removing bottom growth
- Thread starter hawk232
- Start date
Blisters
When a boat is left in water and warm water in Florida it has a very good
chance of having blisters and that is going to be a lot of work.
A diver will charge much more for a book that was neglected that long and the more it needs cleaning the more time cleaning will be charged double and that is
if a diver is willing to get involved with that hard a job.
If no blister found than scraping and than sanding and new bottom you could save alot of $$$$.
And if trailering it is not going to be much of a problem in the future because
on a trailer will allow the hull to dry out and less chance of problems.
The problem with boats in florida is they stay in the water for 1 or 2 or even 3 or
more and the hull does not get a chance to dry out and if the hull doesn't
have protection the hull will develop blisters.
But if on a trailer in your drive way you can save lots $$$$.
Nick
When a boat is left in water and warm water in Florida it has a very good
chance of having blisters and that is going to be a lot of work.
A diver will charge much more for a book that was neglected that long and the more it needs cleaning the more time cleaning will be charged double and that is
if a diver is willing to get involved with that hard a job.
If no blister found than scraping and than sanding and new bottom you could save alot of $$$$.
And if trailering it is not going to be much of a problem in the future because
on a trailer will allow the hull to dry out and less chance of problems.
The problem with boats in florida is they stay in the water for 1 or 2 or even 3 or
more and the hull does not get a chance to dry out and if the hull doesn't
have protection the hull will develop blisters.
But if on a trailer in your drive way you can save lots $$$$.
Nick
it will be on a trailer in my yard for a while. if it ever goes in a slip again it would get a proper bottom job. I have gotten a lot of good opinions from everyone as well as getting to watch the entertainment of who's **** is bigger LOL
I think the bottom line is that I will just have to check it out myself. if I had known a diver was that cheap, I probably would have gone that route instead. lessons learned....
I think the bottom line is that I will just have to check it out myself. if I had known a diver was that cheap, I probably would have gone that route instead. lessons learned....
as bad as this one is, im sure the generic prices online are far from what the actual cost would be.
Soo ... is there any specific scraping tool of choice, when doing this job the old fashioned way??
Agree
Yes I think hull cleaning here in west coast Fl does vary and
prices will depend on how often the boat is cleaned.
if done every 6 or 8 weeks the price will be less.
Like anything else if it is done often it is a quick job
and will cost less.
Nick
Yes I think hull cleaning here in west coast Fl does vary and
prices will depend on how often the boat is cleaned.
if done every 6 or 8 weeks the price will be less.
Like anything else if it is done often it is a quick job
and will cost less.
Nick
Impossible to guess the cost of a diver. Many I've encountered charge much more for a one time vs regularly scheduled. Some charge by the foot and some charge by the hour. Most, when they see heavy growth, will charge extra. And base rates are variable even within Florida.
I have 2- stiff 3" scrapers and one 6" not quite as stiff scraper. all of them are metal. I will be stopping to pick up some gloves this afternoon. the current owner said he has some long handled scrapers as well. anything else that would be useful?
Scrape
Yes just go for it with a nice metal scraper and see what is under all that
growth and if you see any blisters just do search on repairing blisters.
If in hurry to use for the season just scrape and some sanding,some trailer
sailers don't even add bottom paint.
Are you planning to trailer or leave in a slip,if trailering.
Nick
Yes just go for it with a nice metal scraper and see what is under all that
growth and if you see any blisters just do search on repairing blisters.
If in hurry to use for the season just scrape and some sanding,some trailer
sailers don't even add bottom paint.
Are you planning to trailer or leave in a slip,if trailering.
Nick
I once used a sidewalk scraper on a MacGregor 26 that was in a similar situation. In the water for years with no bottom paint. Regular handheld scrapers were simply not up to the job.
I shortened the handle by half to make it easier to use underwater.
I will be trailer sailing, at least for a while. blisters are not a huge concern as long as its not too bad. blisters are FAR easier to repair than replacing the entire deck, as would be required on my current boat!!
I like it! I may go pick one of those up as well! How did your experience go with the mac? did it turn out alright? how long did it take you to scrape the bottom of the majority of the growth?I once used a sidewalk scraper on a MacGregor 26 that was in a similar situation. In the water for years with no bottom paint. Regular handheld scrapers were simply not up to the job.
I shortened the handle by half to make it easier to use underwater.
I probably spent an hour on that boat. It was entirely encrusted with large shelled animals including barnacles, oysters and mussels, not to mention very thick soft growth as well. If your boat is anything like this one, you will not get a real good view of the actual gel coat surface after the cleaning. There will simply be too much shell base and hold-fast material remaining that you probably will be unable/unwilling to remove while the boat is in the water. Do not expect to have a nice clean bottom after you are done.
No. That was a practical impossibility and not my goal in any case. The owner simply wanted to put the boat on a trailer and take it home so he could work on it there. I told him what to expect (much as I have you) before I started the job.
When you get the boat home try an "oscillating multitool" from Harbor Freight with a flat metal blade. I have seen them used to clean up a boats bottom. Not very heavy to hold up. Seemed to work quite well, removed loose bottom paint too, with no damage to the gel coat. It also has many other uses on board a vessel.
Good luck, Bob
http://t.harborfreight.com/power-to...cillating-multifunction-power-tool-60428.html
Good luck, Bob
http://t.harborfreight.com/power-to...cillating-multifunction-power-tool-60428.html
Apropos of something (or maybe nothing), this brand spanking new Andrews 28 is doing the Singlehanded TransPac in a week or so. Against my advice, the owner is keeping it in the water in Alameda with no anti fouling paint, only an epoxy barrier coat. Thus, I am cleaning it every 3 to 4 days. And in that time, every single square inch of wetted surface begins showing visible fouling growth.
Now that I think about it, I've seen scraper blade attachments for a reciprocating saw, too. Home Depot or Lowe's had them, not sure which.