DIY clean hull without diving

[nybor]

Hi. My Catalina 350 came with Micron 66 ablative painted bottom and over the years have kept it up. However, I don't sail it as much as I should and don't want the hard bottom scraper divers take all of it off. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to do it "carefully"? I was thinking of taking my slip garden hose underwater and try to mimic sailing in rough seas!


thanks in advance. this Forum is so informative.


dave
NYBOR (Robyn spelled backwards)

[ejjawhite]

Yeah, I doubt garden hose pressure will do much in removing hard growth. However, a pressure washer ( around $80-100) from Harbor Freight with a wide angle nozzle may do he trick. It probably won’t remove slime, but should remove harder growth and moss etc.
They usually come with an table nozzle and a 50’ hose. You’ll need a 110v power supply and don’t let it fall in the water while anyone is.

[sailingabe41ds]

Originally Posted by Lihuedooley77

An easy idea. Call SCUBA SCRUBERS, or similar company, have them come out on a scheduled basis. Might depend on the area and water and weather conditions.

Scubba Scrubers, with their dive tanks do the labor, you Kick back, have a rum, and plan your next sailing adventure . Invite your favorite dock bunny down to keep you company. Enjoy the day, and know the job is in the hands of a professional.

I have not cleaned the bottom, but I have polished out the hull above the water line and topsides by hand. No buffer. That is plenty of dedicated effort.....

End game after finishing up :

head to the dockside restaurant for a reward late lunch , libation, and talk story.
You flat earned it, big time.

Yep...that is the way I do it in Ventura. Except kick back with margaritas instead of rum.

abe

[SaltyMetals]

I have wondered about this procedure. Surely with an ablative anti-foul you are reducing the effective life of the antifoul if you mechanically brush/scrape off some of it using a diver? With 3 coats mine (International Micron 350) is supposed to last 3 years but i doubt it would last that long if i got a diver every 6 months to clean the bottom.
Andrew

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by SaltyMetals

I have wondered about this procedure. Surely with an ablative anti-foul you are reducing the effective life of the antifoul if you mechanically brush/scrape off some of it using a diver? With 3 coats mine (International Micron 350) is supposed to last 3 years but i doubt it would last that long if i got a diver every 6 months to clean the bottom.
Andrew

The idea with ablative is to clean as gently as you can so that you cause minimal wear to the paint. And not all ablatives are equal, some are harder than others, so some wear off more easily than others. Personally, I clean my waterline slime with a microfiber car wash sponge. Removes the slime just fine and doesn't seem to wear off any noticeable paint.