Accessing fouled saildrive well

[wannacat]

I buy nitrile by the square foot and it's around 1/8 thick. A type of rubber or looks similar anyways. I made a template to the shape of the sail drive where it exits the hull and cut out a piece. Then with the prop off I'm just able to slide it over and up the sail drive to the hull. Then I use either 5200 or Lifecaulk with some real thin starboard strips about 3/4 of an inch wide that I place around the perimeter of the boot and run a few #6 by 3/8" pan heads up through it to hold it into place till the caulking dries. I redo this every 2-3 years when I haul out and redo the bottom paint and sail drives. Haven't had a problem with this system yet. I do like the idea of the foam under the boot, however it might be a bit of a problem to clean out someday if you ever have to?

[seamountie]

@sirfer, I believe the boot is there to reduce turbulence from affecting the prop, thereby increasing its efficiency. I don't think it particularly impacts the hull moving through the water

[Fluffflinger]

Thanks for the nitrile rubber idea I'll get some and give it a go, after bathing my wells in vinegar. . . . . . .hh the wonders of white vinegar. Pretty much unchanged since 3000BC and cleans up just about anything, I think I'm right in saying that it will dissolve aluminium foil, better shrink wrap my saildrives before applying liberally.

As to the purpose of the boot I guess it's purpose is to exclude the critters and improve water flow over the hulls and yes you are probably right too much effort to remove saildrives just to clean out the wells, I'll wait until the diaphragms need changing.


Richard


Boat building is the amalgamation of incompatible products in the pursuit of perfection, all of which will be undone in time by saltwater alone!