Chichester Marina Coral Worm

[ChiPete]

As Chi Marina berth holders are hopefully by aware, the marina is now affected by coral worm.

When we arrived in Cherbourg at about 2230 local on 26th July on our Beneteau Oceanis 323 and rounded up in the Grand Rad, we picked up a large lump of seaweed, rope, twine and a shiny party balloon(deflated!) around the prop. We managed to trickle onto a hammerhead pontoon and (after a hugely needed huge G&T) went to bed.

Following morning saw me breaking out the scuba kit and diving the prop. The French appendage was removed in seconds with a knife. What was left had to be seen to be believed. Huge lumps of coral worm covering the prop, cutter (that's why it didn't work) and the shaft. I was wondering why we seemed to have dropped 1.5 knots under motor and our fuel consumption was through the roof.

It took me the best part of an hour and ALL the bristles of the duty wire brush to get the surfaces clean again. BTW, the efficacy of the brush in removing the worm increases as the bristles shorten as they become less flexible.

So, fast forward to present. We got back from France on 2/8/14. We're due to go out to the Western Approaches week 7-14/9/14 and I want to be sure that the prop is in good condition without the growth that was present. Due to circumstances at home (the arrival of our second puppy, ahhhh!), SWMBO is not available to assist getting the boat out of the marina so I can dive the boat in the harbour. I don't want to dive her in the marina (the water in Port Chantereyne was iffy enough!). I'd like to avoid the £95 charge for lift out if I can.

Does anyone know how much worm growth might have re-appeared in almost exactly a calendar month?

Cheers,
Pete

 

[prv]

Unfortunately probably quite a bit, if the condition of Ariam's log spinner is anything to go by

(I'm assuming your coral worm is the same stuff I know as tubeworm)

Pete

 

[nicho]

Doesn't this come around every year? I seem to remember when we were resident there some five years ago, it was a problem. Caused by the brackish water at the East end of the marina isn't it?

 

[ChiPete]

I believe tube worm affects plastic (ie log impellers) whilst coral-worm affects metal Pete. I also get tube worm on the impeller. I await our Marine Biology Team for input!

Nicho, I've not heard that it's a regular occurrence and I've not had the same serious problem in six years at the marina. Also, the Premier manager saw fit to advise via email of the issue and suggest running your engine full ahead whilst tied up to remove the growth or pay them £95 to do it for you. Given the period of time it took me to manually remove the growth, running the props at full chat would be as effective as using a bar of soap.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[Stoshak]

I dried out and cleaned the prop at the beginning of June. I repeated at the beginning of Aug, and the encrustation was quite bad, but not enough to significantly effect performance.

I'm at the West end of the marina

 

[dunedin]

So has this problem now been shared with Cherbourg by scraping off there ?

 

[FistralG]

Doesn't this come around every year? I seem to remember when we were resident there some five years ago, it was a problem. Caused by the brackish water at the East end of the marina isn't it?

It seems it is a recurring problem http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?328967-When-good-props-go-bad-(&p=3749828#post3749828

 

[billmacfarlane]

The problem has been ongoing for years. I read somewhere that a company in Chi has been experimenting with a new antifoul. Funnily enough when I had a Kiwi prop I was never afflicted with it but the first season I changed to a metal prop, it got me big time. I had to turn back from a trip to France about 8 miles offshore as I had very little power. I made it to Cowes and the MMCdivers sorted me out. They photographed the prop and it was a wonder I could motor at all. You literally couldn't see any blade at all. My understanding that the coral worm was active late June to the end of July so if you've cleared your prop now you should be OK NOW.

 

[Moonshining]

The problem has been ongoing for years. I read somewhere that a company in Chi has been experimenting with a new antifoul. Funnily enough when I had a Kiwi prop I was never afflicted with it but the first season I changed to a metal prop, it got me big time. I had to turn back from a trip to France about 8 miles offshore as I had very little power. I made it to Cowes and the MMCdivers sorted me out. They photographed the prop and it was a wonder I could motor at all. You literally couldn't see any blade at all. My understanding that the coral worm was active late June to the end of July so if you've cleared your prop now you should be OK NOW.

I'm not a tube worm expert but, after 8 years at Chichester, it does seem that it's an early-season problem. I have Moonshine lifted out every other winter to anti-foul and fettle and generally re-launched in early April. In bad years, (ie when the weather's been poor and I've not gone down to the boat), the prop's been a ball of tubeworm 6 weeks or so in the water. Once I've given it a good scraping, (Fortunately, i can reach the prop from the pontoon with a stiff brush or a garden hoe), it's not tended to severely foul for the rest of the season.

This season I used Prop-Shield, after a couple of attempts in previous years with spray-on prop anti-foul. It hasn't made a blind bit of difference!