Bad Yamaha

[Britboater]

Very bad, how dare you use inferior fixtures on my boat, only 3 months old too.

 

[Britboater]

Never mind, a bit of Goof off and all's well

 

[Gym]

Nice work @Britboater

 

[Julian]

My tie down rings have never done this. You boat in salt water yes?

 

[Britboater]

Brackish, 50/50, ventured out into the Gulf Twice this visit, but I always stringently wash down after every trip.
The ladder was even worse, but did clean up. I'm not overly fussed, just a little disappointed that Yamaha seem to be using sub-standard steel.
I'm over the moon overall with my boat, just polished and put it to bed for the summer, very sad.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Are you headed back to the other side of the pond?

 

[redthumper9]

Weird.....I boat in salt water every weekend. I've never had that happen. Over the years, you can see a tiny amount of rust on the base of some of the fixtures, but never that bad.

 

[Britboater]

Are you headed back to the other side of the pond?

Yep, back to old blighty. We purchased the boat in Feb and already have 30 hours, I've owned numerous boats in the UK, the last one for 4 years, and in that time never used it as much as this one . We live on the coast but work mixed in with inclement weather is not a good combination.

Have a fantastic summer you guys, enjoy your boats this season. God speed!

 

[txav8r]

@brit , Yamaha doesn't make any of those fixtures. I don't know about the transom or bow eyebolts, whether a higher finish of chrome or stainless is available, but the ladder is made by Windline, and is the same ladder used on other boat manufacturers as well. They are fabulous folks and stand behind their products. You might want to try using more protective measures vs just rinsing. Stainless doesn't really rust, but it does get that rusty looking corrosion, that streaks just like in your pictures. I know several guys mention that the corrosion starts under the fixture, where it traps moisture between the gelcoat and the end of the fixture. Guys have used sealants to stop that. But the corrosion on the ladder??? I would try using the corrosion protection sprays on everything metal on the boat and make sure it is always covered with it, even during storage in a salt air environment. That protective spray will let you spend less time cleaning and more time boating!

 

[Glassman]

Looks to me to be "Free iron" rust. Meaning that the S.S. part itself is not rusting, but the part has come into contact with dust or other ordinary iron or steel - like washers or in the case of that photo above, minute shavings and particles from the sliding action of the ladder into and out of it's bracket, threads on bolts, etc..
You could also be boating in water that has a high concentration of iron and other minerals which will accelerate the formation of free iron rust.

It's purely cosmetic and cleans off rather easy. CLR or other readily available chemical cleaners work well. Only use a S.S. brush on stainless steel. Don't use Brillo pads or steel wool - it will make the problem worse. There is ample evidence of corrosion on the stainless in your photos. See that slight whitish film? That's S.S. corrosion. It will just stay like that until cleaned. I see no signs of pitting - that's a good thing.

Corrosion on stainless is normal, much like aluminum, but not nearly to the same extent.
After you rid the boat of the rust, spray it with something that will help prevent it's return. I suggest you try Boeshield products for both removal and prevention:

http://boeshield.com/features-benefits/marine/

Cheers!