Cleaning my bottom - what tools?

[Kelpie]

Surely the answer depends upon what sort of antifouling you have?
If it's soft ablative stuff you might want to go gently on it.
If it's hard, you can be more aggressive.
And coppercoat needs a pressure wash and then gentle scrubbing, unless you need to sand it back to expose new copper.

I would certainly recommend getting your hands on a petrol pressure washer that can run seawater. Or you can use a small electric one and a generator.

If you're applying new antifouling, you should do a fresh water wash down, which again the pressure washer is useful for, but failing that I've found a pump up garden sprayer is pretty good.

 

[William_H]

One club near here provide a pressure washer for slip users. It is a fiendish 3 phase powered machine which has to be held very tightly when actuating the trigger. It is so powerful it has a real kick. Certainly cleans hull though. Assuming no power washer available. OP should take an assortment of scrapers etc with him. A dutch hoe can be really good. I love scouring pads in various courseness at my local hardware store.
I do all my hull cleaning in water while swimming. Small boat. All my scrapers and scouring pads have hole drilled through with a cord to go around the wrist so I don't drop it. One trick I have developed is to hold a small scraper (for hard stuff) between my hand and big scouring pad so I can alternate with one hand while holding my breath. Just sort of lean the scraper blade toward the hull when needed. Small barnacles were a real pain last season. Yes A/F does not last long, a few months. Always needs cleaning after 6 weeks from new a/f. Warm water. (all this does not apply to most of my forum friends in UK.)
One thing for OP be prepared to get very dirty. (just enjoy it) ol'will

 

[colind3782]

I have had a Scrubbis for a while but the head has worn down. Rather than get a new, expensive head, I have attached some "astroturf" off-cut with cable ties and it seems to work well.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I have had a Scrubbis for a while but the head has worn down. Rather than get a new, expensive head, I have attached some "astroturf" off-cut with cable ties and it seems to work well.

People’s ingenious ideas for saving money at the swindlery often seem like too much trouble, but this one has a smell of genius about it.

 

[wingcommander]

People’s ingenious ideas for saving money at the swindlery often seem like too much trouble, but this one has a smell of genius about it.

Yes but his front lawn as seen better days..

 

[colind3782]

People’s ingenious ideas for saving money at the swindlery often seem like too much trouble, but this one has a smell of genius about it.

€7 at the local chinese shop for a couple of m2. I only used a small piece and the rest is in the shed for when that wears down. I don't see me ever having to buy more.

 

[Stemar]

I got a stainless (-ish) steel garden hoe, something like this:

I think it came from the Range.

For going between the keels of a bilge keeler or the hulls of a multi, a garage crawler makes life a lot easier - and the back a lot less achy.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I find it’s much easier on a multi to have the boat on a gently shelving beach in waist deep water. A beer in one hand makes the job less tiresome too, plus a bit of sunshine

 

[rogerthebodger]

Dutch hoe not one of these

View attachment 161148

I find a sharpened garden spade works very well for removing hard fouling like Barnacle or mussels

 

[Irish Rover]

I just spent the morning in the water cleaning my hull - I was thinking how easy it would be if I was in a tidal area and could use a pressure washer. Anyway I got the job done using a handheld scrubbing brush and one with a long handle for the areas difficult to reach. For heavy slime and tube worms at water level I used steel wool and, where necessary, and old blunt carving knife. I'll do the propellers tomorrow.