Marine Growth (barnacles etc)

[Fulmarjon]

At risk of displaying my extreme ignorance could anybody enlighten me about the rate of marine growth. I keep my boat in the water all year round and am planning lifting her out for a scrub but would like some idea of whether or not marine growth in the Solent is constant throughout the year or whether, like my lawn in June, it grows disproportionately during certain months of the year. I have tried some internet research to find this out but have not been successful.

Again, apologies for my extreme ignorance but any enlightenment would be much appreciated

 

[prv]

It can be very variable, both from one place to another and from one year to the next. Word is that it's on the bad side this year due to the mild winter.

Pete

 

[lpdsn]

As prv says, very variable.

Some critters seem to like particular marinas; others particular anti-fouls. They probably even have a good food guide that covers the anti-foul on your boat.

Remember the water temperature peaks in the Autumn, which would tend to encourage growth even as the level of sunlight is falling.

 

[flawed_logic]

It can be very variable, both from one place to another and from one year to the next. Word is that it's on the bad side this year due to the mild winter.

Pete

Concur with that, deployed the wet suit twice this year already. Anti foul is shot about 2 months early.

 

[johnalison]

This has been a bad year for us, in spite of using Optima again. I read somewhere that barnacles spawn, or whatever they do, in April, so antifouling or launching after that should help. On the other hand, I once towed my Avon dinghy around for three weeks in July and was amazed to see it covered with barnacles when I turned it over. Of no particular relevance is the well-known fact that barnacles have the largest penises in proportion to their size of any animal, and they were the subject of study by Darwin for much of his working life.

 

[blackbeard]

As already stated, fouling is very variable from one place, season etc to the next; I think they do it to confuse us.
It does seem to me that weed grows much more readily in sunlight so a prolonged sunny period will make it worse. I don't know if this applies to animal life (eg sea squirts, mussels and good ol' barnacles). Also, fouling - well, weed anyway - seems to be much worse when a boat isn't used, so one answer is to keep the boat moving.

 

[Sybarite]

At risk of displaying my extreme ignorance could anybody enlighten me about the rate of marine growth. I keep my boat in the water all year round and am planning lifting her out for a scrub but would like some idea of whether or not marine growth in the Solent is constant throughout the year or whether, like my lawn in June, it grows disproportionately during certain months of the year. I have tried some internet research to find this out but have not been successful.

Again, apologies for my extreme ignorance but any enlightenment would be much appreciated

I scrubbed the bottom of Sybaris at the end of the season but did not antifoul because I expected to do that in the Spring.

5 bucket-fulls of barnacles on a 30' hull in that space of time.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Licata last winter within a month of being in the marina boats had barnacles hanging off them , come the time to leave some boat prop wouldn't turn , other had to be tow away from berth , one guy who we met later told us he sail away but could only manage 2 kts , we have copper coat and we got lifted out in Tunisia , it didn't stop them sticking to our copper coat in places .
Last place I every go again
There three fish farms in the harbour , there may have something to do with it .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[Birdseye]

Cant see any reason why the solent should be different time wise . Elsewhere we usually reckon on a mid season scrub early/mid june because weed growth after that is much slower.

As for tha amount of growth, well with the quantity of water born bull**** there is in the solent, I guess the growth will be well fertilised and pretty thick.

 

[Sandy]

It changes year to year. On the Exe last year I had zero, this year I have just removed enough mussels to feed a family of four for a month (note to self get out on the boat more often).