Aluminum boats, salt sea air?

[CharlesW]

This question pertains to the effect that salt sea air could/would have on the aluminum pontoons of a new pontoon boat that was stored outside and left on the ground.
A person on a boating forum I frequent has a major problem with a new 2006 pontoon boat having stains and pits on the pontoons.
They have been told by both the manufacturer and their dealer that it is normal in the seacoast areas.
The boat was that way before it was ever in the water when it was new.
The discoloring/stains sound normal, but pits from a few months of outside storage sounds a little extreme.
I know the sea air can be quite corrosive, but does this sound normal to any of you people located in coastal areas?

Charles

 

[97F1504x4]

This question pertains to the effect that salt sea air could/would have on the aluminum pontoons of a new pontoon boat that was stored outside and left on the ground.
A person on a boating forum I frequent has a major problem with a new 2006 pontoon boat having stains and pits on the pontoons.
They have been told by both the manufacturer and their dealer that it is normal in the seacoast areas.
The boat was that way before it was ever in the water when it was new.
The discoloring/stains sound normal, but pits from a few months of outside storage sounds a little extreme.
I know the sea air can be quite corrosive, but does this sound normal to any of you people located in coastal areas?

Charles

Hard to really say without seeing it but yes living on the coast is not good on metal. Something i would suggest although i am sure it would not be cost effective. There is a product called ZOOP SEAL that is suppose to be a sealant and is suppose to last for like 3 years. Like i said though it is very expensive already being that the kit is designed for wheels and cost like 100 i think.

zoopseal.com should be the place.

What happens with the sea air is it is so moist and it carries salt particle sin it so when ever it is foggy small salt particle are being dropped onto the bare metal. Most pontoon boats are made to be in fresh water so maybe the pontoons are made out of a inferior sheet metal not meant to stand up to the salt water environment.

Richard

 

[RTexasF]

Charles,

I'm not a coastal resident but I have sold powerboats for 20+ years so I'll put in my 02-

Pontoons can turn color just sitting in the dealer's lot. Just sitting in fresh water for short periods can make them look stained much less salt water or air. I'd like to know more about the pitting, that's not been seen by these old eyes before except in severe salty climates on old rigs, never on a new boat.....THAT is not normal, in spite of what he's being told.

In short- color change, dingy look is normal. Pitting? No way on a 2006 model. Do you recall the brand?

At almost every dealership Toon Brite has been the product used to clean up pontoons or unpainted hulls. I've seen pontoons so gross that they were almost black brought back to shiny delight with it along with a little scrubbing. Detailing pontoons is big business. Here's a picture of what I'm talking about, click for larger pic.