TravelingHoosier

Greetings,



we are traveling down to Fort Morgan for our annual spring break trip this april.



I am thinking about bringing my 17' deep v with a 90HP merc to do a bit of inshore fishing.



what precautions would someone need to take to not damage the boat or motor?



any feedback would be greatly appreciated.



LH

X-Shark

What material is the hull made of? Fiberglass or alum?



Mostly nothing special. Just wash it real good. Flush the motor and wash the trailer real good. Tell us about the trailer?



Alum, Galvanized steel or painted steel? Rectangle boxed tubing or C-channel?



Painted trailer don't do well at all around saltwater. Boxed tubing is the same way. It's strong as heck, but the trailer manufactures do not usually have a area that you can flush the inside of the tubing. It's a shame because a few 1in holes popped in the framer ail with a holesaw before it's galvanized would sure make a difference.

TravelingHoosier

Aluminum hull, it's a Tracker pro deep v 17 decent boat for the great lakes. Frame is painted steel tube



I can take by the car wash after fishing and blow everything off..The trailer is getting a bit worn anyway, might be time to have blasted and repaint!



Is there a chemical you could spray on also? i could take my hand sprayer along if necessary.



thx

LH

X-Shark

Before you do that, let me explain a few things.



On "average" a painted box tube trailer that has a steady diet of saltwater is good for about 2yrs.



Yep that's right and why the only time you will see one around here is because it's a transplant from the north.



Let's say the trailer looks like crap from the outside. What do you think it looks like on the inside of the tubing? Very Bad I can tell you. It has no paint in there and a very slight pinhole is all it takes to have the inside holding saltwater.



My point is, instead of spending good money after bad and provided that you like the boat and are planning on keeping it?



Buy a new alum trailer for the boat. Put some paint on the old one and sell it to someone that will use it for whatever. If it still has any life left in it?

TravelingHoosier

Yikes



two years?



that is amazing..But i know how corrosive salt is on vehicles here in the north...





thanks for the insight



LH

David Ridenour

Good advice Bobby but a little over the top for aspring breaktrip don't ya think?

I'd pull it down,flush the motor and trailerdown every day and have a good time. If you can park it over a sprinkler or bring one with you it would help.Stop by the first fresh water ramp you come to on the way home and dunk it a few times. No need to remove the boat.

David Ridenour

Guys he's just wanting to come down for spring break, not move down there and use the boat everyday.

X-Shark

I agree Dave. That is about all he can do and what I would recommend also.



I was just giving a little education. hope I didn't scare the kajebbers out of him to not make the trip?

TravelingHoosier

not scared off!!



just not on the computer often..



I will wash off at the car wash daily and isn't there a freshwater lake in Gulf Shores with an access? might be a good place to submerge the trailer before heading for home.



Also do any of the landings or launches have fish cleaning facilities? We will mostly CPR (catch, photo, release) but might keep enough for dinner.



The beach club probably wouldn't appreciate me cleaning fish in the parking lot

pappastratos

Good fishing in that area, that is where I go, the boat will be fine, flush motor after each use, rinse off the boat. trailer ?? different story. A tube frame trailer will get or leak saltwater into the tube &amp; rust it out from the inside. You could survive if it was a channel frame trailer. You could probably find a galvanized trailer reasonable. Even a channel trailer. If you go that route, make sure of good tires &amp; bearings. Not worth the extra cost ?? <U>once you catch a 15 pound red you will be forever changed&amp; will want a offshore boat !!!</U> You can findreds at Ft. Morgan point right out from the fort. If the seas are calm, you can easily get there in a boat your size &amp; hull design. There is a launch at Ft. Morgan. Last year we saw a flat-bottom aluminum boat 3+ miles out ! Just watch the seas &amp; know your boat's limitations You asked about cleaning area, the Ft. Morgan launch kinda does. The pier is there also, plenty of wildlife to eat the leftovers. Just go out Hy 180, all the way to the fort, launch is on the right next to the pier. Where do you live ? we live in Bham, AL. 300 miles from my house to the launch, worth it every time !!