Prevailing wisdom on mirage drive bearing / chain lube?

What is state of the art in lube practice. I find that spray on liquids (WD 40, other oil-like products) aren’t retained for very long in salt water. Is marine grease the answer? What about running the drive completely dry, and letting the water be the lubricant.

According to a Hobie dealer, don't use WD40 as it may make sand or silt stick to the sprayed area. His advice is to use high quality silicone spray. With what you've invested spend a few bucks on silicone and use it before you launch and after you haul out and rinse. My thinking is that grease would be a magnet for sand (Mirage killer).

WD40 is not a lubricant.

Boeshield T9 is a dry film lubricant and rust preventative. It has served me well on all my Mirage Drives dating back to 2005.

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I'm a big fan of marine grease for the 3 main shafts -- drum shaft, sprocket shaft and idler shaft. It lasts well over time, but eventually dries out and should be replaced annually. In over 6000 miles I think I have had one instance of sand intrusion and I don't think the grease had anything to do with it. But then again, I don't normally expose the Drives to sand. If sand gets in your bearing surfaces, it usually doesn't wash out, with or without grease. Using water as a lube usually results in squeaks.

I use a light oil (like Break Free) for all other moving parts (chain links, pedals, etc). It does wash out pretty fast, so a more frequent application may be necessary. I like WD-40 as a corrosion inhibitor on exposed cable parts, hardware, etc., but not as a lube. There may be better products such as Tom's Bioshield. Silicon works OK, but also washes out pretty fast.

Be sure to rinse your Drive well after salt water use.