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Thinking about launching in salt water..

Cray Paper

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I have launched my boat in brackish water on the Snohomish River and headed out to the Puget Sound a couple of times before. I wasn't worried about salt water at all because the tide was out both times when I put the trailer back on the trailer. I ran it up river (fresh water) for 3 miles before being on the trailer. The launch ramp I used is in a sketchy area and I am considering launching at a much better, and more importantly more secure launch ramp that happens to be on the Puget Sound. The launch has a fresh water wash station so flushing and washing down the boat and trailer shouldn't be a problem. I am concerned about the trailer though. It's a mild steel painted Extreme trailer that is almost ready to be sand blasted and repainted. If I launch and retrieve in salt I could run it up to a fresh water lake about 20 minutes away and dunk both.

Sticking to lakes and rivers is getting boring, the Luanch I am talking about is the Everette 10th street launch. Once on the water it's about 30 miles to downtown Seattle or 45 miles to Deception pass. Seems like a waste to not explore those areas when the weather is so nice. From the couple of times I have been on the sound it is much flatter than Lake Washington.

Should I be concerned with launching in salt water? If I do, whats the best approach to flushing the engine and trailer?
 

LargeOrangeFont

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Go dunk it in the fresh water lake 20 mins away when you are done and run the boat for a few mins on the trailer. Let the boat get back up to temp then shut it off. Maybe dunk the trailer once or twice more before leaving and call it good.
 

ductape1000

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The boat is the easy part. The trailer is the problem. The trailer is a tube frame with holes blown into it for drainage. Unfortunately, this allows the salt to get to the inside of the unfinished tubes. The best thing would be putting it in fresh water after to give a good rinse, but it is going to rust. I have destroyed mine by using it in salt, even trying everything I could to take care of it. At this point though, I just consider it sacrificial to the fun. The other thing that is a problem is the diamond plate steps that they just silicone on. Those don't rinse well either. The metal under them will rust and then they fall off. If I would have known, I would have removed them and freshened up the paint early in the deal.
 

spectras only

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IROCDave, how old is your trailer? Is it a box or C channel constructon? I always launched my boat in the Fraser River to go out boating in the ocean. The 1990 Ryan trailer lasted until about 2012 before I scrapped it becuase it started rusting inside the tubes, despite the bunch of drain holes. Went back to C channel construction, bought a TUFF trailer. My 1972 24 Spectra still sitting on the original 72 Vance trailer,never rusted out. Only the fenders needed replacing after my buddy [ who bought it ] kinda smashed it a bit up. I know TUFF is more utilitarian looking but extremely strong. It will out live me.:skull
 

nuckingfuts

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You could launch in the ship canal on 14th ave in Ballard and go through the locks (always fun lol ) and when you come back you get your engine flushed. Another option would be Edmonds, at one time they would lift your boat off of the trailer and splash it so your trailer would never see salt water. From where you live Everett is probably the best option.
 

Outdrive1

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If it's an Extreme trailer it will be junk shortly after you put it in salt water. They are the cheapest painted and treated trailers ever. Any chip or place the salt can get to bare metal will turn to rust and that's if it doesn't the rust itself from the inside out. If you have a C channel it's better.
 

Cray Paper

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It's a boxed steel Extreme trailer, as far as I know it is the same one that came with the boat in 1999. It's in decent shape but has a couple of areas where rust is bubbling the paint (at the fender steps) and has tons of rock chips on the cross braces.
 

Cray Paper

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You could launch in the ship canal on 14th ave in Ballard and go through the locks (always fun lol ) and when you come back you get your engine flushed. Another option would be Edmonds, at one time they would lift your boat off of the trailer and splash it so your trailer would never see salt water. From where you live Everett is probably the best option.

I'm going to look in to that launch, back in the early 00's my buddy Dennis boat a new 28' Baja and I met him at that launch. Didn't know it was still there, it's in an industrial area if I recall. I have never taken my boat through the locks and not sure if my ropes are long enough if I wasn't tied up next to another boat.
 

Cray Paper

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You could launch in the ship canal on 14th ave in Ballard and go through the locks (always fun lol ) and when you come back you get your engine flushed. Another option would be Edmonds, at one time they would lift your boat off of the trailer and splash it so your trailer would never see salt water. From where you live Everett is probably the best option.

I filled out my vacation request last April, my wife forgot the dates and took different dates off. I am home tomorrow and next Monday but cant take my boys out boating because of football practice. Are you in town? Up for some Puget Sound boating tomorrow or the weekend?
 

GRADS

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If it's an Extreme trailer it will be junk shortly after you put it in salt water. They are the cheapest painted and treated trailers ever. Any chip or place the salt can get to bare metal will turn to rust and that's if it doesn't the rust itself from the inside out. If you have a C channel it's better.

What he said. I'd be more worried about the trailer than the boat. Definitely flush the boat.
 

Rotten deal

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I don't understand why they build boxed trailers for boats. They go to shit even from fresh water eventually. I've had 15 year old myco trailers with original white paint that have been used occasionally in salt that looked almost new.
 

Magic34

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Once you dip the trailer in salt, the process has begun. If you're in need of a trailer in a couple years, then go for it, rinse well and see how long you can prolong it. Rotors, calipers, all that stuff starts to rust. I had a galvanized trailer I launched in the salt with. Trailer was fine, even my axles were galvanized but the rotors were not and they start to rust immediately.

The boat will be fine. As long as you rinse the motor at the end for 5-6 minutes, you'll be just fine. Did it for 2+ years on my last boat, longest it was in the salt was 7 days at 1 time, normal was 3-4 days at a time. Never had any issues. Flushing is your best bet, 5-6 minutes per motor and use salt away for even more security.
 

nuckingfuts

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Dave, no I am not in town, up in the Bering Sea for about another month, thanks for the invite though. You need 50 ft. min. lines to go through the large lock and about 15-20 ft lines for the small lock.
 

warlock250

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I have launched my boat in brackish water on the Snohomish River and headed out to the Puget Sound a couple of times before. I wasn't worried about salt water at all because the tide was out both times when I put the trailer back on the trailer. I ran it up river (fresh water) for 3 miles before being on the trailer. The launch ramp I used is in a sketchy area and I am considering launching at a much better, and more importantly more secure launch ramp that happens to be on the Puget Sound. The launch has a fresh water wash station so flushing and washing down the boat and trailer shouldn't be a problem. I am concerned about the trailer though. It's a mild steel painted Extreme trailer that is almost ready to be sand blasted and repainted. If I launch and retrieve in salt I could run it up to a fresh water lake about 20 minutes away and dunk both.

Sticking to lakes and rivers is getting boring, the Luanch I am talking about is the Everette 10th street launch. Once on the water it's about 30 miles to downtown Seattle or 45 miles to Deception pass. Seems like a waste to not explore those areas when the weather is so nice. From the couple of times I have been on the sound it is much flatter than Lake Washington.

Should I be concerned with launching in salt water? If I do, whats the best approach to flushing the engine and trailer?
Buy a bunch of the Salt away a mixer spray deal. That salt away is awesome. Hose boat and soak trailer really good and you should be good.
 

Sbarry

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If it's an Extreme trailer it will be junk shortly after you put it in salt water. They are the cheapest painted and treated trailers ever. Any chip or place the salt can get to bare metal will turn to rust and that's if it doesn't the rust itself from the inside out. If you have a C channel it's better.

Extreme will rust from fresh water... Horrible coating department.
 

coolchange

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I launch my b@nger in salt because I bought it to use. I use salt away. After a salt launch i pull thd wheels and treat hubs etc . open channel pretty good trailer and the rust has started taking over. Your trailer will be shit in 2 years as said.
 

Singleton

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Extreme will rust from fresh water... Horrible coating department.

They all do. My 2007 Zieman is showing signs of rust on the inside and it has only touched Havasu water. Kind of pisses me off, bc with a light grey trailer you can now see the rust marks run down the side of the trailer from the vent holes.
 

Sbarry

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They all do. My 2007 Zieman is showing signs of rust on the inside and it has only touched Havasu water. Kind of pisses me off, bc with a light grey trailer you can now see the rust marks run down the side of the trailer from the vent holes.

My 2017 shows rust... lol

But yea, very true...
 

COCA COLA COWBOY

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I never used my boat or extreme trailer in the salt water, but lived 3 miles from the ocean. I got rust from just living there!

Since you are so near saltwater, I'd keep an eye out for a good aluminum trailer now. You may have to drive for it, but deals come up on occasion.
 

Dylan

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Get a large pump sprayer and fill it with a heavy ratio of salt away, specifically the rotors and calipers. Use after launch AND retrieval.

Ocean boating is fun, and totally worth it. My future trailers will be aluminum or galvanized only
 
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