fouling/marine growth

[AC]

We are keeping our new 2001 H260 on a slip in the Boston harbor for the summer. The boat was bought with bottom paint already on it. How long does it usually take for marine growth to start growing on the underside? Should I pull it out onto the trailer once a month (or once a week? summer?) to wash the belly down to avoid alot of growth? I'd like to avoid having to have it cleaned and prep'd professionally at the end of the summer.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Hull cleaning

ACI've had my 260 in a slip here in CA for about 4 years now, and the bottom paint is still good. I have a diver go down once a month and clean it. It runs about $25.00 dollars, and is well worth it. The marine growth starts to come back almost immediately, so the one month interval is all I would go.Dan S/V "Unruly Julie"

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Choices

Ask the next guy you see at the marina what he thinks about when growth begins. Boston is obviously different from California, and it could be June before you see growth.In any event, the diver is easier than hauling out on the trailer. Plus he'll clean where you can't, ie where the boat sits on the trailer rails.Be sure he cleans the through hulls, which tend to get clogged easily. Thru-hulls are a good leading indicator that you need cleaning. If the speedometer wheel gets clogged in six weeks, then you can go six weeks between cleanings. If four weeks, then four weeks.Hint: If you repaint in the fall, use ablative bottom paint because it sloughs off over time and avoids pesky buildup. It's more expensive than 40-year-old Scotch, but it's worth more as well.

 

[Ralph C. Regar]

Bottom Paint

Bill is right in pointing out that different parts of the country experience different types/rates of marine growth. Ask around at local boat yards in addition to talking to your neighbors in the marina and get an idea which brand of paint works in your area. I keep my boat in an area where marine growth is a real problem, and I have found that good bottom paint, properly applied, will last at least one season without any periodic cleaning. Expensive, but well worth it.Ralph RegarS/V Shambala