The steady laminar boundary layer flow of saline water along an isothermal vertical plate is studied in this paper. The results are obtained with the numerical solution of the boundary layer equations taking into account the variation of all water thermophysical properties with temperature and salinity. The combination of different temperatures and salinities at the boundary conditions results in a large number of upward, downward or bidirectional flows. The present study concerns the wall heat transfer, wall salinity transfer, wall shear stress and velocity and temperature profiles across the boundary layer for unidirectional upward or downward flow. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.