Barnacle removal

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Pacofan

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Well that was my first end of season completed of saturday. Only problem being that the boat is covered in barnacles. I didn't have time to clean them off there and then, my boat was the last lift of the day, so less than an hour before the gates were shut.
What is the best plan of atack for getting them off, pressre washer? scraper? the combo?

As the boat only went in in May, I am not impressed by the Plastimo antfouling, this boat lives on the Tamar, so what is more suitable?
 
Pressure washer but should be done immediately after haul out. The little critters are much tougher to remove later.

Anti fouling is not something you should scrimp on... otherwise = lots of barnies. :o
 
Pacofan said:
As the boat only went in in May, I am not impressed by the Plastimo antfouling, this boat lives on the Tamar, so what is more suitable?
Click to expand...

As has been said, don't let them dry on - bu99er to get off later.

At Falmouth, also known for barnacles and muscles, I use Jotun self ablating a/f. No critters but some slime. I know it works, as the prop is covered in barnacles and weed.

I don't want to, but will a/f the prop next year with hard a/f.
 
A/F

That would be very disappointing results of only 5 months life out of A/F certainly something is wrong especially in cold UK water.
To remove barnacles yes try the pressure washer. However I have done a bit of hull cleaning under water and found that a heavy scraper is needed. I use a bricklayers bolster. That is a wide chisel used for cutting bricks. The weight gives inertia to the force needed to smash the barnacles. However they often leave part of the shell behind.
The real answer is to clean the hull before it gets to barnacles stage. This by careening or diving.
good luck olewill
 
Hi, last year in the Tamar had terrible trouble with barnacles (about 20kg on a 35 footer), even with international micron extra liberally applied, found that immediate pressure washer followed by wooden cooking spatula was best. This year however same location, same anti fouling and the barnacles could be counted on one hand. So maybe climatic conditions or just sheer bad luck.
 
After five months on a river mooring I am not surprised at all that you have a liberal covering of barnacles. I don't think a change in A/F will make any difference. I scrubbed my boat after six weeks last week and it took an hour with an industrial pressure washer to get all the barnacles and weed off. Also the boat would hardly move under engine.
Rivers seem to be worse for fouling than marinas as the poison from the A/F is continually washed away by the current. In a marina the boat sits there in its own pool of poison, stopping the growth. Also in a river, all the fertiliser etc gets washed off the farmers' fields adding to the health of the growing organisms. Once slime covers the boat the A/F is no use at all. You have to keep it as clean as possible.
 
What is the best plan of atack for getting them off, pressre washer? scraper? the combo?
Click to expand...
A scraper is my preferred option. Round the corners off a bit.
A old dutch hoe with the corners rounded off is useful for reaching under a hull esp between bilge keels, alternatively fix the scraper to a batten, broom handle or something.

As said get them off sooner rather than later. I have had the blighters cement themselves on so firmly when left over the winter that I have pulled circles of antifouling off with them.

Using a small pressure washer just ends up with clean barnacles.
 
Barnacle shell is chalk/lime stuff. There used to be an acid product from US dissolved them in no time. Trouble was, it was a spray so fairly hazardous to use, esp. in windy conditions. But essentially, did the business.
 
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