Antifouling Bottom of Keels. How do you do it?

[KuRingGaiChase]

My antifouling seems to have lasted pretty well this season BUT for the bottoms of my two bilge keels, which are now trailing long lengths of colourful, though I guss not very sreamlined, weed.

Not surprising really I suppose as I have not yet worked out a way of getting to either jet wash or get a paint brush under them.

My boat won't get craned out but floated onto the flat plates of its trailer - as soon as the weather starts to get too chilly for a fair weather sailor.

Any suggestions please?

 

[roberth]

Wet suit, snorkel and scrubbing brush?

 

[Bodach na mara]

You really need to get it off its keels at some point. Not necessarily off the whole of both at once, but jacking up to put short blocks in may allow most of them to be done. After a few days, move the blocks to do the rest.

 

[Richard10002]

Would it not be worth having an overnight lift every couple of years?

 

[andy_wilson]

Find a sheltered gently shelving shore of coarse sand and/or gravel, and a rising tide.

Drive it gently but firmly aground. Once she lifts, do it some more, but not so much that you end up aground near the HW time!

Hamble spit should do it, but wait for a quiet day with no wakes otherwise you might get bounced. In fact further up the Hamble might be better, isn't the Warash side shelving.

Sandy beach at Bembridge, isn't there a pebbly beach in Newtown?

 

[fibz99]

Agree with this method, this is how i got to the bottom my fin keel whilst on the trailer. Bottle jack, Just dont jack up to far..

 

[andy_wilson]

How did you get a bottle jack under a keel on a flat bed trailer?

 

[fibz99]

Depends on the construction of the boats trailer, there was no mention of a flat bed. If no overhang on the keel either cut a hole or two in the trailer or float on and off onto the wood blocks.

 

[seumask]

You could put some blocks of wood on the flat bed before you lower the boat on to it, or alternativly go at it with some wedges and a sledge hammer, depends on how big the boat is.

 

[EdWingfield]

Absolutely agree. Bilge keelers are supposed to sit on the sand or mud. The bottom will be self cleaning. Let the boat dry out somewhere and enjoy a bottle of red wine in a quiet backwater - lovely.

 

[alienzdive]

Red Wine, your round!

 

[fibz99]

Self cleaning keels ok, and as for applying the antifouling whilst the keel is on/in the mud or gravel /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif....

 

[reginaldon]

If you're on a drying mooring, you won't need to - but I suppose there aren't too many in the Arabian Gulf.

 

[andy_wilson]

You won't need A/F between November and June. Scraping it off thrice in early July, mid August and late September should do.
Edit
That reply is aimed at the original poster.

If you are based in warmer waters I suggest you get a 'racing scrub' - an hour in the slings at the yard, and slap some on just before you re-launch.

 

[fibz99]

Very true.