barnacle removal

Anyone out there ever took barnacles off by diving. I am going to clean a
friend of mines dads boat because he is very sick and cannot perform this
task. Does anyone know how long it takes? The boat is 45ft. thanks.

In article <4FDB16E555390@ScubaMonster.com>, mel h via
ScubaMonster.com <forum@nospam.ScubaMonster.com> wrote:

€ Anyone out there ever took barnacles off by diving. I am going to clean a
€ friend of mines dads boat because he is very sick and cannot perform this
€ task. Does anyone know how long it takes? The boat is 45ft. thanks.

Depending on the condition of the bottom, anywhere from a couple of
hours to a couple of weeks.

mel h via ScubaMonster.com wrote:
I am going to clean a
> friend of mines dads boat because he is very sick

Of cleaning barnacles?

What kind of bottom. If its just Gelcote, you can use elbow grease and
care with a hand scraper. Friends to help are a plus.

If its got a good coat of bottom paint and you have the touch, you may
consider cheap, compressor driven air tools. Rotating abrasives or
reciprocating blades.

No gouging or scratching allowed.

Good luck, have fun, log the dives so you can look back and say never
again.

Remember that no good deed goes unpunished.

In article <140620051814074096%agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com>, Alan Street <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> writes:
>In article <4FDB16E555390@ScubaMonster.com>, mel h via
>ScubaMonster.com <forum@nospam.ScubaMonster.com> wrote:
>
>€ Anyone out there ever took barnacles off by diving. I am going to clean a
>€ friend of mines dads boat because he is very sick and cannot perform this
>€ task. Does anyone know how long it takes? The boat is 45ft. thanks.
>
>Depending on the condition of the bottom, anywhere from a couple of
>hours to a couple of weeks.

In other words, you may be taking on more than you you think.

It also seems to me that you would want to be repainting the bottom
at the same time -- which implies pulling the boat out of the water.
But then, what to I know. Maybe some knowledgeable boat owner will
know better.

...'course some would say that "knowledgeable boat owner" is an oxymoron...
<smile>

--
Charlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA
(hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

Okay, the way it sounds from you guys it looks like a hard job. We are going
to be using a tool called the SPEEDBLADE BY Fisher Powerwave. It's a litle
submersable 12 volt tool that oscilliates in the use of removing barnacles.
It was purchased through West Marine. They have a cool website speedblade.com.

The bottom of the boat is metal and from what I have been told the barnacles
are 1/2 inch to 1 inch
thick. Whats so hard about the job? The diving part or it's hard physically
to remove them? I do know that the water is darker due to it being on the
Intercoastal W W. Also if the tide is coming or going also, that may be a
factor. Whos got some good ideas since this is my first time doing this.
keysclub@bellsouth.net wrote:
>I am going to clean a
>> friend of mines dads boat because he is very sick
>
>Of cleaning barnacles?
>
>What kind of bottom. If its just Gelcote, you can use elbow grease and
>care with a hand scraper. Friends to help are a plus.
>
>If its got a good coat of bottom paint and you have the touch, you may
>consider cheap, compressor driven air tools. Rotating abrasives or
>reciprocating blades.
>
>No gouging or scratching allowed.
>
>Good luck, have fun, log the dives so you can look back and say never
>again.
>
>Remember that no good deed goes unpunished.
>

--
Message posted via ScubaMonster.com
http://www.scubamonster.com/Uwe/Foru...forum/200506/1

mel h via ScubaMonster.com wrote:
> Okay, the way it sounds from you guys it looks like a hard job. We are going
> to be using a tool called the SPEEDBLADE BY Fisher Powerwave. It's a litle
> submersable 12 volt tool that oscilliates in the use of removing barnacles.
> It was purchased through West Marine. They have a cool website speedblade.com.
>
> The bottom of the boat is metal and from what I have been told the barnacles
> are 1/2 inch to 1 inch
> thick. Whats so hard about the job? The diving part or it's hard physically
> to remove them? I do know that the water is darker due to it being on the
> Intercoastal W W. Also if the tide is coming or going also, that may be a
> factor. Whos got some good ideas since this is my first time doing this.
> keysclub@bellsouth.net wrote:
>

just get under the boat, inflate your bc way up to hold you in place
against the bottom of the hull and get to work.

Cool looking tool. I hope it works.
A 45 foot boat should be a good test.
A steel hull is a bit more forgiving than fiberglass.
Post how it works out when your done.
The base of a 1" barnacle can be tenacious.

<keysclub@bellsouth.net> wrote

> Cool looking tool. I hope it works.
> A 45 foot boat should be a good test.
> A steel hull is a bit more forgiving than fiberglass.
> Post how it works out when your done.
> The base of a 1" barnacle can be tenacious.

If it's steel. My bet is aluminum.

Lee

In article <Rd6se.5242$VK4.2642@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink. net>, Lee
Bell <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:

€ <keysclub@bellsouth.net> wrote
€
€ > Cool looking tool. I hope it works.
€ > A 45 foot boat should be a good test.
€ > A steel hull is a bit more forgiving than fiberglass.
€ > Post how it works out when your done.
€ > The base of a 1" barnacle can be tenacious.
€
€ If it's steel. My bet is aluminum.
€
€

Mine bet isn't

But if it is, then the bottom treatment is less than trivial.

Aluminum hulls on 45' boats are kind of rare, at least in my waters (I
have no idea if they're usual in Fla.). Aluminum is lower on the
galvanic series than copper, so if you have an aluminum hull you can't
use a copper based bottom paint, and even something as trivial as a
penny dropped into the bilge can do some serious damage to the hull.
This isn't real problem with a 15' trailerable dinghy or with a 150'
research vessel that has a 2" thick hull, but with boats in the 50'
range, it can be (in particular, I know of a 45' racing sailboat built
with a honeycomb core Al hull that is incredibly susceptable to
corrosion. The owner of this boat actually makes you empty your pockets
before boarding to make sure you don't have any pennies. One could
cause a hole in the hull). Tributultin is the preferred antifoulant for
Al hulls, but this is illegal for boats under 150' in the US and
irrelavant for boats that aren't kept in the water, such as a 15'
skiff. 50' Al boats require a a fair amount of regular maintenanceto
keep them clean. If this is really a 45' boat with an Al hull, then one
inch barnacles imply quite a bit of neglect and I'd be cautious about
applying too much force or abrasion to clean the bottom. Sinking the
boat while cleaning it is frowned upon

As for the diving details, the advice to inflate your BC and let this
push you up against the hull isn't a good way to clean a hull. Cleaning
hulls *is* crappy work, but the best way is to be as neutral as
possible. The pros keep their tanks and first stages on the pier, and
dive with a really hose between their first and second stages, making
themselves as light as possible. Barring that, strip everything from
your BC, and weight yourself to be as neutral as possible. It will be a
challenge to keep yourself close the hull while you push against it to
clean it,, but that's the challenge, and one reason why you want to
keep the hull as clean as possible if it's to be cleaned in the water.
Overbuoyancy won't help (most of the hull surface isn't horizontal), so
being neutrally buoyant will make it a little easier to keep yourself
against the hull (although nothing is going to make it easier).

Bottom line - you might be taking on a really big task that you
shouldn't take on, for a variety of reasons. You might also be agreeing
to help out someone who has maintained his boat very well and just
needs some regular, routine help. If it's the former, be prepared to
bail quickly. If it's the latter, then be prepared to spend two to four
hours scrubbing the hull with scotchbrite pads and other tools. If you
want to make a habit of this, then plan to invest in a 75-100' second
stage hose, along with a regulator set designated just for hull
cleaning.

Alan

"Alan Street" wrote

> ? If it's steel. My bet is aluminum.

> Mine bet isn't

Strikers and Marionettes, as I recall, are aluminum. I'm sure there are
others that I'm not aware of. While I know steel hull boats exist, I don't
know who makes them in the 50 foot range. Fiberglass is, by far, has been
the more common material.

> But if it is, then the bottom treatment is less than trivial.

You bet.

> Bottom line - you might be taking on a really big task that you
> shouldn't take on, for a variety of reasons. You might also be agreeing
> to help out someone who has maintained his boat very well and just
> needs some regular, routine help. If it's the former, be prepared to
> bail quickly.

I don't think I'd represent it as bailing. I see it more like admitting
that the job is beyond his ability to do correctly.

> If it's the latter, then be prepared to spend two to four
> hours scrubbing the hull with scotchbrite pads and other tools. If you
> want to make a habit of this, then plan to invest in a 75-100' second
> stage hose, along with a regulator set designated just for hull
> cleaning.

Down here, those that take on hull cleaning jobs often use an electric
compressor and long hose rather than tanks. Tanks are fine for amateurs,
but time is money and it takes time to get them filled.

Lee