Favorite Barnacle tool?

[Gallivanters]

If you're berthed in water where extreme growth is a problem - jump over the side with a heavy duty trash bag and a plastic zip tie and "bag" the prop.

Carefully pull the bag around the prop and then zip it around the shaft.

This will absolutely prevent fouling from marine growth.

Obviously - you'll want to remove the bag before casting your lines. Duh.

I use heavy duty black lawn & garden bags and attach a reminder note to my key.

Use "parot nose" wire cutters to cut the zip tie and remove the bag.

It takes about a minute and two breaths of air to install... and half that to remove.

Capt Kirk ~~~_/) ~~~ s/v GALLIVANTER ~~~ St Thomas

PS - People have suggested I pour a cup of bleach into the bag for long term storage and Aye suppose it couldn't hurt...

[Tropic Cat]

I usually have a least 1 manatee lounging between my hulls. They're big (600 lbs +)and slimey. I'd prefer to take a dip once a month and scrape a bit rather than play with them every time I go sailing.

Rick in florida

[Gallivanters]

Rick in Florida

Yes - thats the tool.

It's the best I've found for general underwater scraping & cleaning.

Thanks,

Kirk

[Seafarer24]

Originally Posted by knottybuoyz

I hope you mean "vegetable oil" and not 10W30? We've used air tools underwater servicing docks, boats & buoys for years and we've used vegetable oil on them. Makes the lil' sea creatures happier than dumping the ole' 10W30 in their environment.

Yes, veggie oil. Specifically used veggie oil from McDonalds or Burger King, thoroughly strained through coffee filters. He kept a couple 5-gallon paint-buckets aboard for the various tools

[Brent Swain]

I once found a plastic gerry can in the dumpster with barnacles growing inside. Nobody wanted it because they couldn't figure out how to remove the barnacles . I put a cup of muriatic acid in , screwed the lid on , swished it around, and left it overnight . By morning the barnacles and their bases were totally gone. I've used it ever since.Acid disolves everything including the bases. It's only calcium.
A putty spreader works well.
Brent

[Kita]

Paint whatever you use with some cheep black so it's easy & cheep to re do, not to long ago (couple years) down here in FL a diver that was in a marina cleaning hulls was swimming to do the next boat & was hit by a barracuda going after the flash of the reflection in the sun on the knife! The fish missed & got their arm & I don't remember how much damage it was but I remember it being a considerable amount of stiches...I won't have anything on like that,I sometimes even worry about the mask, seen one guy get hit right in the face! He was unhurt other than some dirty shorts! Knocked his mask off!!

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

PS - People have suggested I pour a cup of bleach into the bag for long term storage and Aye suppose it couldn't hurt...

While the chloride in the bleach would keep the critters at bay. It would cause corrosion in both the stainless steel prop shaft and bronze prop.

[JPA Cate]

Fwiw, we, too, use a cheap 2" putty knife to scrape them off. For the guy with the soft dinghy, the swimming pool acid--or plain white vinegar-- on old beach towels or big rags will clean the glue circles off your soft bottom. It has to stay wet, so maybe wrap a plastic tarp over the towels. Do not expect the towels to survive if you use the HCl.

Ann

[motion30]

if you have a lots of Shaft exposed as i do I found a list of light chain from Home Depot the kind that's flat made from Stamped aluminum works very well make one complete Wrap work it like a saw