Fresh water: is it really better?

[MapisM]

I'm considering to move my boat to a marina located along a river.
This should be good news for the engines, which are always "washed" in fresh water before being turned off.
But what about the hull?
Is it true that for a planked wooden hull fresh water can be worse, making fungicidal attacks to planks and frames much easier?
I read about this, but any real-world opinion would be highly appreciated.

 

[Peterduck]

Yep; it's true what they say about fresh water and rot spores. However, there are many wooden boats who live in fresh water, e.g. Norfolk Broads, Great Lakes of North America, so it's not impossible. However vigilance has to be stepped up, so that paint is kept in good condition, bilges relatively dry, and with any boat ventilation is good. Don't despair, you can do it, but neglect will bring on disaster quicker.
Peter.

 

[Guest]

I have heard that in years gone by some of the Broadsmen added salt to the water in the bilge - any views on this idea?

PZ

 

[MapisM]

Sounds smart! But then,...

...isn't there, nowadays, any more specific product?
Actually, I saw many bildge cleaners around, but nothing specific for wooden hulls , as far as I remember.
Or is possibly salt really good enough?

 

[Mirelle]

Osmotic pressure, really

The osmotic pressure of sea water is higher, and none of the usual rots can live in it. Conversely, fresh water is an almost ideal environment. But boats kept i salt water rot from the top down anyway - its the rain water that does the damage.

As PeterDuck says, keep her clean and well painted and make sore the decks are watertight and all will be well.

Teredo worms die in fresh water, by the way - they are designed for higher osmotic pressures!

 

[ianwright]

I keep my wooden boat in fresh(ish) water and sail in salt. Heybridge Basin on the Blackwater.
What grows out there dies in here and vice versa. No scrubbing! Never any more than light slime on the hull when i crane out. As Mirelle said, keep the rain out and fix any deck leaks and you will be fine.

IanW.

Vertue 203, Patience

 

[philae44]

My boat a vintage Rampart of 1935 has spent some of its early life at sea but nearly all of its recent years on inland waters. Its a major restoration project but almost all the damage is above the waterline and caused by rain water. Possibly the result of lead free paints.

 

[ccscott49]

It doesn't matter if the water is fresh or salt, if the humidity level is above a certgain limit or nelow a certain limit, to allow the growth of spores of rot, the wood wont rot! They used to sink barges made of oak, which they had no work for in fresh water canals, then pump them out when they were needed, they didnt rot, basically a load of old rot is talked about old wives tales of salt packed in between hull linings and salt blocks in bilges, the facts just do not support this theory, there has been a few studies done on this, not to mention numerous studies on this forum, I've yet to hear a satisfactory answer, against the above. Wood under water doesnt rot! any water!

 

[MapisM]

Many thanks to everybody for the suggestions.
I guess I'll give a try to this marina on the river for next season (already paid the fees for this season on the current marina!). After all, it's nice and quiet, and reasonably priced. If we liked it, why shouldn't the boat like it either ?!...
For painting and leakages through the deck, I always used to take care anyhow.
...besides, since the baby is still in dry dock, the last madness from my wife is...
repainting the hull in blue, against all the suggestions I got so far.
Thinking about a new post in PBO forum about that... stay tuned!

 

[ccscott49]

Don't paint a planked hull blue, you will regret it the first sunny day, when cracks appear at every plank seam!