Keeping a boat moving?

[tuffr2]

Just wondering how much algae and misc growth will be on the hull of a boat that moves every few days for up to 6 weeks? The boat would be in the water for up to 45 days but would not stay anchored in one spot for more than 3 days.

Is that sufficient to keep growth off the hull? Should the boat be moved more or less frequently?

This will be a trailer boat w/o any bottom paint.

[Vasco]

Depends a lot on the waters you sail in. In the Great Lakes I wouldn't worry too much but in some other places such as the Chesapeake or Carolinas I would never put a boat in without good bottom paint.

[tuffr2]

Forgot to mention, the boat will be in the Florida Keys.

[SV Bacchus]

I would think location and time of year would be important info with regard to this question.

For instance, coming into Summer here in West/Central Florida, it doesn't take long at all. In fact it would be measured in days and not weeks. Moving every 3 days would help but I suppose type of hull would factor in as well. Not every spot on certain hulls experience water flow i.e. the flat back transom of a planing hull on a speedboat. No water flowing by to remove the hairs.

I sometimes leave an aluminum pontoon boat in the water for 5 or 6 days and I have to pressure wash it when it is pulled.

Edit: While typing the above I see you added the Keys. I did a sea trial on a 25' Grady White in Marathon. I returned 2 weeks later to find the marina had "forgotten" to pull it. The boat had 2 inches of quite a variety of creatures living on it's bottom! "Stuff" grows very fast in the Keys warm, nutrient rich waters!

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Forgot to mention, the boat will be in the Florida Keys.

You won't need to worry about how often you move a boat there without bottom paint. You'll be in the water everyday scrubbing and losing the battle with critters.

[zeehag]

the amount of growth depends on you and your motivational level. you control the growth by diving on the hull yourself to clean it or hiring someone to do it.

[ReMetau]

I use my dinghy all the time. It doesn't have bottom paint on it, and after 45 days, there would be significant growth of weeds and maybe some small barnacles.

I think if you scrubbed the bottom about once a week it would be fine.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Just wondering how much algae and misc growth will be on the hull of a boat that moves every few days for up to 6 weeks? The boat would be in the water for up to 45 days but would not stay anchored in one spot for more than 3 days.

Is that sufficient to keep growth off the hull? Should the boat be moved more or less frequently?

This will be a trailer boat w/o any bottom paint.

IMHO you will be save.

[hobopacket]

I boat there with my trailered cabin cruiser with no paint. A four day trip is the max I do without doing a good underwater wipe. I would think a brush every week would be sufficient. Don't paint it unless absolutely necessary. A bottom painted boat will never be the same.

[DrivinSteve]

IMHO, Paint it!
There will come a time when you can't get the boat out when you planned. (Weather, broken trailer, sick dog ...)
Another week goes by and when you get it out, you will spend a stupid amount of time and effort trying to get the critters off and likely damage the gelcoat in the process.
I tried the no paint approach many years ago on a 19' Starwind in Barnegat Bay and, to this day, still have some "scars" on the bottom after only 6 days in the water. The Keys will be even worse.

[zedpassway]

In the keys you will have to put something on it.

Where I sail, I can leave the boat moored all summer, and in the North Atlantic's 50 degree water, with the 2-3 knot tide running forward and backward twice a day, all it gets is a very thin coating of algae.

You could cover it in Desitin(40% zinc oxide) which you can get it 3 lb tubs for dirt cheap. Smooth as a baby's butt after you are done, so says Practical
Sailor!

[a64pilot]

Not much more than grease really, but it does work for a limited time.
It was all I had on my prop for two years, I'd clean and re-apply every other month or so. It does not prevent growth, but not much sticks to a lanolin type grease so remove grease and growth goes with it.
Forespar LanoCote Prop & Bottom Foul Release

[Cheechako]

Moving every 3 days or so it shouldn't be too bad.

[bsurvey]

in san Francisco when its blowing 35 you just have to ride the waves down hill to knock the slime off

[barnakiel]

About sqrt(3^6)/45 of an inch.

Or one centimeter. Expect normal distribution with average growth on the sides and tails on the bow and rudder area. There will be some bias (fatter sunny side) if the wind is semi-permanent in direction where you live.

;-)

Zero if you have fresh International Micron.

b.