Well Salted

Originally posted at www.svsweetescape.com

We first encountered salt water on the Hudson River north of New York City in September.  Since then, Sweet Escape has been floating in the stuff pretty much non-stop save for a week or two in the northern Chesapeake Bay.  

It is amazing the toll that the salt water has taken on the boat in this short period of time.  All of the exterior metal is stainless steel and not just any stainless steel but marine grade 316L stainless.  Stainless steel doesn’t rust, right?  Wrong.  We fight rust every day with stainless steel polish, wax and anything else we can find that works.  And it is not just the water.  The salt air also has an impact.  Today we noticed that the snaps on Judy’s backpack are getting rusty.

This afternoon we snorkeled on the boat in an effort to rid her bottom of some of the mini ecosystem that develops on the bottom of every boat in saltwater.  We found that our bottom paint is working well, the critters can’t get a good hold on the hull and can be wiped away pretty easily with just a cloth.  In contrast those areas where the bottom paint is missing due to encounters with the bottom or underwater debris are collecting quite a community of barnacles.  We actually put our old Wisconsin ice scraper to work there since we no longer need it for what it was originally designed.

The salt is everywhere, especially after a passage like the one we made from Key West on Tuesday.  We were beating into six and seven foot waves all the way to Marathon, with water routinely spraying up over the bow of the boat.  When we arrived back at Boot Key Harbor the foredeck was covered with grass and other sea vegetation, a couple unfortunate flying fish that found their way aboard and salt, lots of salt.   The salt actually forms big white granules that stick to the deck and hull of the boat.  This is easily dealt with at a dock where there is a hose and an unlimited supply of water.  On a mooring the best we can hope for is a good rain.

It is said that all of life is a tradeoff.  In our case we have traded fresh water, our house and our jobs for freedom, beautiful weather, swaying palms and a lot of salt.  Not a bad deal, not a bad deal at all.