fresh or salt for moorage
Moderator: Jim Walsh
fresh or salt for moorage
What are your thoughts of mooring year around in fresh water versus salt water? Wear and tear on boat, frequency of repairs and visits by a diver? I live in the pacific northwest and currently moor in the columbia river but will leave in the spring for a salt water destination, either north or south of me. I moored many years in the columbia in the past and it wasn't hard on the boat and equipment but I can moor in salt for a lot less money in some cases so was curious of others opinions.
Re: fresh or salt for moorage
Probably be tough on your bright work after a windy sail. You can remedy that with a small pump sprayer if no access to a hose.
Also could be hard on your zincs and chain on your mooring.
Also could be hard on your zincs and chain on your mooring.
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jen1722terry
- Posts: 521
- Joined: Jun 1st, '13, 17:05
- Location: CD 31. #33 "Glissade"
Re: fresh or salt for moorage
We keep our 31 in Nova Scotia in a long, narrow harbor that is fed by two fresh water rivers at the harbor head. Our mooring is one of the closest to the fresh water inlets, while some of the other moorings are more than a half mile further out in the more saline waters of the bay.
We notice we get much less zinc deterioration on our boat vs. the boats moored further out.
So, if you opt for a salt water mooring, for protective zincs at least, you may want to adopt Jim Walsh's approach and install two zincs near your prop (one on the shaft nut and another, trimmed-to-fit, one on the shaft just forward of the prop. Maybe check your HX zincs more often also.
As far as other problems with salt, well, it's salt. It accelerates corrosion on many metals above and below the waterline, and it has a habit of getting into stuff above and below decks. Not a major problem, but an occasional fresh water rinse is a good idea for areas that don't get rain water. Britework, in my experience, is affected more by sunlight than by salt.
As for the mooring itself, if constructed with good, US-made chain, and shackles, it should last many years in salt. We dive on ours each spring to check it from the block up to the buoy. To extend the life of the mooring hardware, we switch out the summer mooring ball with a smaller winter float attached to the chain shackle via a length of nylon line that is a bit longer than the depth of the water at the highest monthly tide. This allows the chain to lay in the mud over the winter and seems to slow down rust.
Personally, I don't think the salt/fresh issue should be the controlling factor in choosing a mooring location. Protection from heavy weather, security, proper mooring spacing, accessibility and cost are far more important. Just my two cents.
Happy Sailing!
Jenn and Terry
We notice we get much less zinc deterioration on our boat vs. the boats moored further out.
So, if you opt for a salt water mooring, for protective zincs at least, you may want to adopt Jim Walsh's approach and install two zincs near your prop (one on the shaft nut and another, trimmed-to-fit, one on the shaft just forward of the prop. Maybe check your HX zincs more often also.
As far as other problems with salt, well, it's salt. It accelerates corrosion on many metals above and below the waterline, and it has a habit of getting into stuff above and below decks. Not a major problem, but an occasional fresh water rinse is a good idea for areas that don't get rain water. Britework, in my experience, is affected more by sunlight than by salt.
As for the mooring itself, if constructed with good, US-made chain, and shackles, it should last many years in salt. We dive on ours each spring to check it from the block up to the buoy. To extend the life of the mooring hardware, we switch out the summer mooring ball with a smaller winter float attached to the chain shackle via a length of nylon line that is a bit longer than the depth of the water at the highest monthly tide. This allows the chain to lay in the mud over the winter and seems to slow down rust.
Personally, I don't think the salt/fresh issue should be the controlling factor in choosing a mooring location. Protection from heavy weather, security, proper mooring spacing, accessibility and cost are far more important. Just my two cents.
Happy Sailing!
Jenn and Terry
Jennifer & Terry McAdams
Kearsarge, New Hampshire
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
CD 31 #33 "Glissade"
Way too many other small boats
Kearsarge, New Hampshire
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
CD 31 #33 "Glissade"
Way too many other small boats
Re: fresh or salt for moorage
Since 2000, our Cape Dory 28 has been in salt water in the northwest. We are presently in LaConner Marina, and have been there for
the past five years. I do have a diver clean the bottom (I use hard bottom paint, as a diver cannot clean ablative paint legally in the
State of Washington), and have my one zinc checked out. About once a year it is replaced at the cost of around $15.00.
As far as wear and tear, I see no difference in fresh verses salt. Both need bottom paint, even in fresh water. I do suggest using a hard
bottom paint as a diver can clean the bottom, and with the new regulations coming, I suggest that you do it this year if at all possible.
No copper based paint can be used after 2018.
By the way, if you are looking for a good marina that will not bankrupt you, take a look at the LaConner Marina. You are just hours away
from the San Juans as well as the Canadian Gulf Islands.
And, during the Seattle Boat show, they are offering a years moorage at a 25% discount! I pay approximately $220.00 a month, and that
includes electricity, water, free bathroom facilities, etc. As far as security is concerned, the marina has installed cameras all around the
marina at the cost of around $250,000!
Hope this helps
Ken Cave
CD 28 #227
the past five years. I do have a diver clean the bottom (I use hard bottom paint, as a diver cannot clean ablative paint legally in the
State of Washington), and have my one zinc checked out. About once a year it is replaced at the cost of around $15.00.
As far as wear and tear, I see no difference in fresh verses salt. Both need bottom paint, even in fresh water. I do suggest using a hard
bottom paint as a diver can clean the bottom, and with the new regulations coming, I suggest that you do it this year if at all possible.
No copper based paint can be used after 2018.
By the way, if you are looking for a good marina that will not bankrupt you, take a look at the LaConner Marina. You are just hours away
from the San Juans as well as the Canadian Gulf Islands.
And, during the Seattle Boat show, they are offering a years moorage at a 25% discount! I pay approximately $220.00 a month, and that
includes electricity, water, free bathroom facilities, etc. As far as security is concerned, the marina has installed cameras all around the
marina at the cost of around $250,000!
Hope this helps
Ken Cave
CD 28 #227
Re: fresh or salt for moorage
Thank you all for the replies. Still trying to decide about the moorage situation. In the columbia the boat is an hour from home, is in fresh water and quite a bit of good weather to do the outside maintenance, but the columbia is pretty limited for really good sailing. I can go south to newport, be in saltwater, have good fishing, moorage is half the cost, but not so great weather. Or go up to the san juans or puget sound, be in salt water, have great cruising but higher priced moorage and a five hour drive to be at the boat. Puget sound is expensive, moorage is hard to find, most marinas have a waiting list you have to pay to get on, but the sailing is probably the best there of any of the areas. I lived on my boat in seattle for ten years and had some really great sailing. We were going to move to washington, that is why I recently sold the power boat and bought the cape dory but now the wife finds she can't leave where we are at and give up her friends and her church involvement and volunteering. I am leaning toward going south for June and July so the grandson can fish with me for saltwater species, then go north for late summer fall cruising, then sail back to portland. I made that trip a lot in my former boat, a Freedom 30, and it was great but the Cape Dory is 3 feet shorter, a foot narrower, and a 1000 pounds heavier so am looking forward to the sailing experience on her on the outside. The Freedom didn't point as high as the Cape Dory and going north that is a big deal as the summer and fall winds are primarily out of the NW.