Herrington Harbor North-bottom cleaning

[rognvald]

Looking for a reliable diver to clean the bottom monthly on a CT56 at Herrington Harbor North-Maryland. Any recommendations? Thanks, Rognvald

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Looking for a reliable diver to clean the bottom monthly on a CT56 at Herrington Harbor North-Maryland. Any recommendations? Thanks, Rognvald

Have you called the marina to get recommendations? First, they may have insurance requirements that not all divers in the area are willing to meet, and second if there is a diver who is there a lot they may be cheaper as they don't have to travel/suit up just for you.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Have you called the marina to get recommendations? First, they may have insurance requirements that not all divers in the area are willing to meet, and second if there is a diver who is there a lot they may be cheaper as they don't have to travel/suit up just for you.

Hi, Suijin,
This is not my boat but a friend's who was told by the marina that they do not allow bottom cleaning at the marina due to liabilities issues, specifically electrocution. He needs to have the bottom cleaned monthly and wonders what other boaters in the area do in re: this service. Best, R

[bensolomon]

I use a scotch bride pad on a painters pole. Or....when it is calm, anchor in 8 feet or so of water and put on the snorkel mask and fins. Rock hall, md.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Hi, Suijin,
This is not my boat but a friend's who was told by the marina that they do not allow bottom cleaning at the marina due to liabilities issues, specifically electrocution. He needs to have the bottom cleaned monthly and wonders what other boaters in the area do in re: this service. Best, R

Wow, usually they allow divers who have high enough insurance coverage. Even in Annapolis pretty much every marina lets a good number of diving contractors clean boats. There is only one marina with ridiculous insurance requirements.

Tell him to give Rockhold Creek Marina a call and talk to John (the owner). They are about a 3 minute motor right up the creek from HHN. It's a pretty down and dirty marina and I'm not sure what the depth is up there. At the very least John would have some advice.

[TheOffice]

Anne Arundel Dive Services, but I think the water is still too cold.

[nickfox45]

I've also heard good things about Anne Arundel Dive Services, both in quality of work and price, but haven't used them myself.

[LouK]

I keep my boat a little further north at Whitehall Marina (lovely place) & a number of us use Patrick McMahon, Diver for Hire, 410-271-0340. Patrick does good work, charges fairly, is responsive & has proven to be a lifesaver at times. Give him a shout!

Lou
O'Day 34

[Deltasailor]

Pardon my ignorance but why do you need divers to clean the hull? Surely you lift the boats once a year, apply anti fouling paint (takes about 1 hour per cote for a 37') and your good for a year or so. Please advise!

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Deltasailor

Pardon my ignorance but why do you need divers to clean the hull? Surely you lift the boats once a year, apply anti fouling paint (takes about 1 hour per cote for a 37') and your good for a year or so. Please advise!

Hmmm, I'd rather have a diver to the boat a couple of times a year and haulout and repaint every few years and save a ton of money and time.

On top of that, fouling in the Chesapeake can be really bad, relatively speaking. Brackish water, lots of critters. Quite a few boaters here have their bottoms cleaned monthly so it does not get out of control.

[rogern]

Sally Morris and husband Robert run Blue Planet Dive Services out of Shady Side. I met them more than 10 years ago, and though no longer long term at HHN, have remained friends. Professional and friendly, I think you'll be pleased with them. FWIW, I seldom offer this kind of recommendation out of fear that it won't go well, but I have no such fears with them.

You will have to get your boat out of HHN, but think they'll meet you on the hook by prearrangement. At least they used to...
Find them on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/Blue-Planet...1988805505403/

Cheers, and
Tell Sally Roger says hi!

[rognvald]

Thanks everyone for your informative responses. I have passed this information along to my friend who is very appreciative. I still find it "interesting" that HH does not allow bottom cleaning in their marina. This is the first marina I've heard in the last 30 years that does not allow this service. However, it looks like a very nice place. Good luck and safe sailing.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Deltasailor

Pardon my ignorance but why do you need divers to clean the hull? Surely you lift the boats once a year, apply anti fouling paint (takes about 1 hour per cote for a 37') and your good for a year or so. Please advise!

Pardon my ignorance, but why do you need to paint annually?

[Bill O]

In Maryland if you are a "Certified Clean Marina" technically you aren't allowed to clean the bottoms in the water. While people do hire divers to come in, if they get caught, the marina could lose it certification. Also if there marina's electrical system wasn't up to snuff or neighboring docked boats had current leaks, you wouldn't catch me jumping in the water in the marina.

We use a Dri-diver on our hard bottom paint and it works well. Still need to dive on the prop every couple of weeks, but the Dri-diver works really well and relatively easy to do a quick hull scrub. We did a short haul last year to do some minor work and the bottom still looked good after 4 years. Fewer full haul outs, saves a ton of money and prevents excessive build up of bottom paint on the hull.

Obviously the Dri-diver wouldn't work well on an ablative bottom paint.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bill O

In Maryland if you are a "Certified Clean Marina" technically you aren't allowed to clean the bottoms in the water. While people do hire divers to come in, if they get caught, the marina could lose it certification.

Well, that just simply isn't true. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of bad information continually passed around about in-water hull cleaning, even by those who live in the area being discussed.

From the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook:

In order to maintain maximum performance and to stretch the time between haul-outs, some boaters hire professional divers (or dive themselves) to clean their hulls while their boats are in the water. If done properly, underwater hull cleaning removes marine growth and a minimal amount of antifouling paint.

The following tips for divers, boatyard and marina operators, and boaters are intended to guide decisions about hull treatment and maintenance. By working together, we can minimize the pollution problems associated with underwater hull cleaning.

Best Management Practices for Divers
• Clean gently to avoid creating a plume or cloud of paint in the water.