buying used Fairline targa 34: salt water/fresh water

[DutchDan]

is it better to buy a used boat that not has been used mainly in salt water?
I live in Holland and want to buy a Fairline 34 Targa from 1999 or 2000. There aren't many Targa 34 avaiable from this year, so i'm looking abroad. In Holland most boats are used on the lakes. (no salt water).

Does it make a big difference, if a boat is used on salt water or fresh??

thank you.
Dan
(daja@xs4all.nl)

 

[tamarind]

The only problem with most fresh water boats, they have been driven at 5 knots, big powerfull marine diesel engines like to be opened up. check for excess smoke, also the anodes will be magnesium.

 

[BrendanS]

Fresh water will bring on any potential osmosis problems in the hull at a faster rate than salt water.

On 'freshwater' cooled engines, they will have been taking in fresh not salt water, so none of the horrid salt deposits you get on seawater based boats after a few years.

Salt water based boats have probably been used more as they may have travelled greater difference, in maybe rougher conditions.

On the whole, probably not a great deal of difference though

 

[petem]

If everything else was the same then IMHO freshwater would be more desirable. However, in a boat of this age there are more important factors to consider, mainly

1) Hull colour, navy blue is by far the most desirable. White and particularly green hulled boats should be cheaper.
2) Front cabin layout - some boats have a split (no bonking front berth), some have a double,
3) Engines - this is a sports boat and should have KAD44 (I think). KAD43 will be slower.

 

[ArthurWood]

If it has been used in salt water, it will probably have more rusty bits on deck/canopy fittings than if used in fresh. The exhaust manifolds/risers/elbows will not (if at all) be corroded as much from fresh water use. I would have thought that low usage in fresh water is better than low usage in salt, but I'm probaly wrong as it applies to diesels. If you buy from fresh water, make sure you have a closed cooling system before you drop it into the sea, as once the salt gets into the engine channels, it's not much good adding closed cooling later. I would by a freshwater boat, but I don't know much about diesels.
Just met a guy this morning who has a boat identical to ours - Merc 7.4l petrols, raw water cooled; it has been in salt water all its 11 years, has 560 hrs on engines and has had three sets exh manfld replacements. Ours has 1370 hrs, was 5 yrs in fresh water from new, then in salt; has had one set of manflds replced at 1100 hr. Does this tell you anything? Maybe not /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[DutchDan]

why is the blue fairline 34 targa more desirable then the white or green one? I like the white one also. what is the difference?

Dan
daja@xs4all.nl

 

[Its_Only_Money]

Because The Market says so.....like some car colours hold their values better than others, all things being equal....

 

[ArthurWood]

Can't imagine why as they must be a pain to keep looking clean.