Holy Arthropods Batman, We Have Barnacles

[svmariane]

Originally Posted by boatman61

On the run from Panama to Nuku Hiva we picked up a load of barnacles... can't remember the type but they looked like pink and mauve flowers hanging of the hull from midships aft... had to use a knife to clear them as a scraper would just slip over the stems.
3ft deep band of the buga's at the stern.. and no way was I going in the water with Tiger sharks prowling the anchorage...

For longer passages, we picked up this trick: thin-ish floating line tied as far forward as possible and dragging alongside the leeward edge. Leave it out for, oh, no more than than an hour. (More than that and you'll start wearing away the paint/hull...} Wave/hull interaction bounces the line alongside and knocks off gooseneck barnacles and whatnot before they get a solid grip - especially the above waterline hull that ends up below waterline for days on end.

We did this on passage from Mexico/NZ, using 3/8 line - worked a treat and we were clean along the sides. BUT, it doesn't get ALL the way under the stern. Dinghy and metal putty knife on a stick for that part. Tough guys, those goosenecks...

[kentobin]

Unless your spatula floats don't forget to put a wrist strap on it. Also wear gloves or you may end up with some missing skin.

[Hud3]

Robyn,

You're wise to worry about what gets in your ears while hull scraping. You can end up with a bad case of "swimmers ear". That happened to me. Try rinsing them out with 50:50 isoproply alcohol and white vinegar. My doctor recommended that to me, and it works. I kept a solution in a squeeze bottle with a spout, which made it easy to do.

[SmartMove]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I stand corrected. Do not. I jumped to imagine they grew above your waterline. (That's wehere we got our - COLONIES, not single units).

I am surprised you got barnacles over 66. Are they of the goosneck brand?

I am asking as we got plenty of barnacles over Hempel (Mille) Dynamic, but none over 66. We painted 4 layers, 7 in the much light/much wash areas. But, being in different oceans, it is so hard to compare anything.

Cheers,
b.

Hi B,

I thought you might find this info interesting, maybe helpful.

I just heard back from Island Marine in Puerto Rico (they did our bottom paint). Ken reminded me that after the bottom was done we had the boat hauled twice. The first time was two months later after an embarrassing incident involving a concrete dock, we were out of the water about ten days -- please remember boys and girls, never go faster into your slip than you want to hit the dock! The second time, it was hauled for three months while we went home for the births of two new grandsons. Anyway, Ken is wondering if that hasn't had an effect on the performance of the paint, because his experience is that what is happening is unusual.

Hope that info helps.

Robyn

[SmartMove]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Robyn,

You're wise to worry about what gets in your ears while hull scraping. You can end up with a bad case of "swimmers ear". That happened to me. Try rinsing them out with 50:50 isoproply alcohol and white vinegar. My doctor recommended that to me, and it works. I kept a solution in a squeeze bottle with a spout, which made it easy to do.

I read somewhere, years ago, I can't remember where, about rinsing your ears with vinegar. Thanks for the reminder.

Robyn

[SmartMove]

Originally Posted by SmartMove

I had two surprises: first was the (little, well tiny really) crab that jumped out as I was scraping the stern and is now residing on top of the lip on the stern ... It looks like I also have (what look like) a few tiny anemones starting to sprout on the same lip the crab is on -- I will have to investigate further.

So this morning I have six little crabs hanging out on the lip at the stern. Looks like we have started a crab nursery!

[Cheechako]

Never had bottom paint that worked good on the Atlantic/Caribe side...(Annapolis to Trini) other than the US banned stuff avail in Trini. It actually worked! Pacific seems much slower growth for some reason. (mexi and north)
Most of the paints seem to kill the barnacles eventually, but what's the point if they are 3/8" diameter and stuck to the hull dead anyway?
The black Dutch "submarine paint" from Trini kept them from growing there at all.