It is called a 'conversation', not a who knows better. Big difference.
Port of San Diego To Halt In-water Hull Cleaning Activities In SIYB For Two Months This Winter
- Thread starter fstbttms
- Start date
I've been using Petit Hydrocoat Eco for a few seasons now. Paints using the same biocide (ECONEA) are offered by several other major paint manufacturers. Where we are, near Baltimore in the Chesapeake, the fouling is really bad. I've used Interlux Micron CSC, and several other high copper paints: some solvent based, some water based. I've been really happy with the Hydrocoat Eco, which doesn't have me breathing in solvents, and which has no heavy metals. To be completely honest, nothing I've used so far has been perfect, but this new(ish) paint is at least as good as the Micron CSC, and maybe a bit better. All right: it costs a bit more ($300 per gallon, vs. $240 for Micron CSC, or $280 for Micron Extra with Biolux, based on a quick check on West Marine), but come on: that's really no big deal. I'd pay that much just to not be tasting solvents after a couple of hours of painting.
Just to emphasize again: the slime and barnacles in our area (upper Chesapeake) are really bad. I guess the salinity here isn't what it is on the open ocean, but man: the level of cr@p (probably phosphorus) in the water is such that the critters seem really happy to infest your boat hull, prop shaft, and prop. I've gotten way more barnacles on the hull with the old paint than with the new (pretty much all come off with the pressure wash now). Still get lots of them on the prop shaft at haul-out, though. I haven't tried the Hydrocoat on the prop and shaft yet: just zinc paint.
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A few thoughts:
- Hull cleaning in freshwater marinas carries an eletric shock hazard, but the risk is far, far lower in saltwater. Google ESD. Fastbottoms can weight in on this, but I don't think I have ever seen a case of a recreational boat cleaner being seriously injured in this way. But most have felt a tickle. In freshwater, people die most years. The difference is that in fresh water, your body is more conductive than the water. In salt water, the water is far more conductive than your body. The electricity takes the path of least resistance.
- In areas were water quality is an issue, out of water cleaning is done on a pad and the wastewater is treated to meet standards.
- Wastewater treatment sludge and hull cleaning sludges are landfilled, not incinerated. Obviously. You can't burn metals.
- Hull cleaning sludge and wastewater sludges are not generally a RCRA hazardous waste. Copper is not on the hazardous metal list.
- The water quality does not change much.
- The water quality gets worse because of some other factor. For example, if there is zero rain there will be less flushing.
- The water quality gets better. But it may be because there is more rain or some other factor.
Cynical possible outcome #4: the water quality does not change much, but because the monitoring and control data isn’t robust enough both sides of the argument point to some statistically insignificant change as support for their position.
Exactly. Not saying this is happening here, however, human nature dictates we skew the data to support our agenda. Again, not saying this is happening here.
Curious how often you haul out and recoat? In the area mentioned (SIYB), I believe the majority of boats haul between two and four years. Most use a hard epoxy bottom paint.
We almost always haul out every year, and paint before relaunch. So the boat is in the water from early May (usually) to early November. If I don't paint the prop shaft (which I do about 1/2 the time), my 1" diameter shaft looks like a 2" diameter shaft by haul out time, with heavy slime and barnacles. I used to have a diver clean twice in that 6 months, but lately it's hard to find someone (besides me) to do it. I can only get the waterline and prop.