So I just got a new Epic center console and I have a couple of questions. Is there anything special you do after words for boat or tralier. Do you just flush motor with hose or do you stop at the first fresh water and take it for a spin . Is there something you spray it down or treat it with. Do you stay in the bay or go out in open water. Do you think that it effects the boat or trailer in the long run even if you do all that you can to get rid of the salt

Salt will always have adverse effects on equipment. But they can be delayed by washing everything down and a good rinsing. We always try to flush the engine as soon as possible after each use. When we leave the coast we also try and get in a lake for good flushing. Installed a break flushing system on our trailer years ago and it seems to do the job. The trailer should hold up well if it galvanized or aluminum. I have a 30 year old Shoreline trailer and it has held up well, other than having to replace the bunk boards and brackets but that's normal with wear and tear with loading and unloading a big heavy boat.

Best thing you can do is pre spray your boat with a prevent solvent....and don't be stingy with it.

Go straight to car wash each day and spend lots of quarters rinsing axles and hard to reach places. If time and geography allow, take boat to near by fresh water boat ramp and dunk and soak entire trailer for several minutes...

I have a tracker 175 I bought last year that I fish Possum Kingdom with. The trailer has rust everywhere despite me washing it thoroughly after every trip. I think these salty lakes just kill trailers and there is little you can do about it. PK rusts even stainless lures.

This is the best product on the market for Salt water

http://www.corrosionx.com


Nice Ride!

Well your boat is Made to be used in salt water but that being said you need to be Very pro-active in trying to wash every bit off when you put it back on the trailer. Flush the motor out, rinse the trailer Religiously, every spot where salt could be hiding-wash it. As long as you rinse it all off you will be fine, like 44 diesel said salt will Always have adverse effects on your equipment but the bottom line is if it is a good, quality boat it will handle it just fine as long as you keep up with regular maintenence and being religious about washing/cleaning it after Every use. You don't need any special solvents, just a good pressure washer will do the trick.

Your boat is mainly a bay boat but you could easily go out in open water on CALM days, just make sure you have atleast 2 gps's, 2 vhf radios, life jackets and plenty of water incase you get in a bad spot. And be sure to check that weather before you head out!

Thanks guys FYI if your in the market for a new ride you need to go pay Ken at Midsouth Marine a visit he did me a AWSOME job getting in my new ride. I couldn't be any more happier with the Epic 22 sc and the treatment from Midsouth

Thats a good lookin boat btw! Almost looks like my pioneer

The biggest issue is the trailer. The 1st and last place you should clean is the axels, hubs, and leaf springs on the trailer. Even on an aluminum trailer these will usually be metal and highly prone to decay from salt water. Also depending on the type of trailer they will often use fastners and bolts on the bunks that are not galvanized. I try to get a real good wash on those areas as well. I'm not trying to underscore the importance of cleaning the boat and flushing the motor. Just trying to point out the most prone area to be damaged by saltwater.

Recheck all your electrical connections, especially under the console, switches, fuses, and all others then wait a month and do it again, also all trailer light connections and wires, you will find corrosion months down the road too.

Its a piece of cake, LeadSlinger. Don't let everyone scares ya
Just flush your motor for a couple minutes at the end of your trip(s). Soap and rinse all surface. The new trailers are WELDED aluminum now which are great against corrosion. Repack your bearings if it's more than a year since last. Unless you got the new 5 year maintenance free hubs.

A couple of years ago I took my bay boat to the coast and had it in the marina's slip/water for three days. After my funnest three day of fishing ever, took to car wash and soaped and sprayed everything. Flushed the motor for a couple of minutes also. The only signs of rusts I saw months later were my two steel pliers which are inexpensive anyway. Lol

After a typical salt trip with my buddies in Houston, two to three guys go through the usual routine of soap and rinse boat trailer and flush motor, which takes about 30 minutes. I told my salt buddies that lake fishing, I wash my boat once or twice a year. They were shocked

I sprayed every piece of metal and stainless on my boat with CorrosionX before my last trip. It is even fine for electrical connections and under the cowling on the motor block. Don't forget the jackplate and trim pumps. Got in and washed my boat really well after 3 days in salt, then flush the motor twenty minutes running on a freshwater hose. Not a speck of rust anywhere.

What Matt said and I also run my pumps for the livewells for 15 minutes flushing them and then I pulled the boat out pulled the plug and backed it back in till the bilge pump come on. I wanted to make sure all of the motors on the boat had fresh water run thru them.