How hard is it to replace a prop annode while the boat is in the water?

[kodiak1120]

I'm a new boat owner. Bought a Beneteau 37 (2009). I didn't realize it initially but the survey report says the prop annode should be replaced. Long story but I called a dive company in the area and scheduled to have it done. The problem is my marina won't let them do the work without $2 million of insurance... They have $1 million. I cannot find another company to do the work locally. Only other option is to have boat hauled, which would cost $480, as opposed to $200 for the diver.

How hard would it be to do it myself?

 

[dLj]

Do you have scuba tanks? Are you well versed in skin diving? Do you have all the needed gear to work under water? At either a scuba or skin diving level.

It's not difficult in itself. But there is a bit surrounding doing it that makes it a bit more complicated. I'd have no problem doing this but I also dive.

dj

 

[Head Sail]

Maybe just have your yard do a short haul out. Half price they just lift the boat and you replace the zinc then the boat is launched again.

 

[Johnb]

Find a diver who is already performing services there. The marina should be able to give you a reference.

Take the boat to a dock where the diver you have found is performing services.

In the long term this needs to be solved because regular cleaning is an ongoing requirement.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Maybe just have your yard do a short haul out. Half price they just lift the boat and you replace the zinc then the boat is launched again.

Same here .............. called a half haul for half the price. You get half an hour in the slings and then the boat goes back in. Use it every year for the annual inspection of the underside and anode inspection. Any problems come up, you have it fully hauled and placed on stands fro the repairs to be done.

Only other option is to have boat hauled, which would cost $480

If your works yard doesn't offer half haulouts, I'd look elsewhere. I bottom paint every 6-7 years so most of my haulouts are for inspections only.

 

[Head Sail]

I bottom paint every 6-7 years so most of my haulouts are for inspections only.

Wow that's pretty good. What bottom paint?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Disclaimer: Behaves well in our waters here. May act as fish food in your waters.

IMHO, the most critical thing about applying this paint is to use two coats. Prior to this, I was a Micron CSC fan at more than double the price. Always a single coat and then watched for the black warning coat to appear every two years. The manager of our (now defunct) Waste Marine advised two coats of CPP and the rest is history.

 

[Parsons]

The problem is my marina won't let them do the work without $2 million of insurance... They have $1 million. I cannot find another company to do the work locally.

This may be more of a problem than just the one-time charges. Chesapeake Bay means that you will need to clean the bottom periodically, perhaps not monthly like we Floridians, but certainly a few times a year.

Normally, marine vendors in an area work together on requirements so everyone has the same expectations on work permits, insurance, licenses, whatever. One of your vendors is probably out-of-step with the local expectations, and could probably be challenged. In the end, both vendors work for you (and the hundred other boaters in the area), so collectively you should request they play nicely together.

 

[Dr. D]

A few days ago I had a diver clean the bottom. She arrived at my slip, we loaded her gear in the boat, pulled out into the creek, anchored, and she went over the side. While she was underwater, another sailboat anchored a few boat lengths away and a guy on a PWC motored to that boat, tied up, then put on a scuba tank and started cleaning their bottom.

The marina can say what happens in the marina water proper, but once your boat is out of the fairway, they have no say in what you do.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Did the survey say what percent of the anode was left or anything else about its condition other than needing replacement? In our relatively fresh northern Chesapeake waters our zinc basically didn’t erode. We switched to aluminum and now lose about 10% per year. Not sure if your location is much worse, but if not then as long as you’ve got a decent amount left you might be able to make it to the winter.

You could also consider a “fish” style anode that you throw overboard and connect with a wire to ground. Not nearly as convenient but could get you through the season.

If you have a bow thruster that has 2 more anodes too, so you could consider changing them all at once.

Changing them on the hard is trivially easy. I’ve never tried it in the water. Maybe @fstbttms could provide some suggestions on how to manage the marina’s requirements too.

 

[kodiak1120]

A few days ago I had a diver clean the bottom. She arrived at my slip, we loaded her gear in the boat, pulled out into the creek, anchored, and she went over the side. While she was underwater, another sailboat anchored a few boat lengths away and a guy on a PWC motored to that boat, tied up, then put on a scuba tank and started cleaning their bottom.

The marina can say what happens in the marina water proper, but once your boat is out of the fairway, they have no say in what you do.

That's a good point. Maybe I'll just do that.

 

[fstbttms]

I bottom paint every 6-7 years so most of my haulouts are for inspections only.

Wow that's pretty good. What bottom paint?

It's more than pretty good. It's impossible. There is no bottom paint you can buy that provides 6 or 7 years of anti fouling.

 

[fstbttms]

Maybe @fstbttms could provide some suggestions on how to manage the marina’s requirements too.

I've been advising kodiac1120 in our "Hull Divers For Hire" Facebook group. His marina's vendor insurance requirements are completely unreasonable and based on their quote of $500 to do a haul and hang to replace his prop anode, it's easy to see why. Divers provide a necessary service for much less than the yard does. In any event, I told him to consider taking his boat to a nearby marina that will allow a hull cleaner to work.

 

[sail sfbay]

.............How hard would it be to do it myself?

No big deal if you have the diving skills, equipment and anode tools. Do an internet search on "replacing sailboat propeller anodes" and you will see plenty of instructional videos.

 

[seadaddler]

What I do is I have a dive tank and 40’ hose with mask and I add 2 shaft Zincs on my shaft at all times not that hard and comes in handy when out cruising and anchored I go under my boat often to check things out.
Or get list from marina of who is allowed to clean bottoms in your marina.

 

[sail sfbay]

..........Or get list from marina of who is allowed to clean bottoms in your marina.

Ditto!!

 

[thinwater]

View attachment 197359

Disclaimer: Behaves well in our waters here. May act as fish food in your waters.

IMHO, the most critical thing about applying this paint is to use two coats. Prior to this, I was a Micron CSC fan at more than double the price. Always a single coat and then watched for the black warning coat to appear every two years. The manager of our (now defunct) Waste Marine advised two coats of CPP and the rest is history.

That's a single-season paint in most places, even with 2-3 coats. 8 months is realistic.

 

[fstbttms]

...get list from marina of who is allowed to clean bottoms in your marina.

Ditto!!

You guys don't get it. He has contacted multiple dive services, some of them amongst the most reputable and well-established in the Baltimore area. The marina is asking for quadruple the amount of liability insurance typically required for service providers. And workers comp on top of that, even for one-man bands. NOBODY is going to carry that much insurance.

The answer is very simple- Take the boat to one of the four or five neighboring marinas, park at the guest dock while he has lunch nearby and when he comes back, the job will have been done.

 

[Benny17441]

There has to be an approved diver for that marina, just ask around. If not talk to your diver and find out where they allow him to work and will allow you to tie up for an hour or less while he does the work.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

It's more than pretty good. It's impossible. There is no bottom paint you can buy that provides 6 or 7 years of anti fouling.

In your opinion, whatever that's worth.

Check my invoices from July 03, 2014 to May 01, 2019. The big 2013 invoice for bottom painting could not be found. All half lifts with the exception of the last one (May 01, 2019) which showed a full haul out for the bottom painting plus compounding the exposed hull.

Many variables affect the life expectancy of bottom paint. My hull is covered with only a light film of slime at each half haul out. Here is a picture of the 2021 haul out:

It is not cleaned in the water between haul outs and can't say I've ever heard of anyone around here needing periodic cleaning in the water.

That's a single-season paint in most places, even with 2-3 coats. 8 months is realistic.

How do you dream up this rubbish ? Yes, it's a single season paint in MOST places like every other paint. But not in this area. And "8 months is realistic". Give your head a shake. Hauling every 8 months ?

Listen carefully "THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A BOTTOM PAINT DEPENDS ON LOCATION". And the Pacific Northwest seems to be a great location for copper based ablative bottom paint.