GGR goose barnacle problem - cleaning advice

[hhhh80]

Finlans's entry, Tapio, currently sailing in golden globe race is looking for advice on how to clean fresh goose barnacles out from the bottom.



Tapio has basic tool and he can engineer things himseif if needed. According to my sources the goose barnacles are more easily removed when they are fresh...



Tapio is looking for tried methods for removal.



I'm a member of his ham radio support team and I can relay the advice given via ham radio.



Thanks!

[JPA Cate]

Yes, goosenecks are a problem, but they are fairly easy to get off, from in the water, using a plastic putty knife, to protect the gelcoat. iirc. Hope he has a wetsuit, or a drysuit, a life line, and a boarding ladder.

Might be able to get the top ones off from on deck, using his boat hook for the handle, a couple of holes in the handle and through the boat hook, and a good lashing.

If he goes in the water to do it, people have used extinct credit cards for the scraper when they didn't have a putty knife, and also body fill applicators, like for "bondo". In desperation, a metal pancake turner would do, but may damage the gelcoat.

Do not think about sharks while you're doing it, he could really creep himself out. That's a lot of food for someone that you're knocking off your boat. Our acquaintance on the Longue Route is having trouble with them, too.

Ann

[coopec43]

What about this! (Hope it doesn't damage the hull)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIk8flENPRA

Clive

[TJ D]

I read somewhere that one boat was having good success dragging a 1/2" line the length of the boat along the waterline for a half hour per day, per side, and it knocked them off quite well. Beats swimming!

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by TJ D

I read somewhere that one boat was having good success dragging a 1/2" line the length of the boat along the waterline for a half hour per day, per side, and it knocked them off quite well. Beats swimming!

You got that right! Scary as hell to part from the boat.

Ann

[grahamj]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Scary as hell to part from the boat.

Indeed. You'd have to be insane to get off!

On the other hand I loved the bit in RKJ's book where he dives off the front of Suhaili and swims alongside until she's just about to overtake him and he pulls himself back on board.

Nuts. Love it. What a bloke!

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by hhhh80

I'm a member of his ham radio support team and I can relay the advice given via ham radio.

Wouldn't this be considered outside assistance? Don't want to break any rules and risk getting him disqualified. The GGR rules are pretty strict...

[Jim Cate]

The GGR rules are pretty strict...

And pretty nonsensical, if they prohibit this sort of info. Actually IMO pretty nonsensical in general, but I'm a crotchety ol fart!

Jim

[Snowpetrel]

I made a long handled scraper out of a sharpened piece of 150x200x5mm HDPE plastic bolted to a 2 meter bent handle made from aluminium. It worked well for removing a few years of growth and hard barnicles from a boat I delivered. Using HDPE minimised the damage to the existing paint. The sharp HDPE didn't get too badly blunted by the harx stuff, though it needed the odd sharpen.

I did most of the cleaning from the deck or a dinghy.

[sparrowhawk1]

If you use any of these make sure you round the corners otherwise you'll gouge the boat. The ice scraper which is also called a hoe in warmer climates removes more area at once but of course you have to push harder, it also sinks. Hyde makes a stainless steel putty knife of the right thickness with a slight angle to it and the end of the handle is made to insert a threaded "broom"handle. This gives you two tools in one and it floats. A long handle gives you an incredible amount of Leverage and also allows you to reach down far from above the water

[Snowpetrel]

A plastic cutting board could be modified to make a sharp scraper tool to attach to a boathook. The bent section of boathook is handy to get in under the turn of the bilge.

[Snowpetrel]

Rough plans for what I used.

[hhhh80]

Originally Posted by Davidhoy

Wouldn't this be considered outside assistance? Don't want to break any rules and risk getting him disqualified. The GGR rules are pretty strict...

Actually, everything is free over HF-radio, only weather routing is prohibited.

[hhhh80]

Than you for all the suggestions, Tapio has plastic boxes with lids that could be used for the Showpetrel's idea. He also has a battery powered drill, hacksaw and an angle grinder.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by hhhh80

Than you for all the suggestions, Tapio has plastic boxes with lids that could be used for the Showpetrel's idea. He also has a battery powered drill, hacksaw and an angle grinder.

A plastic box lid is unlikely to be tough enough. Worth a try, but I suspect it would shatter. Prehaps something really solid like a Pelican case lid might work.

In my case I used 5 or 6mm thick plastic.

Hope he goes Ok though the coming blow. It's already getting wild in Hobart.