Wx vs Salt Water

Greetings,
Would there be any issues running a Wx in salt water a few months a year?

Man this seems like a stupid question but recently I have run into a few guys who refused to purchase a immaculate condition skeeter because it had been run in salt water.

Yes I know they run the bay boats in salt. Just wondering if there is something to this that I don’t know.

We held off on a new boat and I am glad we did. Plans changed and it looks like we are going to just purchase a new truck and slide in camper and boat and follow the Warm season.

For us that makes better sense. We just want one boat we can fish reservoirs and great Lakes to rivers and inshore salt .

Thank you for your thoughts.
Have a great Autumn
James

Buying a used boat used in the salt is a risk due to the fact you do not know if they flushed motor after use with fresh water etc. Outboards and saltwater left in them lead to corrosion and salt scale etc.

Mwal

mwal wrote:

Buying a used boat used in the salt is a risk due to the fact you do not know if they flushed motor after use with fresh water etc. Outboards and saltwater left in them lead to corrosion and salt scale etc.

Mwal

Thanks Mwal,
Yes I agree about fresh water flush and not knowing for sure. There are some obvious signs one can look for as well.

You’ll need to make sure your anodes are zinc or aluminum, rather than magnesium. Flushing the boat and outboard after every outing needs to be done. If you keep the boat in the water you’ll need bottom paint. A fresh water boat probably doesn’t have marine grade wiring and you can’t flush the electrical system. Also it’s best to get an aluminum trailer or be prepared to wash that each time out. I’d look at getting a saltwater boat. Center console boats are over looked as viable options inland. FWIW Skeeter has a line of bay boats.

blackbay wrote:

You’ll need to make sure your anodes are zinc or aluminum, rather than magnesium. Flushing the boat and outboard after every outing needs to be done. If you keep the boat in the water you’ll need bottom paint. A fresh water boat probably doesn’t have marine grade wiring and you can’t flush the electrical system. Also it’s best to get an aluminum trailer or be prepared to wash that each time out. I’d look at getting a saltwater boat. Center console boats are over looked as viable options inland. FWIW Skeeter has a line of bay boats.

Thanks Blackbay,

I was also thinking of a galvanized trailer.
Man we do like a nice C.C and or those newer multi bay boats good for shallows and near offshore.

However these days we are leaning towards a WT with a top and side curtains etc. It gets cold early spring and late fall and turning 60 kind of enjoy being out of the weather now and again.

Casting and trolling muskie
Drift and anchored live bait
Walleye and bass, striper and panfish etc.
Hitting up some bass and cat tournaments.

Winter from Florida to New Mexico.
Blues, Tarpon, snook and redfish to grouper and so forth.

My Problem is there is something that keeps pulling me back to the WX And MX. Lol
Thanks Again

Had a winter house on the intercoastal waters off Texas for 5 years where I could pull my Skeeter bay boat up on a boat lift right at my house. It was great times, and I really miss it. If it were me, and I really wanted a WX boat, I would just hire a guide when on vacation, and leave the boat home. Your trailer will be destroyed, no mater how much you think you have rinsed it off. You cannot rinse off the salt coating after it has dried on your trailer while out fishing. Your boat should be fine, with an occasional use, but your motor needs to be flushed immediately after each use, for me it was easy, as I had water hose hookups right at my boat lift. Also your fishing rods and reels will be toast down the road, unless you have saltwater resistant reels and rod guides. After my first year there, I ended up replacing all of my rods and reels that I had brought from home. There is also the increased gas cost of hauling a boat to salt water. Also keep in mind the depth of water where you plan on fishing. I would not want a Skeeter WX hull, where I was fishing, as you would always be in a compromising situation with the deep draft of a WX hull. My bay boat only drafted 10″, and I was somewhat restricted as to where I could go at times. Also my bay boat would take off flat, with very little bow rise, and I had trim tabs, which helped immensely in shallow water running. Having lived there, and knowing the effects of salt water, I would not recommend it. I was off Corpus Christi, on Padre Island, and the fishing was incredible. I really miss my times there.

If you run WX in salt you will have a hard time selling it latter down the road. My buddy lived in Florida for two years and after being back in MN for a year he decided to sell his jet ski. Not one dealer would even make an offer on it or take it. He tried CL and was honest in the fact that he ran it in salt water. He didn’t receive one call and it was priced to sell. He had to make a trip back to Florida to sell it.

Musky Ed wrote:

Had a winter house on the intercoastal waters off Texas for 5 years where I could pull my Skeeter bay boat up on a boat lift right at my house. It was great times, and I really miss it. If it were me, and I really wanted a WX boat, I would just hire a guide when on vacation, and leave the boat home. Your trailer will be destroyed, no mater how much you think you have rinsed it off. You cannot rinse off the salt coating after it has dried on your trailer while out fishing. Your boat should be fine, with an occasional use, but your motor needs to be flushed immediately after each use, for me it was easy, as I had water hose hookups right at my boat lift. Also your fishing rods and reels will be toast down the road, unless you have saltwater resistant reels and rod guides. After my first year there, I ended up replacing all of my rods and reels that I had brought from home. There is also the increased gas cost of hauling a boat to salt water. Also keep in mind the depth of water where you plan on fishing. I would not want a Skeeter WX hull, where I was fishing, as you would always be in a compromising situation with the deep draft of a WX hull. My bay boat only drafted 10″, and I was somewhat restricted as to where I could go at times. Also my bay boat would take off flat, with very little bow rise, and I had trim tabs, which helped immensely in shallow water running. Having lived there, and knowing the effects of salt water, I would not recommend it. I was off Corpus Christi, on Padre Island, and the fishing was incredible. I really miss my times there.

That’s just it, when the boat is at home. it will be behind the truck.
So done with this brick and mortar life. Truck and camper which has everything we need and our boat.
Has 2 reclining chairs, bed, dinette, awesome kitchen and shower and head.

Shoot for the most part we will be in the boat.

3 seasons in the North and one in the south. Maybe not much salt water as there is some great fresh water fishing in new Mexico .

Really leaning towards the 1825 MX.
It just makes sense.

If buying new, may want to see if Skeeter will fit one of their salt water trailers to a MX. Or you could just buy their 20′ bay boat, and use in both places. That’s what I had, and it was a fantastic fishing boat, and only drafts 10″. You really don’t want carpet down there, if you can help it. Only downside to the bayboat here was the 20″ transom, and no ability to mount a kicker. Also Skeeter boat center is now a Ranger dealer, and Ranger has a bass boat, built as a saltwater version, with a saltwater trailer. That also is a great option for both use’s, you don’t see it around here, but it is a very nice option. It only takes one time backing a regular trailer into saltwater to destroy it.

Ranger 1880 ms intercoastal.

Thanks for all the replies.
After reading here and watching vids on outboards that were flushed regularly and still had lots of salt build up and damage I have come to a conclusion.

There is Plenty of Fresh Water to Fish !!
I will ride with some one else on salt water.

Thank you for helping see through this.
JW

As Dustin said ranger 1880 msi is exactly what your looking for. Comes with an aluminum trailer. This will be my next boat. I have the 1880 now and would love to bring it to Louisiana and Florida.

I fish saltwater with guys that have over 5000 hours on they’re outboards. If flushed and properly maintained the motors hold up quite well.

Not sure if they make the 1880 in a saltwater version anymore. I think they only make the bass boat version.

I would be more interested in condition than where a boat was run. Salt water is corrosive but not near as bad as calcium chloride they put on roads in the winter. Take a look at the car or truck next to you, probably rusted out after only a couple of years. If a boat is pulled in the winter in areas where they use gravel on the roads is guaranteed to have chips and rust all over the trailer.
Salt water does not scare me, most of what you hear is old wives tales from years ago.