If you own a boat in Queensland there is a good chance it’ll be exposed to saltwater. After all, over 85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast, and we’re blessed with some of the best boating and fishing conditions in the world.

Saltwater will rapidly corrode the many susceptible metal bits on your boat (including the aluminium hull itself!). As such, one of the first things you’ll learn when acquiring your first boat is the importance of flushing your engine and washing down your boat with freshwater after each sea-faring expedition.

But, despite our best efforts, salty water will seep in somewhere and rust and corrosion will occur. The best outboard for saltwater, therefore, will have a few tricks up its sleeve to help you avoid corrosion and to prolong your investment. This is why we believe Mercury Marine outboards are the best for saltwater use!

The following are some of the ingenious marine-engine innovations to prevent saltwater corrosion, and reasons why we recommend Mercury Marine outboards.

Resistance to Corrosion

Mercury Marine is on a never-ending mission to alleviate problems before they occur. And because the biggest problem saltwater poses is saltwater corrosion, they have designed a host of innovative solutions to protect your investment.

Marine-grade alloys

First and foremost, Mercury’s engineers have craftily designed their own patented marine-grade aluminium alloys to use in its engines. By reducing the copper content they’ve minimised the opportunity for corrosion to occur. Not only that, Mercury also uses more stainless steel than competitors further reducing saltwater contact to corrosive metals.

Paintwork that protects against corrosion

Forming a protective coating from saltwater is Mercury’s Advanced Paint System. Designed specifically for the marine environment, this multi-step process is very effective in sealing out the environment and protecting the precious engineering underneath.

The innovative paint system starts with an Iridite sealing to form a corrosion-resistant barrier before the paint is applied. This is followed by an Electro Deposition Paint primer and finished with a hard, tough powder coating. The result both looks exceptional and is hard-wearing, while also providing extreme saltwater corrosion protection.

Internal innovations to protect from saltwater

The saltwater corrosion protection doesn’t stop on the outside – far from it. All throughout the engine there are innovations at work that you may never notice (aside from the absence of corrosion, of course!). Mercury has integrated exclusive salt shield flushes into the powerhead and water passages, which in turn provide excellent internal resistance to saltwater exposure and heat.

 

 

Both these internal and other innovations, such as sacrificial anodes and hardcoat anodizing, are reasons why Mercury outboards will start even after the serious neglect or abuse like in the vieo above. (But please don’t let it come to this! Our local boat servicing in Coorparoo will help you stay safe on the water and extend the life of your boat and motor.)

Saltwater Corrosion Warranty

All of these innovations are more than just lip-service – Mercury Marine proudly stands by its products. Alongside their 3 + 3 = 6-year engine warranty, when you invest in a Mercury outboard you’ll also enjoy a 3-year corrosion protection warranty. And because they have an extensive network of Authorised Mercury Dealers and service centres, expert service is never far away.

Features & usage

There are a host of other features above and beyond saltwater corrosion protection that propel Mercury Motors to the top of the list for choosing an outboard motor. If you plan on venturing onto the salty blue, here are a few more reasons why we highly recommend Mercury outboards.

Outboards for every occasion

Mercury’s extensive model range covers just about every boating requirement of which we can imagine – from the powerful and sophisticated Verado for larger sea-faring boats to the latest range of FourStroke models, to the SeaPro for commercial boats and Command Thrust models. Mercury has an outboard solution for serious offshore boats to powering your tender or tinnie – and everything in between.

Extensively tested

With market-leading quality as their baseline, Mercury Marine engineers have put their outboard motors to the test again and again. The result is the very best products designed to outlast and perform under tough conditions. Just a few other rigorous tests they go through in their 24hr testing center include saltwater spray booths, high humidity chambers and hot and cold water temperatures.

Keeps your batteries charged

Onboard electronics can rapidly drain your boat’s batteries – which is the last thing you want when you’re hours away from dry land. Mercury’s “Idle Charge” battery-management monitors when your battery voltage drops and automatically increases idle RPM to recharge your battery to the proper level.

The best for rough seas

Mercury outboards have a host of different features to optimise your boat for swell and rough ocean seas. These include Command Thrust models with deeper and larger propellers, an extensive range of propellers from which to choose, and many category-leading products that are both powerful and lightweight – all great features to optimise your hole shot and acceleration to get you through swell.

 

Another innovative technology is Mercury’s Adaptive Speed Control (ASC) – available on the flagship Verado and other select outboard models. ASC automatically maintains a set RPM even as conditions change, making it easy to move through swell with far fewer throttle adjustments. Genius!

Choosing your new outboard

Coorparoo Marine is an Authorised Mercury Dealer and is arguably the best place to buy an outboard motor. We’ve been selling and servicing Mercury motors for over 40 years. Through thick and thin, we’ve been there for our customers and local boat owners to help select the outboard for maximum enjoyment on the water.

 

Need help choosing your next outboard? Give the specialists at Coorparoo Marine Brisbane a call. With 40 years of boat and motor sales, and servicing in Brisbane, we’re always happy to help!