Bravo 3 boating in salt water

[LAKETIME]

I've only taken my boats into fresh water/inland lakes and rivers.
In the future, I plan on having my Sunesta 252/Bravo 3 in saltwater (Destin, FL), hopefully cruising inland waterways, etc.
What sort of challenges are ahead for the engine/outdrive? Routine flushing after use? Re-configuring anything?
Recommendations on learning the navigation requirements, etc.?

Any and all feedback would be welcome!

 

[Iggy]

I only boat in salt water. You just need to change your anodes.

I never did flush after owning that boat for 9 years with no problems. But I did have a closed cooling system. Even on a lake I did not want raw water going though the block. A closed system always has AF in the block, no air - no rust.

Navigation - Same rules apply. You could take a USCG class. I would never leave the slip without a fixed VHF, GPS. Going into new waters I would map out my route and down load it into my GPS. Some inlets can be confusing. Try to plan out your fuel stops. Know your bridge height.

 

[LAKETIME]

Hi, Iggy,

Being a '50 ton master', you're at a different level of boating than me!
I will definitely plan on a taking a USCG course; it's been a long time since I did.
I was thinking that VHF and GPS would be part of my equipment, if not Ham radio and/or short wave to boot. Maybe a Sat phone if I get into deep trouble! I was imagining taking some trips with various weigh points for fuel and/or hotel stays, which would certainly require some planning.
Are there different types of anodes, or are you saying that they should be changed more frequently?
It sounds like you run a much larger rig than I plan on running. I don't know if the Mag 350/Bravo3 can be configured to a closed system, but it sounds intriguing...

 

[Iggy]

If you have the money for a sat phone sure, but that would be far down on my list. The VHF is your best way to contact other boats and help. I was going to mention AIS and radar but I did not want to get very deep into this. Google AIS. With your GPS, others with AIS will show up as targets. Giving you name, speed, type of boat, size and more. Now you can contact them by name asking what there intentions are. This comes in handy in the fog as well as radar.

As to Ham radio or single side band, only boats crossing the ocean have them. A fixed VHF goes 20-25 miles.

Before a sat phone, look into a EPIRBs. Its a distress beacon that will pin point your location if your boat is going down. The big thing on this, some are automatic and some are manual operation (hit on button) which means that it saves you time to get off your boat rather than sending out a Mayday.

As to anodes, check with BoatZincs.com. I believe AL is used in salt and Magnesium for lakes.

I am no expert, but I have been told that any engine with over 20 hours should not be converted to a closed system. Due to the rust build up within the engines. This will clog the heat exchanger, just change your thermostat and see the rust.