Pitting

[TTSam]

I just got my boat off the trailer and flipped it over and found a good bit of pitting. I don't know what is causing this? It is all taking place where the boat sits on the trailer bunks. They are carpeted. I use this boat 99% of the time in salt water but I do rinse it off every trip. I live two bocks from a boat ramp on the Hillsborough river so I just back it down that ramp and rinse the trailer and flush the motor. I just order some Steelflex, should I fill the pitting with something or just let the Steelflex fill it in? The boat is an 1986 15x48 Starcraft. Its not new but I did not expect such deterioration of the metal.

 

[Quackrstackr]

The pitting is being caused by the pressure treated lumber used for the bunk boards. It will happen even through carpet.

 

[TTSam]

No kidding, it will work its way through the carpet. That sucks! I guess I need to change my bunks.

 

[BaitCaster]

No kidding, it will work its way through the carpet. That sucks! I guess I need to change my bunks.

Crap!! Me too.

 

[UtahBassKicker]

I've never seen pitting before. Could anyone post a pic of what it looks like and are there any early warning signs of pitting? :-k

 

[Quackrstackr]

Sadly enough, there really are no warning signs. Sometimes you will see a white almost powdery residue where it is going on.

Run a site search on the word pitting and you should find some pictures. I think I saw some posted just last week, actually.

 

[ober51]

If I didn't have Steel Flex on the bottom of my boat I would not use PT wood. Just some sealer and carpet and away you go. They are cheap enough and easy enough to replace that it's not worth risking pitting.

 

[UtahBassKicker]

So if I bought replacement bunks from a marine store do I assume that treated wood was used? I never saw anything stating what kind of wood was used, but then again, I didn't think to ask.

 

[Quackrstackr]

You can't really assume anything.

While pt wood will eat up an aluminum boat, it has no problems whatsoever on fiberglass. There is no telling what they were made out of.

 

[BaitCaster]

I'm just going to go to BassPro and get smoe pf those plastic bunk runners to put on my bunks over top oof the carpet.

 

[BaitCaster]

Here's how I fixed this problem. Got the plastic bunk sliders at Bass Pro.

 

[Troutman3000]

Here's how I fixed this problem. Got the plastic bunk sliders at Bass Pro.

How did you attach that front beam?

 

[BaitCaster]

Here's how I fixed this problem. Got the plastic bunk sliders at Bass Pro.

How did you attach that front beam?

It's a pressure treated 2x4 cut to the width of my boat floor. I carpeted myself. It is attached to the trailer using two lag bolts through a metal plate under the tongue screwed into the 2x4.

 

[TTSam]

I have thought about those strips for a long but never got them. What worried me is that I was told that your boat will slide on and off real quick and was always afraid I would screw up and launch my boat on the ramp or doing some thing stupid like that. I will be applying Steel Flex this weekend which should take care of my pitting problems for good.

 

[BaitCaster]

I have thought about those strips for a long but never got them. What worried me is that I was told that your boat will slide on and off real quick and was always afraid I would screw up and launch my boat on the ramp or doing some thing stupid like that. I will be applying Steel Flex this weekend which should take care of my pitting problems for good.

Yes, they are much more slippery than the carpet. It's not a problem for me. I keep me boat hooked to the winch while I back down the ramp.

 

[Quackrstackr]

I hope that you don't have any exposed rivets that will be raking back and forth across that crossmember mounted that way.

If you do, you are going to have some leaks develop pretty quickly.

 

[Troutman3000]

I hope that you don't have any exposed rivets that will be raking back and forth across that crossmember mounted that way.

If you do, you are going to have some leaks develop pretty quickly.

So you dont think that setup is good for a riveted jon.

 

[BaitCaster]

I hope that you don't have any exposed rivets that will be raking back and forth across that crossmember mounted that way.

If you do, you are going to have some leaks develop pretty quickly.

Nope - no rivets touch that cross member. There are three chines on the bottom of my boat and they are all that touch the cross-bunk. So I'm good. Thnks for the advice though. All input is appreciated.


Cheers
BC

 

[Quackrstackr]

I hope that you don't have any exposed rivets that will be raking back and forth across that crossmember mounted that way.

If you do, you are going to have some leaks develop pretty quickly.

So you dont think that setup is good for a riveted jon.

I guess it will be fine so long as you don't have rivets hitting it and it is a true flat bottom. You don't see many trailers with a crossmember instead of a bunk.