Advice on Hull Scrub

[OceanSprint]

Boat: 24 foot bilger keeler. GRP hull has been copper-coated, but steel bilge keels and GRP rudder normal antifoul. Not been out the water for 18 months. NE Scotland. The boat has an outboard in a well

Task: Next week I will dry her out for 2 days (ie 2 daylight low waters) on a flat area. Mains and freshwater not that accesible (quite far away). I want to clean her up and re-paint the keels / rudder. I will remove and service the outboard seperately.

Questions:

- What kit/methods will I need to clean her quickly over a low tide?
- How should I clean up the copper-coated hull surface, without damaging the coppercoat?

- Can I repaint anti-foul onto a not-perfectly cleaned surface? and will it dry in a tide?

- I don't know if there is an anode fitted or not. Should there be? If so, where and how is it fastened on?

Sorry for the multiple questions. Any advice very gratefully received.

 

[OceanSprint]

Off to b and q today to buy a load of scrubing brushes. Hope this wont damage the copper coat though.

 

[l'escargot]

Anode if fitted should be 'in sight' of what it's protecting - usually the stern gear so will be near to that on hull and probably held on with a couple of nuts on fixed studs. Stiff scrubbing brush and plastic scraper for barnacles on the antifoul and rinse worst off with seawater. Most anti fouls will dry in one tide, the label should give drying times and doesn't need a perfectly clean surface although best if surface is rinsed with fresh water first - a bucket and sponge will do. Let the surface dry before painting though. No experience of copper coat but I would use a coarse sponge or worn scotchbrite although someone may come along and say I'm wrong.

 

[Tranona]

Unlikely to be an anode. As you have an outboard that will have its own anode. Nothing else on the boat needs an anode.

 

[OceanSprint]

Many thanks to both of you. I know it sounds pretty simple, but as i have not done this before those words of advice are much appreciated. Thanks again.

 

[Kwik Decision]

I've found I've needed to use a metal wallpaper type scraper on our copper coat in order to remove barnacles and hard worm things, and then given it a "polish" with scotchbright. This hasn't caused significant damage to the copper coat. Our boat is on a semi tidal Hamble mooring, and all the bits of the hull which go into the mud get badly fouled - the copper coat performed far better on a deep water Portsmouth mooring. If your fouling is relatively light, and doesn't include barnacles, (and I'm guessing that NE Scotland is far better than the S Coast as far as fouling is concerned!) I'd recommend either a scrubbing brush, or scotchbright. I can get our (29 ft) hull clean in around 3 - 4 hrs, ie easily over a tide, when up a beach. It is a messy job, least bad in the summer when it can be done while wearing swimming trunks such that all the water trickling down is not a problem, but I guess that isn't an option for you at the moment. I always feel I've earned my evening beer afterwards!

 

[OceanSprint]

more very useful words of wisdom. Thanks.

 

[Kwik Decision]

Forgot to mention, if you do resort to a metal wallpaper scraper, round the corners of the blade with a fine file before starting, to reduce the chances of them digging in. No prizes for guessing how I learned this!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Off to b and q today to buy a load of scrubing brushes. Hope this wont damage the copper coat though.

You won't damage Coppercoat with any feasible scrubbing brush, unless it's a wire brush! Coppercoat recommend that the surface is occasionally abraded using fine sandpaper or Scotchbrite pad.