Barnacles - More Good Than Harm?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Sandydog

You need to have the bottom cleaned regularly, If you do so, the barnacles will not attach because there is no algae on the hull to feed them.

Barnacles dont eat algae. They are filter feeders that feed on plankton and other small water borne critters.


https://www.whoi.edu/science/B/peopl...Barnacles.html

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25

Using a wide drywall spackling trowel is past and easy at or just below. the waterline.
Remove them while you can. A T-shirt over wetsuit, goggles, and fins are best to help.
A 1/2 in.line from pushpit to pulpit above the waterline is good for a rest.

If you strike the barnie shell sharly w the edge of the spatual at an angle roughly parallel to the hull then it will usually pop off. It will leave a thin layer of shell adhered but the rest will just pop off. That eliminates the drag anyway. Getting the remainder off takes more powerful mechanical action.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Gaia

If possible move the boat up river some place where the water is fresh for awhile and they might fall off.

Once barnacles are attached, they will not simply "fall off", alive or dead. They must be physically removed.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by GeneM

I've switched to a hard paint, which is still a little ablative. I use Pettit Trinidad.

There is nothing the least bit ablative about Trinidad.

[geoff3nebel]

It is very, very important to remove the hard base of what seems to be cement with which the barnacle attaches itself - it contains something (can’t recall what - a hormone?) that attracts barnacle spat to colonise the bottom of your boat

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by geoff3nebel

It is very, very important to remove the hard base of what seems to be cement with which the barnacle attaches itself - it contains something (can’t recall what - a hormone?) that attracts barnacle spat to colonise the bottom of your boat

Do not careen your boat on your own mooring or in your own slip. Use someone else's

[DHHerndon]

A few barnacles on your propeller will slow you down more than many barnacles on your hull, so make sure that you at least keep the barnacles off the prop.

[rick bertram]

Why even ask the question. Barnacles are a problem period. If you can’t afford to properly care for your boat it’s best not to buy one. Marinas are full of boats that aren’t cared for or used for what ever reasons.

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Barnacles dont eat algae. They are filter feeders that feed on plankton and other small water borne critters.

While this is exactly true, it is also true that barnacles will not attach to a truly clean surface. The larvae swim about look for the chemical "smell" of particular kinds of algae to identify a surface to attach to that will be most likely to make a good "forever home." Kind of important when you only get one chance to pick your spot! This is one reason why boat bottoms that are regularly and frequently cleaned of "slime" are significantly less attractive to barnacles.

If you had a paint surface that 100% eliminated any plant growth, you'd have no barnacles even if it was non-toxic to the nasty critters.

Barnacles are weird creatures. Closer to shrimp than clams. Unlike most sessile marine animals, they never figured out how to broadcast their gametes, so to successfully reproduce they NEED to be in close physical proximity to potential mates. Because of this, they have the longest (relative to body size) penis of any animal. Useful cocktail party fact. Charles Darwin was fascinated by them, and was a respected expert before he published anything on evolution.

[mglonnro]

Our rudder after last season.



Barnacles suck.

[JOHNMARDALL]

If you're going to leave the boat in the water without an annual haul, don't forget your shaft zinc - if it wears out your prop could be severely damaged, thereby offsetting any savings made by not hauling. You're right that a boat can be sitting through good sailing weather waiting in line for the travel lift, but if your local conditions are such that you can stay in the water during winter, you may want to consider a quick in and out in mid summer, when your yard's travel lift is not busy and it's too hot to really enjoy sailing.

Good luck
John Mardall
for Vetus Maxwell Boat Equipment

[Lightwave99]

I cannot imagine choosing to leave barnacles on your boat! Eventually, your boat will be useless. One solution to barnacles is to leave your boat in fresh water for a period of time. Don't know if you have any rivers down there you can run your boat up until they eventually become mostly fresh water. Also, as a prior post says, if you've got barnacles the bottom paint isn't doing any good anyway! Caring for your boat requires bottom maintenance. Otherwise, you will have wasted your money and you will cut short your time of enjoying it. Good luck!

[Briggers]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

If you could find a good way to do it in the water, you could probably grind the barnacles down instead of scraping them off. It would probably take a good bit of time, but wouldn't remove the paint.

If it’s only on the waterline, you could find a suitable mooring where you have leeway either side, just take a hallieard secure it to a bollard about 50’ from the side of the boat and crank it in. It won’t take much to expose the waterline.

Doing it this way you can get rid of the barnacles and touch up the paint at the same time.

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

You could possibly careen it on a beach a bit an repaint the waterline areas. Seahawk Monterey dries very fast and is water based. Don't do it on a weekend!

As soon as I saw "centerboard," I had the same thought. Of course, its assuming the OP is in somewhere with enough tides. Doesnt work in the tropics with a 2 foot tide.

Why not on a weekend, though?

[nofacey]

Don’t over think it, just scrape ‘em

Suction cup handles (2 rubber suction cups on a single plastic handle) and a large plastic drywall spreader are very useful when scraping. Goes quick if you redo every 2 weeks. Pay special attention to your prop...a few barnacles really hurts motoring speed.

If you’re too far behind the curve, check to see if there are tidal grids in your area....there’s still a few gov’t docks in B.C. set up for this. Of course you’ll need a big tide to get on, have good working time, and get off (always a good idea to have the second tide being higher

Very common issue for tropical cruisers wanting to keep hull speed up....keeping your bottom clean is a basic