How long have others kept your jetboat in the water (salt/brackish)?

[vikingknut]

Hi. I am awaiting delivery of new 2023 AR250. Unfortunately, due to a very lengthy permit process in my state, I most likely won't be able to have a lift installed for a year . Until then, I will be trailering it in and out of the water. I live on a "pond" that has a channel to the bay which is fed by both the bay and fresh water rivers (so, slightly brackish, but I am not sure of the salt ratio compared to general Atlantic ocean water). I have heard that you can store the boat in salt water for up to a week with little to no effect (as long as your flush out the engines). While I'd most likely only leave it in the water for no longer than 4 or 5 days, has anyone had material issues from doing so? Also, are there any devices that you recommend to make flushing the engine while clamping the salt water intake?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

@lazergeek set his boat up with electrically operated valves to block off the cooling water supply lines and he had turned his 26 gallon live well into a fresh water tank to supply a pump he installed so he could flush his engines while still in the water. You can find that thread here.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/fsh-210-livewell-access.31133/

@lazergeek boats in salt water and this system allows him to not only flush his engines while wet slipped, but it keeps the salt water from migrating into his engine while he is wet slipped. An ingenious set up!

There is another thread somewhere I read about a guy who had wet slipped his boat in salt water for a full summer, but I don’t know where that thread is off the top of my head. Use the search function…

Seems like the easiest thing to do would be to just pull it out of the water whenever you are not using it until you can get your lift installed. just Be sure to use salt away, and the procedure salt away has in their web site for flushing and your engine and the rest of your boat will not have any issues with the salt water.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Here’s the thread about a guy wet slipping in salt water.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/documenting-the-long-term-effect-of-wet-slipping-in-salt-water.24703/

 

[vikingknut]

Awesome! Thanks for the response.

 

[lazergeek]

I have left mine in salt water for up to a week a few times a year. The rest of the time pull it out everyday. My wash down flush conversion was because I Didn't have water to flush with at the ramp or storage and the valves helps with pressure when flushing so I wasn't loosing half my pressure and water. I Recommend would pull out to wash the hull every week or 2 at the least to prevent buildup on the bottom. Also if you install a charger on the boat to charge while at the dock make sure your grounds are correct so to not get galvanic corrosion on the Jet parts. Leaving in the water definitely wears the zincs even without ground issues.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Brackish water can mean different things to different people. My suggestion would be to find a salinity map of the waters. I know that on the Chesapeake Bay there are huge differences of salinity depending on where one is located.

Jim

 

[vikingknut]

I found a study of the bay we are on that was from back in 1991. At the time of their analysis, there was a lack of rainfall over several preceding weeks that limited the fresh water flow from the estuaries. They determined an average salinity of between 14 to 27 PPT during this period. From my interpretation of the data, it looks like my area is probably between 15 and 21 ppt.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

In Florida every few days you have to clean it and especially the hidden places around the pump as THINGS grow in them really quickly .