How to Prevent Boat Corrosion

As a proud boat owner, you know just how important it is to take care of all aspects of your vessel. Those who know a thing or two about boating have probably dealt with corrosion at some point. To keep your craft in excellent shape for years to come, you must learn how to prevent corrosion. If you’re a beginner or you simply need a refresher, you’ve come to the right place. The experts at Rockingham Boat have prepared this guide to help you get started. Read on for more! 

Why is Corrosion Prevention Important?

For those who are new to the boating world, you’re probably wondering why corrosion prevention is so important in the first place. Saltwater corrosion will break down metallic materials over time, which will affect your craft’s ability to function properly. 

Luckily, there are many signs you can look for to make sure you prevent this. For starters, pay attention to the surface of the paint. This is often the first place that signs of corrosion will appear. If you notice bubbles or blisters, you should take some corrective measures to prevent further damage. With that said, some corrosion is unavoidable due to the basic use of a boat in water, which is especially true if you frequent saltwater environments.

A sacrificial anode can be quite helpful, which is a small chip that’s made of a highly active metal. It’s implanted into your outboard motor to help prevent less active metals from corroding.

Dry Corrosion

Another factor to be aware of is dry corrosion, which tends to occur in areas that don’t come into direct contact with the water. One example of this is the exhaust system where outside components are cooled by raw water to prevent overheating. Remember that when ethanol-enhanced fuel is burned, it produces sulfate salts that are highly corrosive in hot temperatures.

The best way to prevent dry corrosion is to flush your outboard motor after each boating trip with fresh, clean water for at least 15 minutes. This flushing process will help your cooling system run at maximum efficiency by keeping the cooling water passages clear and clean. The heat on the inside of an engine is also minimized, which makes your motor less susceptible to dry corrosion.

We hope that this guide on preventing boat corrosion has been useful. If you have additional questions or if you’d like to check out our selection of boats for sale, visit us at Rockingham Boat in Hampstead, New Hampshire. We welcome all our patrons visiting us from Manchester and Nahua, so stop by today. Our team looks forward to serving you!