Cleaning dinghy

[dlewis812]

Suggestions on what to use to clean the bottom of an inflatable (barnacles). Guy at WM advised "on&off" hull cleaner. In reading the labels this sounds a bit hard core PVC?

Want to clean well enough to paint the bottom so hopefully won't have this issue next season.

 

[zeehag]

i use a plastic scraper and go to town , being careful not to pop the dink. is easy and not fun. is a good idea to pain the bottom of dink with bottom paint for inflatables --is a bottom paint for these boats. i used to use it. now i just keep boat out of water most of time.
scrape with the seam not across it, and donot grab the seams and oarlocks etc with the plastic scraper. goood luck.

 

[cbsailor]

I used the scraper method when I first traveled to FL. I had not painted my dinghy with antifoul and the barnacles grew very quickly. Cleaning every week became a time consuming PITA chore. I saw other cruisers having to clean dinghies that were painted, so I finally gave in and installed davits to keep the dink out of the water except when in use.

Old time cruisers swore by the use of muratic acid to remove the barnacles and the residue left behind when you scrape them off. I never did try it. Seemed too extreme for me.

 

[med2463]

Suggestions on what to use to clean the bottom of an inflatable (barnacles). Guy at WM advised "on&off" hull cleaner. In reading the labels this sounds a bit hard core PVC?

Want to clean well enough to paint the bottom so hopefully won't have this issue next season.

I subscribed to this thread. Hope you (and I) learn the secret. When I do leave my dingy in the waterI flip it on the beach and rub the bottom with one of those pot scrubber sponge things. Takes off the baby barnacles great. Grown up barnacles, more than 5 days old don't come off so easily.