boaters

[JJs450r]

i might be in the market of a boat soon and was looking into 14-16' fiberglass or aluminum boat, preferably a flat bottom skiff, i was wondering how well an aluminum boat holds up in salt water, and banking on sand beaches . what a good motor overall with power for a boat that size, theres a 15' aluminum with a 40 and one with a 30. also is going from fresh water to salt water a big deal? thanks

[tri5ron]

my 14' aluminum Starcraft, with a 20hp 2 stroke, and a "Dolefin", was plenty fine, it would get up on plane, with only the last 4' touching the water, and that is with my 150lb wife, and 50 lb dog sitting on the forward most bench.

a 30 or 40 hp engine would have been too fast, and probably very squirrley, and difficult to control.

beaching it was never a problem, I did it many times.

[JJs450r]

is insurance a must? how much on average?

[tri5ron]

insurance not required yet. but maybe in the future

[xrxmxcx]

I work full time in the marine business, and if taken care of, aluminum will stand up well in salt water. Don't be afraid to spend a good amount of money on bottom paint/primer. Get the good stuff and go with Pettit.

As far as power goes...

:devil:

16ft Checkmate's were meant to have V6's on the back of them.

[extremeblastr]

wellll i'll warn you ahead of time, boating is just as addicting to quads...we started with a little aluminum ourselves and have managed to move all the way up to a 26' with a cabin that can sleep up to 6 lol makes for a hell of weekend when you load up on food and "beverages" and just chill on the water fishin away.

[JJs450r]

ya i want a 14-16', theres some local companys here i guess they make skiffs and skimmers, but ya it seems like the aluminum ones are cheaper.

so just keep the bottom painted and i will be fine banking on sandy beaches?


ya ive always wanted a boat but ended up spending more time racing then anything now that my foots broke for 2 more months i figured id pick up a little boat and catch up on some fishing haha plus the ole lady like being out on the water and on the beach

[JJs450r]

will it hurt any thing to go from fresh water to salt water

[baldwinmx450r]

No, it wont hurt. When you get home, run fresh water through the intake to clear out all of the salt water and avoid corrosion, do that and you will be just fine.

[tri5ron]

most boat ramps at the ocean have a fresh water washout station.
you usually need to have your own garden hose to hook up to it, so just get used to carrying one in your truck.

It is FAR better to rinse it with fresh water immediately after pulling it out of the salt water, and before the salt water has a chance to dry on the boat, trailer, as well as inside the cooling system of the boat engine.

yes, you CAN wait till you get home, to rinse it out (10 minute run time) on fresh water ,...
but your engine, and Trailer will last alot longer, and need less maintaince, if you get into the habit of running it at the launch ramp on fresh water, and giving the whole boat, and trailer a good rinse, before heading home.

there is also a few good products on the market, available at any Marine store, that neutralize the acidic properties of salt water. One that comes to mind is caled "Salt Away".
Proper use of these products will help to ensure a long life of your engine.

just remember that ALL equipment requires proper maintaince, to run well.
and it is 10 TIMES more important for anything used in salt water.

one other thing that is VITAL to using any metals in salt water, ESPECIALLY aluminum, is to be sure that you have the proper amount of "Zinc's", and that they are in tip-top condition.
they will help to prevent corrosion on your boat, and engine.

it would be a good idea for you to go to the Westmarine website, and do some reading on proper boating maintaince. (or,) you can learn the hard, (And Expensive) way, ....


good luck, and happy boating.
p.s.,
if the wife/girlfriend is going to be spending time with you on the boat, I HIGHLY recommend investing in a Bimini top, or other means of providing shade while on the water. Trust me on this !

[JJs450r]

thanks for all the info, ya i dont think i live even 10 minutes from the boat dock i usually use. ya ive been searching google as well for maintenance tips and what not, i think i might hobble out to a couple dealers tomorrow and see whats going on and find out some more info, ya i like to do alot of salt water fishing, inlets and slues, but love going out on the river for some stripper and cat fishin was the only reason i was askin about the salt water fresh water thing