I read yesterday on another forum about if you use an aluminum boat for saltwater, and have carpet on your trailor runners, they will hold salt and it will eat away at the aluminum.
So....I checked my boat cause I had gone to the flats several times before sticking to freshwater for awhile.
Well....there were two spots with "pitting" just as described by the guy on that forum. No leaks for me though, yet. Not a lot of pits, but some definite damage.
Well....fished at the Sukkee yesterday and a freind was there who the last 6 years has fished the flats a lot with his monarch aluminum. Told him, and he said MAN!, I have to run my bilge almost continually! Just started about two weeks ago!
He is going to a local sheet metal place to have it checked to see what the leaks are from.
He also has carpet on his runners.
Does anyone know about this and if using something else for runners will solve this?
Saltwater and aluminum damage
Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels
Saltwater and aluminum damage
Work 2 fish 4 days
1988 vintage 1436 Fisher Jon
1992 vintage 15 hp Merc
1988 vintage 1436 Fisher Jon
1992 vintage 15 hp Merc
Don't know about the aluminum, but a friend of mine put Lexan caps on his runners years ago. He has a Carolina Skiff. Right after he did it we found out to make sure the boat is tied to the trailer before backing down the ramp. This stuff is a lot more slick than carpet. 
No damage, the boat never really hit the concrete. Just a bit of a
.
Something like that would solve the problem of water being trapped against the hull.
No damage, the boat never really hit the concrete. Just a bit of a
.Something like that would solve the problem of water being trapped against the hull.