Diver recommendations? Need Bottom Cleaning In Melbourne, FL

[offline]

Just bought a 50' Gibson in Melbourne and we'll be bringing it down to Palm Beach in the next couple of weeks.

I'd like to get the bottom and running gear cleaned before we cruise her down.

The Marina quoted $150 which seems excessive compared to what we pay a bit further south.

Does anyone have a recommendations for a diver?

[Tingum]

$150.00 to clean a 50' boat is a deal. If this is your first boat better prepare yourself for larger future shocks!!

[offline]

Yeah well not my first yacht and we pay $50 for monthly cleanings on a 30 footer just 80 miles south.

Originally Posted by Tingum

$150.00 to clean a 50' boat is a deal. If this is your first boat better prepare yourself for larger future shocks!!

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by offline

Yeah well not my first yacht and we pay $50 for monthly cleanings on a 30 footer just 80 miles south.

I'm in Melbourne, FL and pay $50.00 just to have my two props cleaned. $150.00 really doesn't sound like a bad price for a 50 Ft boat. Figure you're almost twice the length and 50% wider than a 30 footer which does work out to 30 footer x 3 in surface area. Does anyone know the last time the bottom was even done? There could be a marine zoo stuck on there.

Say hello to big boat ownership! Time for a new "Boat Buck" credit card.

[skipmac]

A Gibson 50 is at least 3-4 times the bottom area of a Columbia 8.3. And as pointed out, how long since the bottom was cleaned. Once a month cleaning will probably be a quick wipe. If it's been 6 months there will likely be some serious scraping involved. I think the $150 is not a bad deal at all.

Of course if you don't like the price you could always rent a regulator and tank and do it yourself.

[Rocketman]

I dive my boat every month, it is a 40 ft Mono. It takes me an hour to do a realy good job, If your 50ft Mono has not been cleaned monthly or the bottom paint is not in great shape, I would say that $150.00 is a great price to get it cleaned. It could eaisly take a good diver 3 hours to clean it and at $50.00 bucks per hour for a diver I do not think that it is unreasonable.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Rocketman

It could eaisly take a good diver 3 hours to clean it and at $50.00 bucks per hour for a diver I do not think that it is unreasonable.

3 hours would be about twice as long as it should take an experienced hull cleaner, regardless of fouling state. Further, $3.00/foot is not unreasonable in any case, especially if that's the price for cleaning a scraper. $50 for a 30-footer is dirt cheap. Be glad you were getting away with that price while you did.

[offline]

Thanks all... most of the responses helped. just wasn't sure what was fair.

The boat was done every 90 days by the previous owner.. it shouldn't be too bad, but don't want a dirty hull as we get ready to take that boat south.