Hello, I've been a certified Scuba Diver for some time now and was looking into making some extra money this year by cleaning sailboat hulls and keels. I've never done this although I've talked to a few people who have. I have a couple questions that I would really appreciate if I can get your feedback on. Do you clean your own hull or hire someone (is the boat kept in the water or do you haul it out?)? How much do you pay for this service? I would love to talk to somebody who does this or has done this before. I have a lot of questions and would appreciate any help I can get. Cheers!
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In Puget Sound I don't think it is common
to dive the hull for cleaning. I use a long handled brush thing to get the slime off and I have seen others on my 60 boat dock having the same gizmo. Doesn't seem like there is any hard growth if you haul out and repaint every 2-3 years, which most owners I known do. I do pay a diver $100 every six months to replace the prop shaft zincs.
to dive the hull for cleaning. I use a long handled brush thing to get the slime off and I have seen others on my 60 boat dock having the same gizmo. Doesn't seem like there is any hard growth if you haul out and repaint every 2-3 years, which most owners I known do. I do pay a diver $100 every six months to replace the prop shaft zincs.
Must be a water temp issue...
If my boat sits for a month in the slip - in 65 to 70 degree water - it has a fine coating of growth. I pay a diver $37 a month to clean the bottom, as does most everybody else. It is work - my wife tried it once while we were anchored out and doesn't object to paying the diver - and the marina water isn't the best around. Cheers, Bob s/v X SAIL R 8
If my boat sits for a month in the slip - in 65 to 70 degree water - it has a fine coating of growth. I pay a diver $37 a month to clean the bottom, as does most everybody else. It is work - my wife tried it once while we were anchored out and doesn't object to paying the diver - and the marina water isn't the best around. Cheers, Bob s/v X SAIL R 8
Yep, warmer water...
means more growth. We typically have our bottom cleaned every 3 months by diver. Lots of barnacles down here in the panhandle of Florida. Clean and scrape where necessary, clean prop and shaft, check/replace zincs on 35 ft. boat runs $100 with me supplying zincs. Try to do my own work in summer, but worth it when water cools off in winter. Fair amount of work in "nasty" water conditions, have to be very careful not to damage boat, thru hulls, transducers, etc.
means more growth. We typically have our bottom cleaned every 3 months by diver. Lots of barnacles down here in the panhandle of Florida. Clean and scrape where necessary, clean prop and shaft, check/replace zincs on 35 ft. boat runs $100 with me supplying zincs. Try to do my own work in summer, but worth it when water cools off in winter. Fair amount of work in "nasty" water conditions, have to be very careful not to damage boat, thru hulls, transducers, etc.
Even down here at 33 degrees north the water
is cold ! Boats stay in year round, between $35 to $40 a month for a 30 Ft. boat for the diver to clean. It's a tough job, when the admiral gave permission for purchase of our current boat one of the conditions was that I admit I was too old to dive on my own boat anymore, worked for me. I hated cleaning boat bottoms.
is cold ! Boats stay in year round, between $35 to $40 a month for a 30 Ft. boat for the diver to clean. It's a tough job, when the admiral gave permission for purchase of our current boat one of the conditions was that I admit I was too old to dive on my own boat anymore, worked for me. I hated cleaning boat bottoms.
seattle scrubbing
Hi Yurly, Lots of owner's out at Shilshole Marina in Seattle have monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly dive service scrubbing at the dock to prolong time between haul outs. There are a few big companies doing it, and lots of single proprieter entrepreneurial types; most get business by word of mouth, or leaving their business cards on the corkboard at the foot of the docks. I think it's illegal to scrub if you have ablative paint. Good luck.
Hi Yurly, Lots of owner's out at Shilshole Marina in Seattle have monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly dive service scrubbing at the dock to prolong time between haul outs. There are a few big companies doing it, and lots of single proprieter entrepreneurial types; most get business by word of mouth, or leaving their business cards on the corkboard at the foot of the docks. I think it's illegal to scrub if you have ablative paint. Good luck.
Would like to...
the same thing in New Bern, N.C. Been diving for over 15 years. Clean my own boats bottom about 2 times a season here in N.J. Any prices for the N.C. area?
the same thing in New Bern, N.C. Been diving for over 15 years. Clean my own boats bottom about 2 times a season here in N.J. Any prices for the N.C. area?
Chesapeake Bay
I have a hard vinyl Baltoplate racing finish so I'd scrub it every month or so, never more than six weeks or you will get barnacles on the shaft and prop. With the hard paints you can use a failrly aggressive grille scrubber; with ablative paint a soft bristle brush would be as much as you need so as not to remove all the paint. It takes me at least an hour, and I'm getting to the point I don't want to be in that foul water. I wouldn't pay $100; 35-$40 that sounds good, and a diver should be able to do it in less than a half hour.
I have a hard vinyl Baltoplate racing finish so I'd scrub it every month or so, never more than six weeks or you will get barnacles on the shaft and prop. With the hard paints you can use a failrly aggressive grille scrubber; with ablative paint a soft bristle brush would be as much as you need so as not to remove all the paint. It takes me at least an hour, and I'm getting to the point I don't want to be in that foul water. I wouldn't pay $100; 35-$40 that sounds good, and a diver should be able to do it in less than a half hour.
Remora
I know this is tangent, but if a Roomba can vacuum a room by itself, would there be a market for a small device that would vacuum the hull like a remora does a shark? Assuming no bottom painting, owned by a group or club, and break even on price in how many year(s)? Yuriy needs your response more than i do, so please answer his question first if you want to comment on this hare brained scheme. I'm too busy to do this, but we have the technology already. The engineering would take a little while, but think of all the boats sitting in the brine. How many of us drive thru a car wash now, rather than get out the bucket every weekend like when we had to do our parents cars? Yuriy, I'm a trailer sailor, so no data for you, but you are welcome to use Remora in the name of your new business.
I know this is tangent, but if a Roomba can vacuum a room by itself, would there be a market for a small device that would vacuum the hull like a remora does a shark? Assuming no bottom painting, owned by a group or club, and break even on price in how many year(s)? Yuriy needs your response more than i do, so please answer his question first if you want to comment on this hare brained scheme. I'm too busy to do this, but we have the technology already. The engineering would take a little while, but think of all the boats sitting in the brine. How many of us drive thru a car wash now, rather than get out the bucket every weekend like when we had to do our parents cars? Yuriy, I'm a trailer sailor, so no data for you, but you are welcome to use Remora in the name of your new business.
Need a motivated girfriend.
Heard from a reliable source in the Caribbean years ago that this fellow had a girlfriend that would clean the bottom of his boat. She did not know how to swim so he would outfit her with a weight belt a diving mask and a scrubber tie a line around her waist let her in the water and pull her back-up every two minutes. He would repeat the operation until the bottom was cleaned or his arms became sore. Now that is true love.
Heard from a reliable source in the Caribbean years ago that this fellow had a girlfriend that would clean the bottom of his boat. She did not know how to swim so he would outfit her with a weight belt a diving mask and a scrubber tie a line around her waist let her in the water and pull her back-up every two minutes. He would repeat the operation until the bottom was cleaned or his arms became sore. Now that is true love.
SoCal Bottom Cleaning
In Marina del Rey and Long Beach I believe about two-thirds of the boats had divers. The typical service is about a dollar / foot to one and a half. The bottom is cleaned monthly and when the bottom gets two to four years old, twice during the summer. Most divers also check zincs and replace them as needed. The typical cleaning agent is old carpet for hulls in decent condition and 3M pads for the shaft and prop. Others are 3M pads when the bottom is bad. You do well as a diver in winter when there is little growth and less so in the summer when there is more. Good luck. It's all about price-competitiveness, reliability, relationships and expanding the business into related products and scope. Rick D.
In Marina del Rey and Long Beach I believe about two-thirds of the boats had divers. The typical service is about a dollar / foot to one and a half. The bottom is cleaned monthly and when the bottom gets two to four years old, twice during the summer. Most divers also check zincs and replace them as needed. The typical cleaning agent is old carpet for hulls in decent condition and 3M pads for the shaft and prop. Others are 3M pads when the bottom is bad. You do well as a diver in winter when there is little growth and less so in the summer when there is more. Good luck. It's all about price-competitiveness, reliability, relationships and expanding the business into related products and scope. Rick D.
I....
...dive my bottom just about every week all season long starting in late May. There is never any real build up of anything. Just a slight slippery film of slime. I do it without tanks and it usually takes me about 30 minutes. I wipe down with a natural sponge which takes off the slim and hardly touches the ablative. If I let it go 2 weeks I can loose nearly a knot of boat speed, but it also takes longer to wipe down aswel
...dive my bottom just about every week all season long starting in late May. There is never any real build up of anything. Just a slight slippery film of slime. I do it without tanks and it usually takes me about 30 minutes. I wipe down with a natural sponge which takes off the slim and hardly touches the ablative. If I let it go 2 weeks I can loose nearly a knot of boat speed, but it also takes longer to wipe down aswel
Yuriy...
....call around to a few dive services in your area... see what the rate is and ask about hiring on so you can get trained and adjusted to the business. After a while you can start developing your own clients... in the meantime you can get some experience.. being able to dive is the easiest part of the job... it's not like you're going deeper than 10 feet. The skill is in inspecting the hull and prolonging the life of the existing paint. Understanding electrolysis, servicing outdrives and props, changing zincs, and other services are part of the business. The going rate around here for the independent divers is about $1.00/foot for basic hull cleaning on a regular basis. Takes about 1/2 hour. First time service on a dirty hull will be at least twice that. I have mine done every month in winter, every 3 weeks in summer. Commercial companies charge a bit more for their services but they are reliable. The guy I have now is great... Marty's Dive service here in San Diego. the marina office recommended him and he's very reliable. Other divers I've used in the past have been flaky... I caught one just cleaning the waterline area and not getting the keel because he thought I'd never dive my own boat to check. Another guy just quit coming... disappeared... see ya. It takes a while to develop clients, that's why I recommend trying to get some experience with an established outfit. You'll also need to know about insurance, workman's comp, accounting and taxes. Get some business cards and offer your existing clients a reward for any referrals. Good luck, don't pay any attention to the yo-yo's that clean their own boats... most boat owners hire that job out...there's plenty of business out there if you're concientious and reliable. Just go get it. Good Luck!!!!
....call around to a few dive services in your area... see what the rate is and ask about hiring on so you can get trained and adjusted to the business. After a while you can start developing your own clients... in the meantime you can get some experience.. being able to dive is the easiest part of the job... it's not like you're going deeper than 10 feet. The skill is in inspecting the hull and prolonging the life of the existing paint. Understanding electrolysis, servicing outdrives and props, changing zincs, and other services are part of the business. The going rate around here for the independent divers is about $1.00/foot for basic hull cleaning on a regular basis. Takes about 1/2 hour. First time service on a dirty hull will be at least twice that. I have mine done every month in winter, every 3 weeks in summer. Commercial companies charge a bit more for their services but they are reliable. The guy I have now is great... Marty's Dive service here in San Diego. the marina office recommended him and he's very reliable. Other divers I've used in the past have been flaky... I caught one just cleaning the waterline area and not getting the keel because he thought I'd never dive my own boat to check. Another guy just quit coming... disappeared... see ya. It takes a while to develop clients, that's why I recommend trying to get some experience with an established outfit. You'll also need to know about insurance, workman's comp, accounting and taxes. Get some business cards and offer your existing clients a reward for any referrals. Good luck, don't pay any attention to the yo-yo's that clean their own boats... most boat owners hire that job out...there's plenty of business out there if you're concientious and reliable. Just go get it. Good Luck!!!!
RESPONSE TO HULL CLEANING
I use multi launch paint thinly every season and it cleans real easily with a boat brush every month. I don't get hard build up only a few barnacles but no big deal, they come off with the non bristle part of the brush.before I haul the boat at the end of the season (after 6 mo. on a mooring) I have the marina. haul the boat and powerwash the bottom and the swing keel . I inspect all the fittings on the keel and the cable connections as well as the bottom at that time. It costs about 240 dollars for my Mac 23 , but its worth it to me . its a dirty nasty job and when they plop her back in the water I am ready for haul out (usualy a week or so later...she goes onto the trailer immaculate with everything inspected BY ME and replaced if needs be and there is no dead fish smell in my back yard when I bring her home. There have been allot of trajic stories about sailors OTHER THAN DIVERS who have attempted to work underneath boats while in the water....the swing keel gets build up of everything on it , especialy in the area of the bolts where its hard to reach and for me its cheap insurance to have that all clean before I crank it up for trailoring.The mooring fee is so much less expensive than a slip fee that I walk away with a little bit of pampering and Im still hundreds less than others. just one view...SMITROE
I use multi launch paint thinly every season and it cleans real easily with a boat brush every month. I don't get hard build up only a few barnacles but no big deal, they come off with the non bristle part of the brush.before I haul the boat at the end of the season (after 6 mo. on a mooring) I have the marina. haul the boat and powerwash the bottom and the swing keel . I inspect all the fittings on the keel and the cable connections as well as the bottom at that time. It costs about 240 dollars for my Mac 23 , but its worth it to me . its a dirty nasty job and when they plop her back in the water I am ready for haul out (usualy a week or so later...she goes onto the trailer immaculate with everything inspected BY ME and replaced if needs be and there is no dead fish smell in my back yard when I bring her home. There have been allot of trajic stories about sailors OTHER THAN DIVERS who have attempted to work underneath boats while in the water....the swing keel gets build up of everything on it , especialy in the area of the bolts where its hard to reach and for me its cheap insurance to have that all clean before I crank it up for trailoring.The mooring fee is so much less expensive than a slip fee that I walk away with a little bit of pampering and Im still hundreds less than others. just one view...SMITROE
Cleaning your hull without an air supply....
qualifies you as a 'yo-yo', Alan..... if for no better reason than your up/down bobbing motion in the water as you come up for air. ;D I like the 'Roomba' idea, but the task is so complex that I doubt it will ever be cost-effective. Think about a machine that has to move over a hull with multiple curves, bumps and surface features. Then it has to be able to distinguish between foreign matter and a thru-hull (better get that one figured out before the sea trials), and determine how much pressure/force to utilize, as well as which tool to use. I think it would take some pretty advanced AI, and the mechanical part would be complex as well. My personal crackpot idea is to marry one of those long-handled brushes with a small video camera and light. Use a fiber-optic cable to bring the signal up to a small screen that you would mount on a strap around your neck to keep both hands free. With interchangeable heads - a pad, a brush, etc. - and perhaps one adjustable joint about 2 feet up from the head, I think I could scrub my whole hull while standing on the dock - and SEE what I'm doing. Small video cameras and LCD screens are pretty cheap these days, and I'm betting that the whole system could be built and sold for about $200. I'd buy one, for sure.... on top of everything else, I'd be able to scrub my hull just before I go sailing, not be at the mercy of the diver's schedule. Hey, Alan, if you use this idea as your next commercial success, you owe me! *5 Cheers, Bob
qualifies you as a 'yo-yo', Alan..... if for no better reason than your up/down bobbing motion in the water as you come up for air. ;D I like the 'Roomba' idea, but the task is so complex that I doubt it will ever be cost-effective. Think about a machine that has to move over a hull with multiple curves, bumps and surface features. Then it has to be able to distinguish between foreign matter and a thru-hull (better get that one figured out before the sea trials), and determine how much pressure/force to utilize, as well as which tool to use. I think it would take some pretty advanced AI, and the mechanical part would be complex as well. My personal crackpot idea is to marry one of those long-handled brushes with a small video camera and light. Use a fiber-optic cable to bring the signal up to a small screen that you would mount on a strap around your neck to keep both hands free. With interchangeable heads - a pad, a brush, etc. - and perhaps one adjustable joint about 2 feet up from the head, I think I could scrub my whole hull while standing on the dock - and SEE what I'm doing. Small video cameras and LCD screens are pretty cheap these days, and I'm betting that the whole system could be built and sold for about $200. I'd buy one, for sure.... on top of everything else, I'd be able to scrub my hull just before I go sailing, not be at the mercy of the diver's schedule. Hey, Alan, if you use this idea as your next commercial success, you owe me! *5 Cheers, Bob
Thank you
Wow, thank you for all the responses. Joe, I think your right, and I've been told this before, to go work for somebody first and get the experience and some of the cleintele before I venture out on my own. -Yuriy
Wow, thank you for all the responses. Joe, I think your right, and I've been told this before, to go work for somebody first and get the experience and some of the cleintele before I venture out on my own. -Yuriy
If it were me...
Wanting to be a bottom cleaner, I'd put an ad in the local rag offering to do bottoms for a very low, introductory price. Or maybe for free as a first cleaning, then charge. One, you'd get takers and experience. Then if you are really good, you can build you client list and charge competitive rates. Just make sure your insurance is up to date. Hate for you to damage a boat and have to pay out of your pocket. I would also invest in an underwater digital camera. Take shots of problems and present them to your client. They would greatly appreciate this extra service. Again, if this were me, this is what I would do. Good luck, and I pay about $1/foot to have my done. That is until I can do it myself.
Wanting to be a bottom cleaner, I'd put an ad in the local rag offering to do bottoms for a very low, introductory price. Or maybe for free as a first cleaning, then charge. One, you'd get takers and experience. Then if you are really good, you can build you client list and charge competitive rates. Just make sure your insurance is up to date. Hate for you to damage a boat and have to pay out of your pocket. I would also invest in an underwater digital camera. Take shots of problems and present them to your client. They would greatly appreciate this extra service. Again, if this were me, this is what I would do. Good luck, and I pay about $1/foot to have my done. That is until I can do it myself.
sponge
All it takes is a sponge to clean a boats bottom. Maybe a knife to knockthe barnacles off of the prop and shaft. Diving at a marina can be nasty and dangerous. If the marina has poor electrical connections a stray current can kill you. A weak current can paralyse you and they list it as a drowning. With SCUBA you should be able to clean a 30' hull in 15-20 minutes. It is not receational diving!!! I've scubed my own hull and have hired a diver. The main reason for hiring a diver is that I didn't want to dive in the nasty marina water. Diving using a snorkle takes about an hour. The biggest problem is staying close to the hull. Scrubing pushes you away from the hull. Professionals often use power equipment as it is faster and cuts down on bottom time. It's a hard way to make a living but you are your own boss!!!!
All it takes is a sponge to clean a boats bottom. Maybe a knife to knockthe barnacles off of the prop and shaft. Diving at a marina can be nasty and dangerous. If the marina has poor electrical connections a stray current can kill you. A weak current can paralyse you and they list it as a drowning. With SCUBA you should be able to clean a 30' hull in 15-20 minutes. It is not receational diving!!! I've scubed my own hull and have hired a diver. The main reason for hiring a diver is that I didn't want to dive in the nasty marina water. Diving using a snorkle takes about an hour. The biggest problem is staying close to the hull. Scrubing pushes you away from the hull. Professionals often use power equipment as it is faster and cuts down on bottom time. It's a hard way to make a living but you are your own boss!!!!
Over the years...
...I've developed a little technique to bottom cleaning. First I drop a line from stem to stern that hangs just above the water line. Then I move along each side one hand holding the line and the other the sponge. With a mask and snorkel I clean from the water line as far down as I can comfortably reach, about 5 feet, moving forward without stopping. Then I swim upside down starting at the stern moving forward with three or four stops for air. Each of these on either side of the hull. The remainder is to do each side of the keel and rudder. The first waterline passes don't require me to hold my breath because I stay at the surface and use the snorkel. Only the two sweeps either side upside down and the keel and rudder require holding my breath. I've gotten pretty good at it. I can probably stay under for 2 minutes at a time while working. My big advantage here is that I'm on a mooring in a bay that has nice tidal flow. The water quality is quite good. I have done it in a marina but much prefer the mooring for the sake of water quality.
...I've developed a little technique to bottom cleaning. First I drop a line from stem to stern that hangs just above the water line. Then I move along each side one hand holding the line and the other the sponge. With a mask and snorkel I clean from the water line as far down as I can comfortably reach, about 5 feet, moving forward without stopping. Then I swim upside down starting at the stern moving forward with three or four stops for air. Each of these on either side of the hull. The remainder is to do each side of the keel and rudder. The first waterline passes don't require me to hold my breath because I stay at the surface and use the snorkel. Only the two sweeps either side upside down and the keel and rudder require holding my breath. I've gotten pretty good at it. I can probably stay under for 2 minutes at a time while working. My big advantage here is that I'm on a mooring in a bay that has nice tidal flow. The water quality is quite good. I have done it in a marina but much prefer the mooring for the sake of water quality.
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