Salt-X too good to be kept a secret
by Neil Harris Cox swain, Diver, Service Tech
AFTER 28 YEARS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE
marine industry I think I have heard every home
spun remedy on methods to stop the salt in the
sea water from destroying your boat, outboard,
trailer, 4x4, fishing and diving equipment.
Put simply you either need to coat your marine gear with a non-corrosive coating to create a barrier to salt which in most cases is messy and unsightly or remove the corrosive salt to break the corrosion process or a combination of the two.
From my experience I have found the simplest and most economical way to maintain my charter boat and outboard, trailer, 4x4 and the rental equipment is to use the Salt-X products which neutralises the corrosive salt then dries to leave a sacrificial non oily wax on the surface between uses which keeps all my plant corrosion free and reliable.
Yes, I was sceptical when I was first introduced to Salt-X over 15 years ago, however, I elected to use the product and gauge the results. The outcome was remarkable, not only was there no trace of salt after each application, my maintenance costs dropped and reliability rose because of no salt damage.
What did I do to achieve this result?
I will start with the outboards as it is always of concern due
to the high repair and replacement costs. Using the flush plug
below the cowling beside the tell tale I used the Salt-X brass
siphon mixer which was fitted into the garden hose then to the
flush plug. I turned on the water and allowed it to run through
with a healthy telltale keeping medium water pressure, I then
placed the siphon pickup tube in the Salt-X concentrate
solution allowing it the be sucked up into the hose then
through the engine cooling galleries. Once all the Salt-X was
drawn into the motor I then disconnected the hose and left
the Salt-X in the cooling galleries to neutralise the salt. That’s it!
At the 300 hour service the leg was dropped off and the galleries were inspected for corrosion and salt build-up. No salt could be found in the galleries or on the thermostats, in fact it was difficult to tell the difference from the new replacement thermostats and the old ones. The top of the gearbox had no corrosion and the marine mechanic showed me the areas that normally corrode and he too was astounded at the absence of salt corrosion damage. In short the outboard was salt damage free.
The trailer was given a quick hose and using an eight litre
garden pressure sprayer with a Salt-X mix I sprayed the
trailer and brakes to neutralise the salt.
The boat can be rinsed the same way and then coated with
Salt-X however after having a boat load of passengers I used
the Buster 50 and a soft hair broom to wash down the seats,
clears, fibreglass, stainless steel; the whole boat got the
treatment and then rinsed off as Buster 50 has a detergent
additive in with the Salt-X.
Easy? Yes it is. Effective? Absolutely!
Compare the purchase price and repair costs of your boat and toys to the poultry two to three dollars per boat trip to keep your boat pristine. Salt-X is as cheap as chips.
The same process can applied to inboards with raw water and heat exchange systems with the same results. Depending on the configuration of your particular unit a simple modification can deliver Salt-X into the salt cooling system.
Fishing equipment is easy, simply spray down your rod, reel,
line and lures with Salt-X allow to dry and store away. If you
have corrosion build up on your reel already mix up a bath of
Salt-X at twice the normal ratio and soak your reel overnight.
Inspect in the morning if clean let reel dry out completely before storing or using, if you need more time for the corrosion to be removed return to the Salt-X bath until clean.
Salt-X will remove salt from any surface. So for those of you with sailing vessels and motor cruisers it takes no time at all to whip around the boat and spray Salt-X on your metal fittings and fixtures to keep them salt free and reliable. This maintenance program will save you water while you are on extended trips away from port yet allows you to keep the boat’s fittings in top condition.
To treat your outboard with Salt-X you need a bottle of Salt-X Concentrate and a Salt-X Brass flushing Unit. Make up a
short length of garden hose 30 to 45cm with a female snap
fitting on each end, this fits one end to the siphon mixer and
the other end to the flush fitting or ear muffs on your
outboard. 
The siphon unit has the necessary fittings included to
fit the garden hose couplings. Start the water flow and once
the tell tale starts to squirt allow the siphon to deliver the Salt-X to your cooling galleries. Just remember to rinse the siphon
unit with fresh water once the job is done as this stops the
build up of Salt-X concentrate in the unit which can stop the
siphon unit from working.
A garden pressure sprayer is ideal to deliver Salt-X to your
boat trailer or as a method of application on your larger
vessels. All that is needed is a quick spray of Salt-X to the salty surface to control the salt build up.
For large vessels the Siphon unit can be used through a
garden hose to allow you to treat an entire vessel with Salt-X
or Buster 50 through your hose and allow you to neutralise the
salt build up in very little time at all. One large shipping
company reduced the cleaning time from eight hours to two
hours on one of their small cruise liners by treating the vessel
with Buster 50. The labour saving alone was a huge cost saving
to the company. Not to mention the extended life of the
boats finish and faster turn around.
I have always believed in a stitch in time saves nine and Salt-X certainly fits the bill for marine equipment. If you are proud of your vessels appearance or conscious of maintenance costs Salt-X should be part of your regular corrosion prevention.
The Salt-X website is full of useful info or you can phone Salt-X for advice as the staff are keen for you to enjoy the benefits from using the product.
Keeping your boat in PRISTINE CONDITION IS EASY and need not cost a fortune!
by Neil Harris Cox swain
YOU HAVE WORKED HARD FOR MANY YEARS
and now you have bought what you have always
dreamed of owning, your motor cruiser or your
yacht. Funny thing is the salesman hands you your
keys and you are on your way: right? How do you
look after your new toy? What is the best way to keep the
finish, clears, canopies in good condition? You would think these
lovely expensive vessels would come with a video or
maintenance manual to teach you what was needed to protect
your vessel from corrosion.
The biggest issue is the salt and salt spray that builds up on your boat while moored as that is where the majority of large pleasure boats spend their time, tied up.
There are chandleries filled with detergents, waxes, coatings and the like however, very few break the corrosion cycle and remove the microscopic salt (sodium chloride) that has built up in the surfaces of your vessel. That is what causes the damage with assistance from the sun –your pride and joy starts to deteriorate. So what do you do?
From 28 years of boating experience I have had no better result than what I am about to explain as removing the salt on a regular basis is the key to a beautifully presented vessel and reduced repair costs caused by salt corrosion.
Fifteen years ago I tried a product called Salt-X which was developed to do two jobs, firstly, to remove and neutralise damaging microscopic salt and secondly leave a non oily sacrificial wax on the surface to give temporary protection between treatments.
Every year my charter boat requires a marine department inspection and without fail, every year, the inspector, normally an ex-captain would ask how I managed to keep my vessel in such pristine condition as he is always astounded that the vessel showed no sign of corrosion.
After a day’s charter the boat is always covered in salt spray
which has to be removed, however, no matter how much I
hosed there was always salt on the boat after the water had
evaporated.
I use either of two methods. First method to remove the salt and protect my boat is to give all the surfaces a quick hose with fresh water and let dry, spray on a solution of Salt-X SX50 over the boat, do not rinse off and the job is done. I have found that this removes the microscopic salt, helps any waxes last longer and stops the salt from causing damage while tied up.
For a more thorough salt removal and wash Salt-X Buster 50 is the product to use with the addition of a high grade mild detergent, you use Buster 50 the same as a boat wash.
This product can be used on your covers, clears, all surfaces including sails; I have found it excellent on clears.
I find a soft hair broom and bucket the best way to give the boat a thorough going over, however, a sponge or pressure sprayer can be used. I do a section at a time with the broom and Buster 50 solution then rinse off with fresh water before the product dries as the detergent tends to streak if let dry.
If you are not using your boat for an extended period it
would not hurt to give the boat a periodic coating of Salt-X
SX50 to control any salt build-up as even a windy day can
cover your boat with salt while it is tied up.
Even your fittings and surfaces in the cabin and below deck suffer from salt and using the Salt-X on all your metal fittings is ideal, spray Salt-X on a soft cloth you can wipe over all your electronics and that will keep the salt under control.
What about your engines, generators, raw water cooling system and heat exchanger?
Salt-X has proven itself as an excellent treatment in these cooling systems as many larger boat owners have already discovered.
Depending on your boat’s configuration you can add the Salt-X through the strainer or a simple T fitting in the cooling line. There are systems available that can inject Salt-X with the touch of a button. Talk to the Salt-X guys about your needs and I am sure a treatment system can be set up to suit your requirements.
If you don’t have any fresh water you can use Salt-X with sea water, talk to the Salt-X guys about this application.
So far every boat owner I have converted to using Salt-X and Buster50 on their boats have been very happy with the long term benefits and savings enjoyed from reduced repair costs. So here is your opportunity to reduce the time spent maintaining your boat and spend more time enjoying it.