Salt or Fresh Water Marina

Scoping out marinas for next winter. In Fort Myers, it can be musical chairs. Figure out where you want to be; make commitments in August; or possibly be left with out a spot. Currently in a high tidal flow area which generated a lot of marine growth quickly. Would also prefer a marina where they don't feed the pelicans. I was told not to kill them for pooping on my boat.

Have the option to be in almost fresh water or salt within 5 miles of each other. Neither area has any measurable flow and both are protected nice marinas. There are other differences that offset, but not pertinent to the discussion. There is a premium to be paid for being behind a lock in fresh water. Somewhere between $3 and $4 per foot as power is billed differently.

If you had a choice, would you pay more for a fresh water marina?

Plan to be there for 5 months with cruising trips in salt water. If docking in fresh and cruising in Salt, would you worry about the effectiveness of the zinc anodes?

Ted

Given all the reading I have been doing on anodes, I would switch to aluminum anodes in that situation.

Ted: I'd take the fresh water. Easier on the boat IMHO. And as Dave suggested, I'd go to Al anodes. Hobo's been spending hurricane season in brackish water. A few years ago we changed everything to Al. I've been watching the anodes as we cruise in salt water and all looks good.

Greetings,
Mr. OC. One advantage of a FW marina is less growth on the hull therefore no need for monthly diver's bills. That would help offset the increase in rental $$.

RT Firefly said:

Mr. OC. One advantage of a FW marina is less growth on the hull therefore no need for monthly diver's bills. That would help offset the increase in rental $$.

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Monthly?! I guess there are some advantages to cold water and cool weather.

I don't think it's going to make much of a difference overall. I would make the choice based on other things.

Since we moved our boat to Essex on the Connecticut River from Oriental, NC last year, I have been amazed at the lack of bottom growth. Essex is right on the salt/fresh interface. Some weeks no salt, others all salt. Depends on the rainfall upstream I suppose.

With Connecticut's higher boat service prices on almost everything than in NC I will bet the semi monthly diver bill would be $100/mo. With the fresh/salt water I don't need it.

So I vote for fresh water.

David

Definitely aluminum anodes.

Now to the real question. So, the element of this that would be important to me is having to lock through every time I wanted to use my boat. In Fort Lauderdale it's all about bridges. In your case, the Franklin Lock. You have to be back through the lock by 5:00 PM. Takes away a lot of summer afternoon usage. When the water level is up, the lock opens on demand so not too much worse than a bridge. However, when the water level is down then it goes to 4 times a day, then 3 times, then 2 times.

Everything else being equal, I'd go for convenience. Having to lock through twice any day I want to use the boat wouldn't appeal to me.

One could compromise with brackish waters.

BandB said:

Definitely aluminum anodes.

Now to the real question. So, the element of this that would be important to me is having to lock through every time I wanted to use my boat. In Fort Lauderdale it's all about bridges. In your case, the Franklin Lock. You have to be back through the lock by 5:00 PM. Takes away a lot of summer afternoon usage. When the water level is up, the lock opens on demand so not too much worse than a bridge. However, when the water level is down then it goes to 4 times a day, then 3 times, then 2 times.

Everything else being equal, I'd go for convenience. Having to lock through twice any day I want to use the boat wouldn't appeal to me.

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Different lock. This is the Chiquita lock in Cape Coral . It's a single boat lock with no elevational change designed to keep saltwater out of the canals. Takes about 3 minutes to lock through. Open 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

Ted

O C Diver said:

Different lock. This is the Chiquita lock in Cape Coral . It's a single boat lock with no elevational change designed to keep saltwater out of the canals. Takes about 3 minutes to lock through. Open 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

Ted

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Ah....different lock.

I'm not familiar with it enough to know. Is that the one they've argued about taking down?

With clarification of the lock in question I would go for fresh water.

But I would make sure the marina checked every boat for electrical safety. AC flowing back through the water probably wont hurt you in salt water but will most likely kill you in fresh water. I'd want confirmation that my boat is safe and that all the other boats are safe as well. Even if you don't jump in to check something there could be kids who do jump in, even if the marina prohibits swimming.

O C Diver said:

If you had a choice, would you pay more for a fresh water marina?

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Hell yes. Super hell yes. And covered please.

I only have experience with saltwater, but I can tell you a huge difference in growth rates exists due to current. Stagnant basin, moderate growth, easily handled. Slips in tidal current, pure friggin evil growth.

Fresh water is indeed a plus, but not sure it is a huge advantage of quiescent sea water. Especially if you have to deal with the hassle of lock in and out.

I dunno....since I first got aboard and went with Ted through the first lock on the Okeechobee Waterrway, Ted became fearless about locking through solo. When I asked him why, he said that he always finds plenty of eager line handlers whenever he arrives.

BandB said:

Ah....different lock.

I'm not familiar with it enough to know. Is that the one they've argued about taking down?

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After a quick check, yes that's the one they are arguing about. Interestingly, the federal or state government made them put it in as they were worried about well water contamination from salt leaching into the aquifer. Now that most of Cape Coral has or is being switched to municipal water, it may no longer be an issue. Will be interesting to see if the feds or the state give them the permits (approval) to remove it.

If that happens the marina will be much saltier as it's just past the lock.

Ted

Ski in NC said:

I only have experience with saltwater, but I can tell you a huge difference in growth rates exists due to current. Stagnant basin, moderate growth, easily handled. Slips in tidal current, pure friggin evil growth.

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That pretty much describes where I am now. After being there for 3 weeks, boat needed a major scrubbing. Couldn't do it in the slip because of the current. Went up to Cayo Costa state park and scrubbed for 2 hours to get her bottom and running gear clean.

Ted

O C Diver said:

After a quick check, yes that's the one they are arguing about. Interestingly, the federal or state government made them put it in as they were worried about well water contamination from salt leaching into the aquifer. Now that most of Cape Coral has or is being switched to municipal water, it may no longer be an issue. Will be interesting to see if the feds or the state give them the permits (approval) to remove it.

If that happens the marina will be much saltier as it's just past the lock.

Ted

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And apparently the CG did not want it removed. Some of those inside, including marinas are worried that they could somehow end up too shallow without a lot of continuous dredging. Who knows?

O C Diver said:

That pretty much describes where I am now. After being there for 3 weeks, boat needed a major scrubbing. Couldn't do it in the slip because of the current. Went up to Cayo Costa state park and scrubbed for 2 hours to get her bottom and running gear clean.

Ted

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Bottom cleaning for us. Every four weeks in the winter, three weeks in the summer.

BandB said:

Bottom cleaning for us. Every four weeks in the winter, three weeks in the summer.

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Spent the winter of 2014 in the Marina just above the Lock (Marina at Cape Harbour). No growth to speak of in 2.5 months. At Matanzas Pass (Fort Myers Beach area) this year, I had barnacles growing on fender balls that were touching the water, after only 2 weeks!

Ted

Ted,
We are over in Ft. Myers Yacht Basin this winter and with the Lake O water releases, the water is more fresh than salt so the bottom is pretty clean. I will know more next week when the diver checks again.
When are you heading back north?

Henry

Moore in fresh, boat in salt. Salt kills fresh water growth fresh water flushs cooling system. Best of both worlds.

Scary said:

Moore in fresh, boat in salt. Salt kills fresh water growth fresh water flushs cooling system. Best of both worlds.

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Agree ++

I have little experience in salt but have read that after WW II the Navy stored the mothball fleet part way up the Hudson R to take advantage of the switch from fresh to brackish water with the tides. The switch kept bottom growth to a minimum.

Don't forget to change engine & gen anodes when you change hull / shaft to Al

Maybe part of the fleet. There were plenty of ships mothballed on the West Coast in sea water, both down in CA and in Puget Sound. Grew up sailing around those in Puget Sound, then watched them being towed to the shipyards years later for scrap.

dhays said:

Maybe part of the fleet. There were plenty of ships mothballed on the West Coast in sea water, both down in CA and in Puget Sound. Grew up sailing around those in Puget Sound, then watched them being towed to the shipyards years later for scrap.

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Much fresh water is shallow draft and Navy ships are precluded. The St Johns River in north Florida was an exception and the Navy kept a mothball fleet at Green Cove Springs which I remember from the 1950's. I believe the site is now a commercial marina.

Suisun Bay mothball fleet, fresh to brackish water

When I was moored in Portage Bay Washington I had the the best of both worlds fresh water lake to boat in or out through the locks to salt water. I lost an exhaust elbow on my generator due to salt water. When I replaced the elbow at North Harbor Marine, they said why don't you just run the genny once your back in fresh water behind the locks, duh. So now that I'm down in the Ca Delta, The fresh water slime and algae are gone in a few hours of salt water , and I make sure to flush all of my systems using sea water including my dingy motor once back in fresh water. No divers needed except for zinks.

Fresh water , salt water , no big deal

A HURRICANE is a big deal.

Go where the boat has the best chance of surviving.