Boat Scrubber in Haslar

[JeremyF]

Tried out the underwater car-wash-style Boat Scrubber in Haslar on Friday. Great results, and only 20 mins. Beats a lift out and blast off any day.

Nice guy has invented the machine and the business. A production version goes in next month, but the prototype seemed very good.

I'm sold on the idea, as a solution to keeping the bottom clean if Dawn Chorus is only coming out the water every other year. They are tyesting out 3 types of antifoul to see what lasts best - the soft Micron style ones get abraded by the brushes a bit to much

Thoroughly recommended.

Jeremy Flynn

 

[johna]

What was the cost and do you know the basis of charging?

 

[david_e]

Re: Bottom Scrubbers

Are these scrubbers particular as to the type of bottoms they scrub? Reason I ask is ccscott's went pink once and he might like it scrubbing again. Wouldn't mind mine being done but at present I have no boat, will this matter?

 

[rogerroger]

First Magnitude

 

[JeremyF]

Re: Bottom Scrubbers

As the web site says, its more a wiping action than a scrubbing action, so I doubt you would turn pink!

Jeremy Flynn

 

[Chris_Rayner]

I see that you couldn't wait for my report on this, Jeremy. In case anyone else is interested, I have to report that we were scrubbed clean last Tuesday, and came to pick up the boat at the earliest opportunity, last Friday. As you say, the chap in charge, Ruben (Reuben?), is a most obliging cove, and in view of our inconvenience he waived all charges, and we got no bill from the marina either. The charge for us would have been £25 for a Sonata (7 metres or 21ft in old money) which as you say is better than a haul/lift and pressure hose, or, in my case, a trip to the scrubbing posts at HISC and a day grovelling around on the foreshore with scrubbing brushes and paint scrapers. The boat sailed beeyootifully on the way back to Chichester Harbour.

I told Ruben/Reuben that I was much obliged to him, and would make recommendations to all my yachting colleagues. This is part of that process. He says that he is keen to open one in Chichester Harbour, and if so I shall be traipsing up to it a couple of times in the summer. Makes you seriously wonder if antifouling makes any kind of economic sense.

In summary, go forth my friends and form an orderly queue to berth D59 at Haslar Marina. You won't regret it.

Chris Rayner

 

[JeremyF]

Yes, Ruben is a decent guy, who seems to be trying to build a good service promoted through word of mouth, rather than trying to charge what he can. Because Opal only put a thin layer of soft-ish Micron on their new boats, he noted that the brushes were removing a fair amount. He is doing tests to see what antifoul works best, but he's offered me a reduction if I need another wash this season.

Im sold on the idea; with all the environmental legislation it wont be long before this will be the only way to get the muck off. However, see Rogerroger's posting on dirty prop; I suspect that an annual lift out will still be in order to clean props, check annode etc.

Jeremy Flynn

 

[Viking]

Re: Boat Scrubber in Haslar?

That was no 'scrubber' you saw, that was my wife!

 

[Chris_Rayner]

Haul out

There are all sorts of good reasons for hauling out, unrelated to antifouling. In any case, you can't (yet) antifoul afloat, so I don't see this as much of a disadvantage. I'm wondering if I should go to hard racing or similar antifoul. I agree that the brushes seem to make short work of Micron. I suppose if it's designed to wash off with the passage of water over the hull (for pedants, I do know that the hull also passes through the water) it's not surprising that it loses its grip when it gets brushed.

Chris

 

[jimi]

Re: Boat Scrubber in Haslar?

Nae wonder you left the country! These Haslar wummin are a bit rough!

Jim