What is a good boat for occasional salt water use?

kmagnuss

Okay...I moved down to Florida last year and I'm finally situated with job, house, wife, dog. Now I need a boat. But around me there aren't many lakes. There's alot of rivers with brackish water (mixture of salt and fresh, depending on how far you are from the coast and how much rain there has been). I want to get a new boat, and a V drive would be preferable. But this whole salt water thing has me worried. I've been looking at a couple boats...supra, moomba, and centurion. I can't really spend more than 40k or so. So far I like the Centurion Enzo the best as far as feature wise, affordability, size and looks. I like the fact that you can take out the carpet for when you want to go on the saltwater. But what about the wake? My friends up north in MI both had super air nautiques, and I really liked them. I also had one friend with a x7 and that wake was okay on calm days, but the boat seemed kind of cheap to me. Whatever...what would you recommend for occasional saltwater usage? Thanks.

-Keith

savage3221 · Posted: Mar 02, 2005 8:52 pm Post subject:

I know that MasterCraft makes a saltwater series boat now, like the maristar boats for salt I believe. You can equip those with towers and some ballast and be able to run in salt and fresh water all you want no problems. The Maristars are all the same hull as an X-Series boat.

kmagnuss · Posted: Mar 02, 2005 9:14 pm Post subject:

I heard that too, but I'm sure that will be out of my price range. What items in a boat are really effected by saltwater? Carpet? Wood? Ballast system? Vinyl?

Swass · Guest

A closed cooling system will help, but there's really no "good" salt water boat. Salt WILL corrode surfaces no matter what you do, but you can prolong the life of your boat by employing a comprehensive after-use cleaning regimen. Flush the engine with Salt-Away every time and rinse all surfaces completely.

PimpinD · Addict Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 785 City: Orlando, FL

Salt, shmmmalt.... salt water IS bad for boats, but with the proper attention you should not have any problems. I live down in miami, and ride only in the ocean, we have an older 1994 prostar 205 with 1300hrs on it, there is minimal rust here and there, but with a flush of the engine after every use there are no engine problems. Check out some of the new boats, which are not "salt water" series because they have valves in the back where u just screw i na hose turn it on, and run the engine for a while. Very easy, wish my boat had something like that. The removable carpert is a good idea, becuase it is kind of useless and just tends to get dirty and salty. I dont know how rough it gets for you guys up by the rivers and intercoastal, but when i cross the bay in miami to get to my riding spot its very chopppy, i though my boat handled the chop poorly being a ski boat, but i have also been in several malibus and the new XStar, neither of them handled the chop significantly better. So basically with a proper cleaning after every use your boat will be find for many hours to come. Ive got a damn lot and the boat still runs great.

Ladythump · Posted: Mar 03, 2005 7:44 am Post subject:

Salt water ruins the metals, makes them rust (and fast). I wouldn't worry about carpeting and stuff like that. After you run in salt, take a hose and spray everything down really good and then wipe it down really good.

Once you start boating on some open water, you're going to find it hard to go back to lakes. I'm not talking about wakeboarding, I'm talking about boating. If you don't think you're going to "boat" then just keep your wakeboard boat on the fresh water lakes.

Ladythump · Posted: Mar 03, 2005 7:45 am Post subject:

Salt water ruins the metals, makes them rust (and fast). I wouldn't worry about carpeting and stuff like that. After you run in salt, take a hose and spray everything down really good and then wipe it down really good.

Once you start boating on some open water, you're going to find it hard to go back to lakes. I'm not talking about wakeboarding, I'm talking about boating. If you don't think you're going to "boat" then just keep your wakeboard boat on the fresh water lakes.

jzwake · Addict Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 801

These guys are correct. Just be vigilant with the cleaning, flush, and use some rust inhibiturs and you'll be fine with any boat. I have Friends who boats look near perfect after 5 years in brackish water.
________
TOYOTA GROUP

holiday13 · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Posts: 325 City: Flemington

I think most companies offer a "salt water prep" package (I know Tige does at least) which usually consists of a fresh water flush for the motor cooling and includes different hardware for the steering, the sales rep had explained it to me when I was ordering but for the one time a year it might see saltwater I opted out. Check with the sales people for the boats you are looking at. Good luck

Brit Rider · Posted: Mar 03, 2005 1:43 pm Post subject:

The salt water serie sis only availble ont he large boats such as the X80. not the smaller wakeboats such as the x star and X2.

Brit Rider · Posted: Mar 03, 2005 1:44 pm Post subject:

series is* please excuse the spelling Wink

kmagnuss · Posted: Mar 03, 2005 4:05 pm Post subject:

Well I'm testing the Malibu LSV 23', Centurion Enzo, and 03 Super Air Nautique this weekend. I guess we'll see what happens. I already know I love the SAN, but $ may prohibit.

holiday13 · Soul Rider Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Posts: 325 City: Flemington

kmagnuss, Try the Tige 22v and 24v as well, I doubt you will be disapointed, the SAN and Malibu were the other two I looked at and I went Tige. Good luck