Salt Water for the Weekend

[MnSeabalt]

Hi guys,

2023 CS22. 3rd time out will be this weekend and I'm planning to take her from my Rack n Stack in Seattle through the locks into Puget Sound, and park at a marina for the weekend at a resort we are booked at. So I'm looking at 48 hours in the salt with my new boat. (Is 48 hours a long time to be exposed?)

As a new boater I'm still pretty nervous running in chop so I wouldn't be venturing into the Sound if the forecast wasn't looking near perfect; wind waves under 1 ft forecasted.

Regarding the Salt....Is it fair to say that if I go into the Sound once in awhile, with a nice bath afterwards it will be like I was never there? On top of the bath, it's a couple miles through the freshwater ship canal back to the marina, which I am guessing would give the engine enough time in the water to be "freshwater flushed"? (or do I still need to freshwater flush it when I get back to marina and she's on land?) How does that work? I think I have the "freshwater closed cooling system" in the Volvo v6 250 sx.

I realize if you are taking water over the bow that would introduce other problems to the boat, but for sake of this conversation let's assume thats not happening, and I'm giving her freshwater inside and out after exiting the salt? Thanks!

[Whippled263]

Millions of boats run in salt every single day. When you get back into fresh water the engine will flush itself or you can flush it with a hose. Keep the boat wiped down during your trip and give it a real good bath when you get home. Enjoy your trip!

[stifflkd]

Go and enjoy yourself. People not familiar with SW life think its like pouring water on the wicked witch. Live my entire life in SW with plenty of boats. My last was for 20 years and raw water cooled and still on the original set of manifolds and risers. Its important to flush the engine and with the gen 5 VP's which are closed cool you are only concerned with the exhaust.

[MnSeabalt]

Millions of boats run in salt every single day. When you get back into fresh water the engine will flush itself or you can flush it with a hose. Keep the boat wiped down during your trip and give it a real good bath when you get home. Enjoy your trip!

Good to know the engine will flush itself. Thanks!

Go and enjoy yourself. People not familiar with SW life think its like pouring water on the wicked witch. Live my entire life in SW with plenty of boats. My last was for 20 years and raw water cooled and still on the original set of manifolds and risers. Its important to flush the engine and with the gen 5 VP's which are closed cool you are only concerned with the exhaust.

Sorry, what do you mean by concerned with the exhaust? Will the exhaust be taken care of by running through a couple miles of freshwater on the way back to the marina? Thanks!

[Whippled263]

^ YES

[MnSeabalt]

Maybe someone wouldn't mind helping me forecast if this is a safe journey i'm planning.

We have a resort booked on the water in a nice port town 30 miles north of Seattle. Considering its open bow, and really not a big water/salt water boat, I really only want to take the boat up there if I am certain it will be "ok" on the water. Hoping to gain a sense of thumbs up or down from some of you guys with more experience, especially with Puget Sound.

Going to be a generally beautiful day (75 and sunny) and the water Forecast looks acceptable.. 7 to 12 knots NNW, with wind waves less than 1ft.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.p ... 4498252616

But tides will be directly opposing the wind and they look really strong during the time I'll be going out.. 11am-2pm.

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaat ... nthlychart

Return trip has a similar forecast (relatively soft south winds going against a strong-ish incoming tide).

[MnSeabalt]

Maybe someone wouldn't mind helping me forecast if this is a safe journey i'm planning.

We have a resort booked on the water in a nice port town 30 miles north of Seattle. Considering its open bow, and really not a big water/salt water boat, I really only want to take the boat up there if I am certain it will be "ok" on the water. Hoping to gain a sense of thumbs up or down from some of you guys with more experience, especially with Puget Sound.

Going to be a generally beautiful day (75 and sunny) and the water Forecast looks acceptable.. 7 to 12 knots NNW, with wind waves less than 1ft.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.p ... 4498252616

But tides will be directly opposing the wind and they look really strong during the time I'll be going out.. 11am-2pm.

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaat ... nthlychart

You can clearly see the tide direction here https://www.deepzoom.com

Return trip has a similar forecast (relatively soft south winds going against a strong-ish incoming tide).

[stifflkd]

Millions of boats run in salt every single day. When you get back into fresh water the engine will flush itself or you can flush it with a hose. Keep the boat wiped down during your trip and give it a real good bath when you get home. Enjoy your trip!

Good to know the engine will flush itself. Thanks!

Go and enjoy yourself. People not familiar with SW life think its like pouring water on the wicked witch. Live my entire life in SW with plenty of boats. My last was for 20 years and raw water cooled and still on the original set of manifolds and risers. Its important to flush the engine and with the gen 5 VP's which are closed cool you are only concerned with the exhaust.

Sorry, what do you mean by concerned with the exhaust? Will the exhaust be taken care of by running through a couple miles of freshwater on the way back to the marina? Thanks!

In a closed cooled system there is still raw water flowing through the exhaust (mainifold/riser). Being cast iron is can corrode in SW. That is why you should still flush the engine with freshwater

[Kate]

Wind/Current

I suggest this article: https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/planning/weather, especially this section: "Wind and Current"

If it were me, new to such conditions, I'd practice before the trip.

[MnSeabalt]

Wind/Current

I suggest this article: https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/planning/weather, especially this section: "Wind and Current"

If it were me, new to such conditions, I'd practice before the trip.

Thanks Kate. Great article. I had actually read that same one last night before posting this. What really spurred my concern is when I realized the tide will be going out against the wind.

[Kate]

". . . the tide will be going out against the wind."

That's the tricky part of your trips. Those opposing forces make it more difficult to calculate and navigate. I have a lot of experience navigating opposing currents and winds. But no experience with opposing tidal currents and winds. (Cross currents/winds present different challenges.) My understanding, for example, is tidal currents do something hinky close to shore. That's why I hesitate to offer any advice (beyond practice, first).

[bruceb58]

Done what you are planning on doing a number of times going through the locks into Puget sound. You should have ZERO issues with the combo of tide and winds.

[MnSeabalt]

I can report it was an epic and relatively peaceful journey through the locks and on the Sound today from Seattle up to Port Ludlow.

Even though the forecast said “wind waves 1 ft” I can say it was all of that and more, especially rounding the point in Admiralty Inlet West of Whidbey Island. I personally thought it was getting a bit gnarly there. Nevertheless the boat handled like an absolutely champ and even my novice skills were able to keep my passengers dry and happy.

I can definitely see how it gets crazy out there. The waves were coming from multiple directions at times, combined with (relatively small) swells and whitecaps at times. With that said I don’t think I would go out there in forecast of 2 ft waves or even over say 10-12knots of wind I would go with caution.

All in all great day getting my sea legs. Absolutely gorgeous and fun ride. Return trip Sunday looks like it should be good as well.

[bruceb58]

Sounds pretty mellow. Been in the Straight of Georgia north of you with a small craft warning and in a 20' boat...was not fun and we headed back to shore after getting beat up after awhile.

[Kate]

"All in all great day getting my sea legs."

Glad it went well. Thanks for the update.