Taking boat into salt / brackish water

[ryno1234]

Just purchased a Maxum 2400 SCR. (single engine 5.0 with Mercruiser Alpha 1).

I've always stayed within rivers / lakes, but have never traveled out into larger waters. With my new larger boat, I'd like push some limits of what I'm used to.

Is there anything I should be concerned about with taking my boat into the bay?

For context, I live in Sacramento and am looking to boat down into (roughly) the San Francisco bay. I would be returning the following day back into fresh water which (I would imagine) would flush the system.

With short stints like this, is there any major wear and tear on the boat that happens due to being in salt water?

 

[nola mike]

Just purchased a Maxum 2400 SCR. (single engine 5.0 with Mercruiser Alpha 1).

I've always stayed within rivers / lakes, but have never traveled out into larger waters. With my new larger boat, I'd like push some limits of what I'm used to.

Is there anything I should be concerned about with taking my boat into the bay?

For context, I live in Sacramento and am looking to boat down into (roughly) the San Francisco bay. I would be returning the following day back into fresh water which (I would imagine) would flush the system.

With short stints like this, is there any major wear and tear on the boat that happens due to being in salt water?

Thousands of people use their boats in salt water without them immediately disintegrating, never mind just using it occasionally for the day. Returning to boat in fresh water is a nice way to flush it/wash it. I'd be more concerned with knowing what kind of weather/tides/currents/waves you'll hit in the bigger water, and making sure you and your boat are both able to handle it.

 

[KJM]

How far is that trip you have planned?

 

[ryno1234]

How far is that trip you have planned?

Roughly 75-100+ miles each way depending upon how far I'd want to go.

I actually have a shorter trip (50 miles) which doesn't quite get to the salty water and I'll be starting there to learn what I don't know regarding going longer distances and navigating larger waters. I'll progressively go further as I get more comfortable.

 

[KJM]

Smart approach, main thing is watch the weather. Also be aware of hidden rocks, reefs and such. Make sure your engine is dependable. Do you have a kicker for emergencies and a second battery?

 

[ryno1234]

Smart approach, main thing is watch the weather. Also be aware of hidden rocks, reefs and such. Make sure your engine is dependable. Do you have a kicker for emergencies and a second battery?

I will be taking it very slow. This may not even be this year, I may do it next year after I get very comfortable with my new (to me) boat.

I have 3 batteries: 2 house and 1 starter. I need to get a kicker and that would be absolutely mandoritory along with probably some other precautions before I'd enter ocean water.

 

[Sprig]

I live in Elk Grove next to Sacramento. I’ve been boating the delta for 50 plus years including San Francisco Bay and the surrounding bays. You should have no problems going from the fresh water delta into the salt water bays and back. The water starts getting brackish around the Carquinez bridge. West of the bridge is the salt and as you go back home east of the bridge the water turns fresh. The fresh water on the way back will flush your engine and flush your hull.

Boating SF bay is what you need to be cautious about, that is the hazardous part of your trip. It’s the winds that come up almost every afternoon that are dangerous even for your size boat. I’ve seen the bay go from calm to a violent treacherous body of water with 6++ foot waves and insane currents in an hours time. One time coming back from an ocean salmon fishing trip in a 28’ Trophy the bay was way rougher than the ocean. We were not sure we were going to make it to our marina in Berkeley. The bay is not always like that but when it’s bad it’s really bad. There’s a lot of nice calm days on the bay too, just have to watch the wind conditions. Have a place or marina you can take shelter if need be. I’m not trying to scare you, the bay is beautiful and there are a lot of very nice days out there. I’ve been on the bay when it’s been calm as glass Too.


Plan your trip and check the wind predictions for the days of your trip. I use windfinder.com. It’s very accurate and very detailed. Check it out. The Rio Vista area of the Sacramento River can also be quite rough. When the wind blows from the west and the tide is going out flowing east You can experience huge 6’ plus waves there too. So plan your trip on a calmer day.

Finally be sure you have a good gps with maps and depths. Watch your gps and depth finder closely. There are a lot of mud flats from Rio Vista to and into the bay. They are easy to avoid with gps. You should have maps of the delta and bay in case the gps fails. Plan your trip well, you’ll have a great time. If you have other questions just ask. I’ll answer them if I can.

 

[ryno1234]

I live in Elk Grove next to Sacramento. I’ve been boating the delta for 50 plus years including San Francisco Bay and the surrounding bays. You should have no problems going from the fresh water delta into the salt water bays and back. The water starts getting brackish around the Carquinez bridge. West of the bridge is the salt and as you go back home east of the bridge the water turns fresh. The fresh water on the way back will flush your engine and flush your hull.

Boating SF bay is what you need to be cautious about, that is the hazardous part of your trip. It’s the winds that come up almost every afternoon that are dangerous even for your size boat. I’ve seen the bay go from calm to a violent treacherous body of water with 6++ foot waves and insane currents in an hours time. One time coming back from an ocean salmon fishing trip in a 28’ Trophy the bay was way rougher than the ocean. We were not sure we were going to make it to our marina in Berkeley. The bay is not always like that but when it’s bad it’s really bad. There’s a lot of nice calm days on the bay too, just have to watch the wind conditions. Have a place or marina you can take shelter if need be. I’m not trying to scare you, the bay is beautiful and there are a lot of very nice days out there. I’ve been on the bay when it’s been calm as glass Too.


Plan your trip and check the wind predictions for the days of your trip. I use windfinder.com. It’s very accurate and very detailed. Check it out. The Rio Vista area of the Sacramento River can also be quite rough. When the wind blows from the west and the tide is going out flowing east You can experience huge 6’ plus waves there too. So plan your trip on a calmer day.

Finally be sure you have a good gps with maps and depths. Watch your gps and depth finder closely. There are a lot of mud flats from Rio Vista to and into the bay. They are easy to avoid with gps. You should have maps of the delta and bay in case the gps fails. Plan your trip well, you’ll have a great time. If you have other questions just ask. I’ll answer them if I can.

I really appreciate that information!

I'm from Carmichael, but we often launch at Discovery park and typically go north to Swabbies / Alamar, but I'd like to start heading south to Rio Vista. That will be there I start as far as my first "long" trip. I didn't know the Rio Vista area could get that wild with the waves. vert good information, thank you.

Years ago my father, brother and myself took a Sea Ray from Sacramento into Benicia. None of us knew what we didn't know. We went straight down the center of Honker Bay full steam ahead. We had this thought of "why are the birds standing on the water in the middle of the bay??". Right about that time, we hit a sandbar and ripped the engine from its motor mounts. We had to jump out of the boat in what *appears* to be the middle of a giant bay to all push the boat off the sandbar. I ended up having to sit on the back seat cushion of the boar (which the engine was under) to keep the engine down since we didn't have motor mounts holding it anymore, otherwise the engine would lift / twist due to being under load. We slowly motored into Benicia harbor.

We got lucky on that, could have been worse. But, I have a much more serious respect for navigating and being aware of hazards (almost to paranoia).

 

[Sprig]

I’ve had similar experiences. One time I plowed into a sand bar and made it about 50 yards before the boat came to a stop. The tide was about 3/4 out. Was stuck and had to wait almost 8 hours for high tide to float the boat.
In addition to gps/ depth finder I suggest you get a marine vhf radio (if you don’t already have one). You’ll want a 10 or 12’ antenna on a ratchet mount so you can lower it to go under low bridges and while towing. You want a tall antenna mounted high as vhs is line of sight so the taller the further you can transmit and receive. In an emergency you can contact the coast guard or sheriff marine patrol. You can use a cell phone too but a marine radio comes in handy.
With your size boat you can handle the wide area around Rio Vista but just know it can get darn rough out there. One time in a 19’ Alumaweld I came from Snug Harbor, turned into the main channel heading to Brannon Island launch ramp. As I as going under the Rio Vista bridge the waves were coming over the bow and crashing into my windshield. I made it but was scary.
The ride down the Sacramento River from where you launch to Rio Vista is a really nice pleasant boat ride. It never gets very rough on that stretch. Have on many occasions gone down the river to Rio Vista, over to the San Joaquin river, up the San Joaquin a little ways and then over to Bethel Island. Some good places to dock the boat and have lunch or dinner. Check out Sugar Barge resort there. Great restaurant, great food and drinks. They have a huge second story deck that you can sit out on, have a meal and watch great views of Franks Tract and the delta. Great burgers and fish and chips. Very pleasant way to spend a day.
Be aware that Discovery park and other launches around there has an increasing crime problem. There’s a lot of vehicle break in’s, theft and vandalism. Even some robberies. The homeless situation is increasing around there. Get there while it’s light and leave while it’s light. (Be sure your spare trailer tire is chained and locked).
Although a longer drive check out Brannon Island state park . The launch ramp there is the nicest in the Delta. At least 10 wide launch lanes, great courtesy solid docks and it’s not far from the San Joaquin and the Sugar Barge. Very nice bathrooms. It’s safe too. Its patrolled by state park rangers. They also have resident hosts there that keep an eye on things.
Anyway , have fun with your new boat.

 

[ryno1234]

I’ve had similar experiences. One time I plowed into a sand bar and made it about 50 yards before the boat came to a stop. The tide was about 3/4 out. Was stuck and had to wait almost 8 hours for high tide to float the boat.
In addition to gps/ depth finder I suggest you get a marine vhf radio (if you don’t already have one). You’ll want a 10 or 12’ antenna on a ratchet mount so you can lower it to go under low bridges and while towing. You want a tall antenna mounted high as vhs is line of sight so the taller the further you can transmit and receive. In an emergency you can contact the coast guard or sheriff marine patrol. You can use a cell phone too but a marine radio comes in handy.
With your size boat you can handle the wide area around Rio Vista but just know it can get darn rough out there. One time in a 19’ Alumaweld I came from Snug Harbor, turned into the main channel heading to Brannon Island launch ramp. As I as going under the Rio Vista bridge the waves were coming over the bow and crashing into my windshield. I made it but was scary.
The ride down the Sacramento River from where you launch to Rio Vista is a really nice pleasant boat ride. It never gets very rough on that stretch. Have on many occasions gone down the river to Rio Vista, over to the San Joaquin river, up the San Joaquin a little ways and then over to Bethel Island. Some good places to dock the boat and have lunch or dinner. Check out Sugar Barge resort there. Great restaurant, great food and drinks. They have a huge second story deck that you can sit out on, have a meal and watch great views of Franks Tract and the delta. Great burgers and fish and chips. Very pleasant way to spend a day.
Be aware that Discovery park and other launches around there has an increasing crime problem. There’s a lot of vehicle break in’s, theft and vandalism. Even some robberies. The homeless situation is increasing around there. Get there while it’s light and leave while it’s light. (Be sure your spare trailer tire is chained and locked).
Although a longer drive check out Brannon Island state park . The launch ramp there is the nicest in the Delta. At least 10 wide launch lanes, great courtesy solid docks and it’s not far from the San Joaquin and the Sugar Barge. Very nice bathrooms. It’s safe too. Its patrolled by state park rangers. They also have resident hosts there that keep an eye on things.
Anyway , have fun with your new boat.

Great tips. Thank you! And yes... Discovery Park is getting very bad...

 

[QBhoy]

Take a spare fuel filter with you and if that 5.0 is an mpi…take a spare diz cap too.

 

[KJM]

I live in Elk Grove next to Sacramento. I’ve been boating the delta for 50 plus years including San Francisco Bay and the surrounding bays. You should have no problems going from the fresh water delta into the salt water bays and back. The water starts getting brackish around the Carquinez bridge. West of the bridge is the salt and as you go back home east of the bridge the water turns fresh. The fresh water on the way back will flush your engine and flush your hull.

Boating SF bay is what you need to be cautious about, that is the hazardous part of your trip. It’s the winds that come up almost every afternoon that are dangerous even for your size boat. I’ve seen the bay go from calm to a violent treacherous body of water with 6++ foot waves and insane currents in an hours time. One time coming back from an ocean salmon fishing trip in a 28’ Trophy the bay was way rougher than the ocean. We were not sure we were going to make it to our marina in Berkeley. The bay is not always like that but when it’s bad it’s really bad. There’s a lot of nice calm days on the bay too, just have to watch the wind conditions. Have a place or marina you can take shelter if need be. I’m not trying to scare you, the bay is beautiful and there are a lot of very nice days out there. I’ve been on the bay when it’s been calm as glass Too.


Plan your trip and check the wind predictions for the days of your trip. I use windfinder.com. It’s very accurate and very detailed. Check it out. The Rio Vista area of the Sacramento River can also be quite rough. When the wind blows from the west and the tide is going out flowing east You can experience huge 6’ plus waves there too. So plan your trip on a calmer day.

Finally be sure you have a good gps with maps and depths. Watch your gps and depth finder closely. There are a lot of mud flats from Rio Vista to and into the bay. They are easy to avoid with gps. You should have maps of the delta and bay in case the gps fails. Plan your trip well, you’ll have a great time. If you have other questions just ask. I’ll answer them if I can.

Check out Windy.com, thats another good site, its got waves, swell, temps, the whole nine yards.

 

[tpenfield]

All seriousness aside . . . Your boat and engine will instantly dissolve when it hits salt water and you'll find yourself swimming for shore j/k . . . .

An occasional trip out into the bay should be OK. If you keep it there for a few days, you may need to consider replacing the anodes with something more suitable for salt water (assuming you have the magnesium anodes now ?)

The trip back up river will purge the salt water as you mentioned, but salt seems to linger in an engine. Maybe flush with salt-away for an added measure. Closed cooling is a thing to have now with salt water, but it sounds like your bot is raw water cooled.

 

[KJM]

All seriousness aside . . . Your boat and engine will instantly dissolve when it hits salt water and you'll find yourself swimming for shore j/k . . . .

An occasional trip out into the bay should be OK. If you keep it there for a few days, you may need to consider replacing the anodes with something more suitable for salt water (assuming you have the magnesium anodes now ?)

The trip back up river will purge the salt water as you mentioned, but salt seems to linger in an engine. Maybe flush with salt-away for an added measure. Closed cooling is a thing to have now with salt water, but it sounds like your bot is raw water cooled.

I think a lot of what people are calling salt buildup in engines is actually lime buildup. Salt should dissolve in freshwater, lime don't, at least not quickly.

 

[tpenfield]

I think a lot of what people are calling salt buildup in engines is actually lime buildup. Salt should dissolve in freshwater, lime don't, at least not quickly.

My closed cooling system would have build-up inside (calcium . . . aka lime). Barnacle Buster dissolves the deposits fairly well. Not sure how much salt-away gets rid of . . . I've used salt-away once on my outboards and much of the calcium was still there. Barnacle Buster ate it for lunch.

 

[mike_i]

make sure you have all of the required safety equipment and a working VHF. Don't worry about saltwater as long as your motor gets flushed with fresh water at the and of your trip.

 

[Lou C]

Just saw this interesting thread. I would not worry much at all about the effects of salt water given the use you describe. However coastal boating with tides, rocks & sandbars requires knowledge & caution. I still like paper charts because when you zoom in on a plotter or GPS, guess what? Obstructions like rocks & wrecks DISSAPPEAR! Yes that’s true! This was found out the hard way during one of those Volvo sponsored ocean racers, one of the competitors tore the bottom out of their boat out because of this. Big wakes on holiday weekends are another issue as well as from commercial vessel traffic at any time. I’ve done some boating in Long Island Sound and will only venture out there when conditions are perfect. Otherwise I stay in local bays where I can get back fast if the weather turns.
One last thing I have a spare emergence bilge pump 2000 gph hooked up with alligator clamps & a bilge hose I can drop it in the bilge if something bad happens. Such as:
The raw water intake hose pops off the O/S cooler on the back of the engine, pumps the bilge full of seawater & overheats the engine! Yes that happened to me, boat didn’t sink but was scary! Water up to engine pulleys! That’s what lead to the blown head gaskets and top end overhaul a few years later. Sooo note to all inboard owners check EVERY hose & clamp at the start of each season.

 

[dingbat]

I still like paper charts because when you zoom in on a plotter or GPS, guess what? Obstructions like rocks & wrecks DISSAPPEAR!

Better get your hard copies now. NOAA is discontinuing support of paper maps in favor of electronic as we speak.

​

U.S. Office of Coast Survey

Ending Traditional Paper Nautical Chart Production
In a November 2019 notice in the Federal Register, NOAA announced the sunsetting of its traditional paper and raster nautical chart products. Cancellation of individual charts started in 2021 and will be completed by January 2025. Ending traditional chart production will enable NOAA to devote more resources to improving the electronic navigational chart (ENC) product suite, which is expected to grow from the 1700 ENCs maintained in 2021 to about 7500, higher quality, more detailed ENC cells. More information is on NOAA Coast Survey's Farewell to Traditional Nautical Charts web page.

 

[Lou C]

Yes I heard that and got some extras. Unless you have a really large GPS display, I feel paper charts are much easier to read and understand.

 

[dingbat]

Unless you have a really large GPS display, I feel paper charts are much easier to read and understand.

It’s all about what you are used to. I have a chart book on the boat but have not used it in 10-15 years.

I have two 9” displays at the helm networked together. One dedicated to chart plotting. The other can be used for either sonar or chartplotting.