Antifouling - what sort of hose?

Very helpful advice, thank you everyone, also very very helpful to read about other people's mistakes - not schadenfreude, just makes me feel less of a muppet.

So, um, one final question - this whole up to the knees in water business. Bare legs or wellies?
 
water will be chilly - wellies .... or drysuit if you had one ... if you're a hardy type then I guess you can go for barefeet and shorts ... but rather you than me!!
 
Start working from the dinghy as soon as the underwater areas begin to show. You can decide on boots or barefeet depending on how deep it is when you can't work that way any longer. Wear boots to avoid cut feet unless you know it's safe.
 
I lift out every secind year or so, thus on the year we don't lift out we dry out and give hull a good scrub as tide is dropping. I find it best to throw on the website and start scrubbing when the water is waist high. All the boat is scrubbed by time water has gone completly and then lash on the anti foul. Nothing to it but a bit of elbow grease. In fact I did this 3 years ago, and didn't antifoul for the next 2 years as we were off cruising for the year and didn't have tides to dry out. I had thought we would need to lift out during that year to antifoul again, but a few dips in the water with scrubbing brush kept kept the worst away.
 
Our local yard hasa dedicated 3 phase electric power washer that really is a powerful thing. It certainly removed slime and some of the old a/f/ The hose is long so water in the electrics is not a problem. I reckon it must have a 6HP electric motor.

I realise our waters are warmer but I do all my cleaning in the water (mask and snorkel) using a scotch brite scouring pad and later wet and dry sand paper. The boat comes home for winter and the trailer is quite difficult to work around. So it is actually easier to do some areas in water.

I try to remove as much A/F as possible. I have seen the build up on friend's boats where it becomes several mm thick then flakes off leaving a horrible step. I would hate to have to strip all the a/f if there was a big build up.
So Seahound consider getting a wet suit even if only to be more comfortable while wading in the water. Clean by hand as much as you can.
Use scotch brite wet and dry sand paper and have a paint scraper handy for the barnacles Try to get some helpers.
The amount of cleaning will be dictated by tide times. The actual application of a/f with a roller can be quite quick.
It does not take too long to dry enough for re emersion.
Paint keel first as that will get wet first but cleaned last.

good lcuk olewill
 
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