing it after each trip.

Lots of folks do a fresh water flush after EACH time they run their boat. Lots of trick attachment set ups out there to allow this to be done without a bunch of nonsense.

With my Marinette, I'd have to shut off the seacocks, remove the strainer top, stick a water hose in there and run the engines for a few minutes (then reverse the procedure--a pain!)

Jeff

Not cheap but Groco makes a very convenient (and appears to be high quality) adapter to do just that. Not so important, I think, for fresh water or even brackish water boaters but something I'd consider for salt water. I've seen a few FL captains spend half an hour soaping and rinsing the salt residue off the exterior surfaces. An engine flush while you're packing up after a day's boating can pay nice dividends where you spend the really big bucks, down below .

Hopefully I don't start a firestorm. Freshwater or saltwater to me doesn't matter. It's all in how you take care of it. Note Jeff's comments because the PO of my boat spent ridiculous money on service done the "dumb way" (see photos on "metal mistakes" post). Mine has an operating galvanic isolator and was in fresh water. Yes salt will tear them up but the Coast Guard and most Oilfield Crew Boats are the same aluminum. Take care of it and it will be fine.

Michael