DIY clean hull without diving

[arch007]

Has anyone cleaned their boat hull without diving ?

The hull is only 4 feet below surface so I wonder if there is a way to clean the hull without diving

Thanks

[Pete7]

Yes frequently, but you may not be able to copy my method which requires a decent tide, somewhere to dry out and a pair of keels are useful, wellies optional

I may try to skip the antifoul paint this year which despite already being purchased seems a shame to use it for the remainder of the season. However, the yacht will likely need more regular trips to the clubs scrubbing grid.

Pete

[OloteleMtn]

There are lots of people who do it with just snorkel equipment, meaning without SCUBA tanks, mostly on smaller boats i would think. Are you asking about cleaning the hull without getting wet??
Seeing the above reminded me about careening like the old days.

[Panope]

Being a hard chine hull, with a deep "V" shape, a brush lashed to a strait pole works for me. A round bottom hull might need a curved pole.

Here is a short video:
https://youtu.be/HgVDIlS1510

[clownfishsydney]

A soft broom from the deck and dinghy can get a lot of the hull.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by arch007

Has anyone cleaned their boat hull without diving ?

The hull is only 4 feet below surface so I wonder if there is a way to clean the hull without diving

What kind of boat are we talking about?

[arch007]

Its a cape dory 28

[arch007]

I have an idea.

Maybe make a curved pvc pipe. Tape boom to one end.

Should be able to reach keel ?

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by arch007

I have an idea.

Maybe make a curved pvc pipe. Tape boom to one end.

Should be able to reach keel ?

So you are clearly considering doing this from the dock or even worse, from on deck. As a hull cleaning professional I can tell you that if you do so, you are going to miss many spots, be unable to remove heavy fouling and shelled animal growth and of course your running gear, thru-hulls and transducers are not going to be cleaned at all. No offense but it really is a half-assed way to do the job. Not proper boat maintenance by a long shot.

[Panope]

I concur with fstbttms that scrubbing from a dock or dinghy with a long pole will result in some areas that remain fouled. However, I find the effort worthwhile has it restores all but 1/10 of a knot of (motoring) boat speed. I scrub once every 2 months (less in winter), alternating between scrubbing from a dinghy and dried out on a beach.

This is a demanding physical endeavor. Frail persons will struggle to achieve meaningful results. If you are up for the challenge, you will enjoy:

-No bottom paint and recurring re-painting.
-Good exercise.
-Free (no need to hire a diver).

Steve

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Panope

-No bottom paint and recurring re-painting.

I don't know where the OP does his boating, but in places where fouling is an actual concern (like California, Florida etc.), regular in-water hull cleaning is a necessity and going without anti fouling paint is not an option. In regions of moderate to high fouling, you cannot keep an unpainted hull clean, regardless of how often you clean the bottom.

[OneKoolCat]

As I recall you float in about 4.5 feet of water. I used to park next to a sandbar in my old boat and let the kids scrub the hull.

I am getting a cheap 12v hookah setup this year. I think that the kids will fight over who gets to clean the hull.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

Are you trying to find a fast easy way of doing it, or are you trying to avoid getting in the water?

[redhead]

I don't know where you are but there are places all over where you can pull up to a (usually government owned) dock on an outgoing tide and carreen your boat for a day or two for repairs or cleaning. You have to work fast as the tide is still coming in. I imagine you could scrub the bottom of any pleasure boat in one tide.

This only works in areas where the tidal ranges are pretty dramatic of course. We've seen this in British Columbia as we head north. I see from the above picture that it's possible in the UK as well.

[radsailor]

There used to be a product called "dry diver" that was an angled pvc pipe with a short "T" at the end. On one side of the T was a scrub brush and on the other side, a cylindrical piece of styrofoam to push it up against the hull. I made my own a long time ago.
It was easy to use, but results on a fin keel boat with spade rudder were lame. On a Cape Dory, might work better.

[MarkI]

Can you advise on a similar question? I get the bottom cleaned on a 3month/2month schedule, in the South Francisco area (Westpoint). On a 2020 Beneteau Oceanis 46.1, with (new) Petit anti foul paint. Less than 2 weeks after cleaning I have sea grass visible on the hull jus below the surface. The water is too dirty to tell how far down it goes. I have seen brushes to use from the slip finger. to brush off the upper portions of the hull. Is it worth getting one, for between proper cleanings, or not. If so any suggestions?