How often and when do you clean her bum?

[wipe_out]

Seems the fouling has go the better of us now.. Have lost 10 knots off top speed and only get to 3900rpm at WOT.. She was antifouled and put back into the water in April..

Just thinking about when the best time is to clean her off again.. Probably won't be out much in the next couple of months so doing it now seems pointless because in a few months when we start going out more often the bottom will already be starting to get dirty again..

As a general rule what is your bottom cleaning schedule? Do you clean your boats bum more than once a year?

 

[Bandit]

Depends on where the boat is, med is far far worse than UK, locked marinas are worse than open water.

Also depends on speed of boat a fast boat far more susceptible to fouling than a displacement boat.

Antifouling you pays for what you get largely, what antifouling are you using and how many coats.

If you Antifoul early spring my view is you should do a quick lift and pressure wash as well as checking all underwater bits , anodes, props etc at the end of July before supposedly good weather in August and September.

My view is 2 coats, I use self polishing but its a matter of preference.

 

[LittleShip]

Every year before launching.

Tom.

 

[Searush]

I only lift SR every few years so in between she gets a scrape at the start of the main summer cruise, but I only have to pop her on a sandbank for a tide. Also, being based in the River Seoint she dries twice a day & only spends about 10-12 hours a day afloat, plus the fresh river water kills some sea based growth & the sea water kills some of the fresh water growth so fouling is limited to some extent.

 

[Elza_Skip]

We tend only to clean her off in the spring, but if we do not use her a lot then she does does get sluggish.

This year she is going in the water in March so I may well lift her for a quick wash in July before our main holiday, if not I will certainly get her cleaned in the autumn and take the chance to check the anodes

 

[Powersalt]

Twice a year. April full haul out clean up and anti foul then out again in September for hold in slugs clean up(no anti foul) and hull polish, as we use it all year round. I think it helps props to be kept clean

 

[wipe_out]

For all year round use I am thinking that a clean off twice is needed, especially in Brighton Marina that seems to have a pretty high growth rate..

 

[Matt341]

We haven't cleaned off the bottom for over a year, usually we are lifted in October to antifoul and have the engine serviced but decided to hold off until Feb/March this year so that the hull is good for the season.

Went out for a spin today and at low cruising rev's I normally get around 20 knots, down to 15 today! Normally get out every couple of weeks but due to various commitments and the weather we haven't moved since early September. After a 20 minute blast and a couple of sharp turns the majority of the skirt had cleared away and the speed was upto 18 knots but not upto normal.

Roll on February!

 

[whisper]

Lift out and 3 coats of antifoul Feb/Mar year 1
Lift out and 1-2 coats of antifoul year 3
Then, year 5, back to year 1.
Use one of Jotun products.
We are on a drying, half-tide berth and can keep most of fouling in check, anyway, by the judicious use of a garden hoe.