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Salt water

Donn Patchen

Donn Patchen

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We use our boat in fresh water in TN. For the winter we moved it to Florida and going to venture out in salt water. Any precautions or advice to make sure we're taking care of the boat? Appreciate any lessons learned.
 
If you are trailering rinse the entire underside of the boat after use. Also flush your engine by using muffs attached to your intake on the lower unit. Have fun!!!
 
I think you need to switch out your anodes.
 
Dumb question but did you plan for this and add the salt water package when purchasing? When i lived in Michigan we ordered ours with the saltwater package just in case. Few years later and we live in Florida on the coast so it worked out.
 
lakeliving said:
Dumb question but did you plan for this and add the salt water package when purchasing? When i lived in Michigan we ordered ours with the saltwater package just in case. Few years later and we live in Florida on the coast so it worked out.
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That's a great question. I just bought the boat used from a person in Illinois. Even though it's 5 years old, barely used and stored indoors. Engine had less than 100 hours. No Salt Water package and not sure what that would include?
 
Donn Patchen said:
That's a great question. I just bought the boat used from a person in Illinois. Even though it's 5 years old, barely used and stored indoors. Engine had less than 100 hours. No Salt Water package and not sure what that would include?
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Usually, the SW package will come with sealed lifting strakes and sacrificial anodes.

Adding the anodes are exponentially more vital than the sealed lifting strakes, if your boat did not come equipped with the SW package.

You're also going to want to move to a stainless steel or saltwater specific prop, if not already present.
 
Without the saltwater package, you need to actually do more prep for your boat. I personally would not put a pontoon in saltwater without the saltwater package for a variety of reasons. You have good advice above, but since your boat doesn’t have the saltwater package, there is going to be more to putting that advice into practice than it probably seems on face value.

Saltwater is an entirely different beast altogether.
 
I felt bad the first time I dipped mine in. Now it’s all it knows am I’m used to it
 
From what I have seen the saltwater package on a pontoon isn’t much different. Rinse it really good and have fun with it. Find a Bennington dealer on the coast and talk to them about the extra anodes

now your steel trailer will age exponentially. I would rinse it extra or have your boat picked and set in the water if there isn’t a fresh or brackish ramp with in reason.
 
Good advice above - salt water can be deadly to a boat when not handled properly. Flushing the boat and trailer completely when you take it out of the water is a must. Here's a great product I've used for over 15 years. The inside of my Yamahas on my Center Console were perfect after 1400 hours, using this product. http://www.saltawayproducts.com/. The anode comment is also critical. Change your anodes to aluminum, including the one under the front of the motor bracket. I'd also suggest adding an anode to each side of your trailer - you would be amazed how much that will reduce your corrosion. Most freshwater boats have magnesium or zinc anodes. Magnesium will last 2-3 days if the boat is left in the water. Not good. Always use stainless steel fasteners as well, although with these aluminum pontoons, you will need to use "never seize" or you will have galvanic corrosion between the fastener and the attachment point. Enjoy the salt water, just don't forget to clean up after!
 
(Picture is Bennington #2 but recently upgraded to 2022 QX Twin)
I purchased a 2022 QX without the saltwater package and two Bennington dealers (incl one in FL) told me it wasn't a big deal. I need to verify the props are stainless (appear to be) but confirmed there are sacrificial zinc anodes on the motor brackets but none on the toons. It appears extra brackets are added to the toons for mounting the anodes when adding the SW package. Can anyone confirm that? I purchased the anodes but can't find a good place to add them. Dealers were no help. Ideas? Another dealer told me this wasn't a big deal since is is being stored on a lift and rinsed after use. Final question was on flushing the engines (twin Mercury's). One dealer is saying every so often and another after each use. Most common answer is every few uses and then end of week or so do a flush with a Salt Away mixture. Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
Not on salt water ourselves but my understanding the SW package also has things like sealed performance foils and/or strakes, and some of those types of features. Along with probably more thoughtful anode brackets, I kind of think the dealers were saying that to you to close the deal. I guess I just assumed if someone was to be on saltwater they would only get a SW package. I also find it interesting that in addition to the dealership giving you that particular advise (which I question), that they additional are of no help with your bracket concern. D’oh!

My bet is you’ll need to be a bit more thorough with rinse downs, and do them more often because of needing to get in some spots that are not sealed up because you don’t have that package.

We do have a fair amount of FL Bennington owners in here though, and other salt water pontooners, so I’m sure some of them will chim in with great first hand experience soon. Otherwise, congratulations on that QX. Nice!!!
 
Donn Patchen said:
We use our boat in fresh water in TN. For the winter we moved it to Florida and going to venture out in salt water. Any precautions or advice to make sure we're taking care of the boat? Appreciate any lessons learned.
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I boat in salt water and offer the following…Seal the keel and other hull openings against intrusion by saltwater and barnacles, as well as adding a sacrificial anode to protect the metal hulls against corrosion. If the toon is kept in the water more than 24 hours…bottom paint will be needed to keep off barnacles. (the only way to completely remove a barnacle from untreated metal is sand blasting.) Anodes need to be changed over to aluminum and turn off all batteries at end of day. A good fresh water rinse is good at end of day. My 2012 still looks good today and I hope for many more years of boating from it! AND Please Enjoy Youselves.
 
Hello from Cape Coral FL. New to Bennington but not new to pontooning in saltwater. Looking for insight on saltwater vs. freshwater lifting strakes. My understanding is that the freshwater strakes are basically a formed alum. angle stitch welded to the pontoon where the saltwater strake is a sealed / capped three-sided alum. extrusion "stitch" welded to the pontoon. Why are saltwater strakes not welded continuously to keep salt from between strake and pontoon log? Dealer told me the salt would easily flush / rinse out.
 
I have sealed strakes on mine and after 7 years in saltwater I haven’t had an issue. Boat has been kept on a lift.
 
rmlsll said:
Hello from Cape Coral FL. New to Bennington but not new to pontooning in saltwater. Looking for insight on saltwater vs. freshwater lifting strakes. My understanding is that the freshwater strakes are basically a formed alum. angle stitch welded to the pontoon where the saltwater strake is a sealed / capped three-sided alum. extrusion "stitch" welded to the pontoon. Why are saltwater strakes not welded continuously to keep salt from between strake and pontoon log? Dealer told me the salt would easily flush / rinse out.
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If you would like to find out why a Bennington is built the way it is ,your best bet is to contact Bennington. 888 906 2628. Have your Hull ID, if you want specifics on your boat .
 
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