Slime before barnacles - a foul question !

[ribbony]

It is almost time to leave our project for a while as we need to work to earn some funds to continue the project next summer (Oz). The hull was antifouled in Janurary 3 thick coats. We have not used the boat apart from a slow chug to and from the jetty. There is a green slime build up on the bottom.

Now the question:
Is it better to remove the green slime so the antifoul is exposed, or leave it there ? Thinking of the long term protection from barnacle attack. Do the barnacles use the slime as a mulch to bed in or would I be cleaning the hull for no reason ?

When I say cleaning, I mean get in the water and swim and diver around with a soft brust or soft scourer and manually remove the slime.

[Boracay]

I checked with one of the diver outfits to see if it would be worthwhile to have the boat scrubbed as opposed to slipped.

I was told that the scrubbing had to be done at least every 3 months in summer. Once the algae gets a grip then the rest follows.

I did leave it 21 months to slip Boracay and harvested a fine crop of fresh mussels.

My wife refused to cook them...

[fstbttms]

Absolutely, more frequent, gentle cleanings are better for your boat (and the environment) than less frequent, more abrasive cleanings. If you let the bottom become foul, not only does it reduce performance both under sail or power (not to mention increased fuel consumption) but cleaning then requires a more abrasive scrubbing than it otherwise would, potentially damaging the paint and certainly removing more of it.

[Robertcateran]

Originally Posted by Boracay

I checked with one of the diver outfits to see if it would be worthwhile to have the boat scrubbed as opposed to slipped.

I was told that the scrubbing had to be done at least every 3 months in summer. Once the algae gets a grip then the rest follows.

I did leave it 21 months to slip Boracay and harvested a fine crop of fresh mussels.

My wife refused to cook them...

Not a good idea to eat mussels off an antifouled surface. They can taint something aweful. Take them off the mooring rope and they taste so much better,
RObert

[CharlieCobra]

I've often wondered about mussels on dock pilings, rocks etc. You would think that eating them off of creosote pilings would be a bad thing too. I think I'll go find some nice clean rocks well away from the marina.

[ribbony]

That makes sense. Better go for a dive before the water gets any colder.

[JiffyLube]

Here in San Diego my diver cleans the bottom basically once a month. I get low quotes from other divers from time to time, because they like how clean it is. They say the cleaner the bottom is the easier it is to clean (makes sense to me), and the easier it is to clean the cheaper they can do the job (makes sense again).

[GMac]

I'd agree with fstbttms - lots of small cleanings seems to be far better than one big one now and again.

Polished my bum only yesterday. Just got 5kts going across and 6.8 on the way home. She didn't look that bad either. Surprising how little it can take sometimes.

I've got a hard anti-fouling which I don't like that much for my race boat. In a panic i grabbed and applied the wrong one, bugger. Soft one next time, better at cleaning on the run.

[ribbony]

We scrubbed the hull today, first we used a home made scrubber made from a flexible electrical conduit with a scouring pad and float taped on the end. From the dinghy we could work the scrubber back and forwards under the hull, the float applies upward pressure to pad, worked great. Then I only had to dive under to do the keel and hard to get to spots arounfd the anodes, shaft and prop.

I did notice that the prop shaft had dramatic build up of barnacles, we thought we antifouled the shaft, but something has happened that we can not explain.

The slime though thick came off without too much effort and the hull looks like it did when we launched it in janurary.

[cooper]

soft ablative anti fouls dont do well on high speed anything ,shafts included. They simply "ablate at a rate". If you are going to anti foul shafts and props pinch some hard "power boat type" from some one else. . You will only need a couple of brush strokes worth. I have found scrubbing can be a double edged sword. Yes itdoes clean the crap off and expose fresh anti foul but if you happen to scrub through anywhere early in the season you are going to get barneys and not slime. The barneys in turn will take paint off when it comes haul out. Soft type ablative is VERY soft. I use jotun "super tropic" but have had reports that another brand in the same situation as me has done three years at way less cost. Just tied to do a google to jog my memory of the brand name but no luck. I get 2 years before barneys but not slime. Rember there is a huge difference between a boat that is doing miles and one in a pen. Water flow will keep the bottom cleaner but will also strip the anti foul faster. When painting put extra on the leading and trailing edges. If you are going to take the bottom ( i do it all the time when pulling up to steep too banks) and occasionally by accident. You are going to strip it off in one go.

Finally as a person with not a huge amount of body fat i have found diving in cold water very hard to take. A short time ago I borrowed a wet suit with hood out of necessity. I now own one.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by ribbony

I did notice that the prop shaft had dramatic build up of barnacles, we thought we antifouled the shaft, but something has happened that we can not explain.

Painting the running gear is generally an exercise in futility, regardless of the type of anti fouling used. These coatings are not designed to stand up to the high wear caused by very rapid spinning through water. It is likely that the paint on your prop shaft has simply flaked or worn off.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by cooper

A short time ago I borrowed a wet suit with hood out of necessity. I now own one.

Regardless of water temperature, you should never clean a hull without wearing a hood. The fouling organisims and other stuff you are removing from the boat bottom will find a good home in your ears. While they may like it, I assure you, you will not.

[ribbony]

I was resisting becoming a Hoodie, that is the teenage image at the moment, I'm 50+. But, I do not like the thought of crabs living in the ear canals, I have often been told by my wife that I am already hard of hearing

I am also built like a stick and though I can last 15min in the cold water to get some work done, I shiver and shake afterwards for 30min. This also happens after long hard XC Ski races, regardless of how warm the day is, I have to take a big jacket and while everyone else is chatting in Lycra, I am shaking in a Fleece and Parker, a weird metabolism.

[GMac]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Regardless of water temperature, you should never clean a hull without wearing a hood. The fouling organisims and other stuff you are removing from the boat bottom will find a good home in your ears. While they may like it, I assure you, you will not.

Mate, I'll agree 100% with you on that. Last year I jumped over and scrubbed the bottom of a 50fter before a 1200ml trip, growth is slow and I hate slow when it doesn't need to be. It was the 1st time the bottom was scrubbed after a fresh anti-foul. Only slime so came off easily but by the time I hopped out I though I was going to clock-off. Had to ly down and felt like I'd just sculled 6 bottles of rum. I was out for 24hrs odd. It was seriously yucky and could only have been the anti-fouling I was swimming in. I won't be doing that again just in a pair of shorts.

Mr Cooper Sir, Shall I take umbrage that you were maybe of the thought I'd be seen dead in a fizzy nasty? Actually I can be but it's the race official boat so a yacht by proxy

[cooper]

Much relieved Mr Gmac.....did you try and send me a lon and lat ?