Leaving boat in water without antifoul

[jimi]

I've a mate who divides his time between New Zealand and the UK, he's just bought a boat in NZ and is leaving it in the water on his mooring. It is not antifouled and he will lift, clean and antifoul when he returns to NZ in 6 months time. Will he potentially damage the hull by leaving it unantifouled in warmish sea water ?

 

[mjcoon]

If it is GRP, perhaps he should worry about the famous polyestermites?

 

[Blueboatman]

He might need a tow to the travel lift

 

[ChromeDome]

I think he is about to learn the hard way, what antifoul does: Prevent fouling.

Use your boat ~ Boating NZ

 

[johnalison]

Not really, but if there are many barnacles their removal might need some aggressive work on them.

 

[Blueboatman]

Is it true that after 7 years no more barnacles will attach?

 

[KevinV]

Is it true that after 7 years no more barnacles will attach?

Yes - they get musseled out

 

[Rappey]

On bare gelcoat the weed will be a nightmare to clean off after 6 months. Its difficult enough cleaning it off above the water line.
I would slap a basic coat on just so its easier to clean off later.

 

[penfold]

On bare gelcoat the weed will be a nightmare to clean off after 6 months. Its difficult enough cleaning it off above the water line.
I would slap a basic coat on just so its easier to clean off later.

Yes, even a single coat of cheap rubbishy ablative AF would help when the time comes to get it all off.

 

[ChromeDome]

For 6 months I'd consider putting it on the hard - also for peace of mind.

 

[jimi]

For 6 months I'd consider putting it on the hard - also for peace of mind.

Apparently that is not an option!

 

[Blueboatman]

The university of life beckons …

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The university of life beckons …

When he graduates, he’ll have the user name ‘Greenboatman’.

 

[Fossil]

You don't say where in NZ the guy will be leaving his boat. But almost anywhere there's a harbour will be a heavy fouling area. I'd go with the suggestion of doing a quick and dirty cheapo brush-over with ablative paint before leaving it. I have just done my 28-footer which is kept in Wellington and it took about an hour to get one coat onto all the bits that matter. I shudder to think what his boat will look like in six months if he doesn't do anything. He'll probably have to get a haul-out done though, as the tides aren't big enough to do it on a hardstanding. Nevertheless, it is worth doing.

 

[mjcoon]

When he graduates, he’ll have the user name ‘Greenboatman’.

Can you graduate? I'm not sure I believe in postgrad courses...

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Can you graduate? I'm not sure I believe in postgrad courses...

I must admit that all my ‘university of life’ experiences have been more ‘crash and burn’ than graduation.

 

[Stemar]

The next six months in NZ will be winter and early spring, not the time when the fouling is at its worst so, personally I'd be quite happy with the idea.

My old boat had been coppercoated, but neither that nor any of the antifouls I tried were any good on my drying mooring, so I gave up and just scrubbed off a couple of times during the season. During six months of winter she was just left to become an SSSI and she got a scrub quickly in the spring before anyone could complain about the wildlife I was murdering.

I reckon the boat in ChromeDome's photo was sitting for a good bit longer than six months, and antifoul doesn't work anyway if the boat isn't used - from CD's article: When marine pests attach to a hull the biocides can’t be released – they are essentially blocked by the fouling. A boat lying in a marina for months – even with the best antifoul – he says, is a sitting duck.

 

[38mess]

I once had a fresh water mooring. On haul out time just a thin coat of slime and a few barnacles were evident. A quick power wash soon shifted this. I only antifouled once in 5 years, and that was only because the paint was coming off in areas.
Salt water is a different matter.

 

[Mister E]

Photos did not show

 

[jac]

I once had a fresh water mooring. On haul out time just a thin coat of slime and a few barnacles were evident. A quick power wash soon shifted this. I only antifouled once in 5 years, and that was only because the paint was coming off in areas.
Salt water is a different matter.

Previous boat was kept in Chichester marina where i understand the water is brackish. That seems like a good position - The weeds that will prosper in the fresh / brackish water get killed by the sale when the boat goes out and any wee beasties that set up home when the boat is on her travels get killed off by the fresh / brackish water.