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Random Quote: I prayed the Serenity Prayer but never received the requested wisdom.
Can anyone give me any experiences or comments on using a aluminum boat in salt water.
I'm currently in Korea and will be moving to Fort Walton Beach Florida in early Feb. First on my agenda will be buying a house and a boat will have to wait a year or so. I told my dad this and he offered to bring down and give me a Lund 21 footer when he comes down from Michigan in the spring. It has 2 electric downriggers and it is a deep boat with high sides on it.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Scott
I've heard nothing but good things about boats made from 5000-6000 series aluminum. If you leave it in long, make sure your zincs are in good shape, you don't want to sacrifice your hull to electrolosis. I had an aluminum johnboat I used in Biscayne bay till i beat the rivits out of it. Never washed it and corrosion was never an issue.
"A bad day fishing is better than a good day on land"
Take a look at www.blacklabmarine.com I have no experience with Lund's and salt water. Their a great boat on the Great Lakes and for fresh water fishing. My only thought is: you don't see a lot of them in the Ocean...not sure why, could be too light and wind blown with their high side. I 'd like to hear other comment. There must be a reason!
"Never enough time to do it right; ALWAYS enough time to do it over." Boston Whaler, "MUMBLER", 24' Outrage (1996), twin 175 HP Evinrude Ocean Pros.
Lund boats are made from marine-grade 5052 H34 aluminum, which is not rated for continuous salt water use. I think 5086 is the only marine-grade aluminum rated for continous salt-water use. That said I wouldn't leave it in the salt water between uses and it will probably last forever. Keep your sacrificial anodes in good shape (use a wire brush to knock the white powdery corrosion off and replace as needed). Lund is a very impressive aluminum boat, we don't see many in my area but I have ridden in one before(in the gulf) and found the ride to be impressive for the size boat. Hull was very solid and seemed to be well built.
Lund makes a very serviceable boat that will do you well over the couple of years you'll be using it.
I'd suggest that you trailer rather than leave it in the water and to make sure that you use it (as any boat) within its design and performance perameters.
I wouldn't be planning offshore trips in sketchy weather for instance.
If you'll be living in Florida for a while and plan on doing a lot of boating you will, most likely, quickly want something designed and built for the environment and usage you'll be encountering.
Just keep the boat out of the water between uses and it'll last forever. One advantage of alum hulls is that their light weight allows you to keep them on a single-pole style boat lift (if you will be living on the water).
And please DON'T APPLY anti-fouling bottom paint, it's a NO-NO on aluminum hulls (unless you first apply a couple of coats of di-electriic primer first - the whole operation is a pain and only necessary for alum hulls that are continuously immersed).
That's a great boat and it should serve you well !
I have been using an Alumacraft jon boat for about 7 years now and primarily in salt water with no corrosion problems. Just make sure you rinse the boat with fresh water, keep the anodes clean, etc. and you should be in great shape.
Also, what material is used for the trailer? If it is a painted steel trailer, the salt water will eat it alive in short order. I'm not sure any amount of rinsing helps them, they just seem to dissolve in about a year. Galvanized or aluminum trailers last much longer.
I'll second what Red Dawg said. I have a painted steel trailer now and even though i religiously rinse it after each use it is rusting away. I give it another year before it's gone and I've only had it a year...
Scott
Lunds are great boats! I don't think I've ever heard a negative about them. I've known of only one owner and he says he'll never buy a boat from another manufacturer. Aluminum will oxidize and discolor a bit from saltwater, but it only hurts the look.
P.S. I'm moving to Navarre in 2 weeks hope to see you with a cooler full of fish.
There is a big difference between trailering an aluminum boat to the salt water and keeping it all season in a salt water slip. Some time ago Trouty gave some excellent advice regarding aluminum boats in the salt water and corrosion issues. There are things to worry about in that regard but I think they are manageable.
I believe there is an important distinction between sacrificial anodes and zinks with regards to aluminum hull boats. Aluminum is more sacrificial then zink and you might find your hull protecting your zink.
A in Science, F in practical application. Aluminum is very reactive however, in most natural environments aluminum has been found to be stable due to the formation of a thin protective oxide. Every Outboard Motor I've ever seen has zinc anodes supplied by the manufacturer, Guess what those lower unit cases are made of .
I have a painted trailer that is now 19 years old and I use it in SW every season. I heard all the same crap about rusting away in months, etc. It has not dissolved yet! lol, it is somewhat rusted nowadays but its built so heavy that it will probably be around long after I am gone .
I'm not too familiar with the Lund, but I do run a 23' Pacific CC (heavy duty welded aluminum from Blacklab Marine, Maine) on the south shore of Long Island, NY. I keep the boat in the water from March through December. Between the large zinc supplied with the boat and the one on the bottom of the motor mount, there doesn't seem to be a problem.
I "painted" a substance known as Nyalic on the hull from the waterline up and all of the topsides. Nyalic is a clear nylonic polymer that goes on like water and provides a clear, thin coating. It seems to have worked beautifully in keeping the hull and topside aluminum bright and shiny like it was just out of the factory, despite the hard use I gave the boat (fishing, USCG AUX patrols, towing, rescues, etc.)
Someone mentioned the difficulty in painting the bottom of an aluminum boat. They are correct in that to do it right requires a lot of surface prep, etching primers and multiple coats of a very expensive bottom paint. Interlux makes one called Trilux (for aluminum), but I understand it's $170 a
gallon. A new product is coming out onto the market within a few weeks called Dolphinite Go Fast paint (I think that's the right name). I did a little research and it sounds like this paint, although expensive, does not require a primer coat as there is an etching primer built into the paint. Also surface prep is much less of an issue. As a bonus, it's environmentally safe. I'm going to give it a try this spring.
All in all, aluminum is the way to go. Have fun and be safe.
The fully welded aluminum boats have very few electrolysis issues when zincs are maintained. The problem with alot of the lighter lake & bay boats left in the salt chuck is the builders use an aluminum extrusion at the chine and keel that don't hold up well due to the alloy used. I just re-did the bottom on a friends boat of this type and the sheeting used for the hull was fine but the extrusions were heavily pitted and going back to nature. BTW, on painting, yes, on bare aluminum you start with an etching (acidic) primer followed up by zinc chromate primer and finally a top coat of bottom paint which up until the end of the year was a tin based product like Petit Alumacoat II or Trilux Micron 33. Now we can't get it anymore so the mfgs will have to come up with something else. Trilux has a new one called Micron 66 but it remains to be seen if we get 4-5 years out of it like the M33. The non-tin Trilux isn't worth the effort it takes to throw it in the dumpster unopened IMO
Wow,
Did not expect to get that much feedback and liked a the positive inputs on Lund.
I think I will take up my dad's offer, how can I go wrong.
(redawg & brian)I'm not sure of the type of trailer it has, but I will clean it and the the boat after each use. Question: Is there any type of soap that is made to clean (neutralize) boats from salt water?
treemanjohn,
I've Already moved the family to Mary Esther and looking to buy a house in Navarre myself. Maybe we could hook up there and you could show a Rookie (to saltwater) a few tricks.
Again thanks all, this forum is Outstanding!
Scott
I'm entering my 13th season with a Lund 21 foot center console that is used exclusively in salt water. I fish the south shore of RI & Narragansett bay. I keep it on a trailer & simply hose it down between use. The only problem that I have had is that some of the wooden hatches have had to be replaced because of water damage to the wood. I push it with a 115 hp. Mariner and it is very economical to run. I've been in contact with Black Lab Marine about replacing it in the future with an all welded Pacific. Good luck with you're Lund.
Aluminum boats in salt water 
"Never enough time to do it right; ALWAYS enough time to do it over." Boston Whaler, "MUMBLER", 24' Outrage (1996), twin 175 HP Evinrude Ocean Pros. 
Mike 
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