Out for a scrub + antifoul and back in a day ?

[Pirx]

Back in the day one of the 'joys' of the East Coast was spludging about in t'mud scrubbing and antifouling between tides. Recent experience has been a winter ashore so I'm uncertain about doing this again in a day, and of course one is older and less athletic/enthusiastic ....

The Moody is at Stranraer, has not been out of the water for two years, so is probably well barnacled. Skipper thinks we can lift out, clean the hull, antifoul and go back in the water the same day. I worry about this, partly as two years ago I slapped red oxide primer on some rusty keel patches ......

So questions are: how sensible is this ? will the antifouling cope with being immerse shortly after application ? any experience of the best antifouling for the Clyde area ( we are a slow, bumbling, cruising outfit so don't need anything too shiny ) ?

 

[VicS]

Check the Technical Data Sheet for the minimum drying time before immersion

Likely to be something like 10hours at 20C, 18 hours at 10C, and 24 hours at 5C.

 

[billyfish]

Do it in 2 tides. Much less stress

 

[Neeves]

The devil is in the detail.

Who is going to conduct the power wash, if its you - you will be exhausted once completed and not very enthusiastic to paint the first coat and even less enthusiastic to complete the second coat.

How many will be doing the work, are you replacing anodes.

If anything unscheduled occurs the yard may have committed for other yachts and they may not be keen to delay your return to the water. Can you guarantee it will not rain.....

I'd suggest some wriggle room might be appropriate.

The whole exercise is expensive, not least the AF itself. The quality you achieve will partially dictate the life of the AF - I'd invest in the time.

Jonathan

 

[NormanS]

Historically, scrubbing and antifouling was done between tides. If it worked before, why not now? Obviously if you want a first class job, with the bottom all smooth and shiny, you want to be lifted right out, but for a non racing boat, there's nothing wrong with a quick scrape, scrub, and slap. Changing anodes shouldn't take more than a minute or two.

 

[ash2020]

A few years ago, we dried out in Oban, replaced 4 seacocks and did a coat of antifoul, all on one tide. It was quite nerve wracking, I have to admit but I got lots of replacement parts, most of which I didn't use, and had everything to hand, ready.

 

[shortjohnsilver]

I generally plan for two tides.
Get into the water as soon as I can without filling my boots and start scraping away, whilst the barnacles and other growth are still wet. Then go at it with the pressure washer and see exactly what needs to be done, whether there is any filling repair work necessary, keel, bow thruster etc. Once that’s done and I’m happy with things, I’ll primicon the repair areas and anywhere else that needs it.
I’ll then slow things down a bit, deal with the anodes and pay some attention to the prop, as the tide returns.
See her up and over the tide and then see her back down again safely.
This is always in the middle of the night!
Early morning as soon as the tides gone, I’ll get back down under the boat and fresh wash the hull and leave to dry. Breakfast.
Then I’ve got pretty much eight hours to apply a good coat of anti foul, second coat leading edges, water line, rudder and keel.
Once happy, sit back and wait on the returning high and get off as soon as she floats.
Works for me. I don’t need to rush and and can deal with unexpected stuff that reveals itself on scrubbing off.
36 foot AWB with wing keel.
Do this two sometimes three times a year, dependent on how long I have had her out for annual stuff, which generally is only for three or four weeks.

 

[dunedin]

We did an overnight lift and hold to do the antifoul at Largs for many years, without any apparent adverse consequences - other than the problem of the area covered by the lift straps.
Needs to be a moderately warm evening and not pouring rain.

 

[Neeves]

If you have a sail drive and folding prop it will take slightly, think ... considerably, more than a few minutes to change the anodes - but if you have done this previously - you will know this.

Jonathan

 

[oldgit]

We have set of drying blocks at our MoBo club which normally allows around 7 dry hours out of the water.
Apart from emergencies, ropes round props and similar stuff, most club members will use the blocks on a annual basis.
A worrying few on the premise that when the boat finally becomes impossible to move through the water due to fouling it eventually goes on the blocks, usually some horror stories in the anode dept on these boats.
As soon as the tide has dropped enough to expose the hull of the boat we are fortunate enough to have very powerful jetwash able to remove 99.99 % of fouling. .....and loose A/F, normally takes less than an hour to complete.
Old anodes changed , in my case 6 or 7 anodes to be swapped.
The hull usually is now already dry and ready to be masked up with some cleaning of props/shafts and rudders to remove last vestiges of crud .
Providing the jet wash has revealed a sound surface for new A/F to be applied, a decent single thick coat of whatever A/F has been previously purchased will be rollered on.
This normally dries as you apply it.
The keen and well heeled might apply a complete second coat or a quick lick around the water line if anything left in a tin.
A couple of hours blimming hard graft for somebody on their own , lots easier with chum.
If any energy left perhaps the hull gets a quick going over with Oxalic .
There real drag is waiting for the tide to come back to float the boat back off the blocks, it always seems to take forever.
Have never ever bothered with any undercoats or primers when changing from one brand or type of A/F to another just slapped it on top of whatever was on there from last time.
From observations the A/F has remained securely stuck to the hull despite being immersed considerably sooner than that suggested on any of the tins.


Have never yet failed to complete the jobs in a single tide.

 

[Mudisox]

What a really good bit of kit.

 

[38mess]

We have set of drying blocks at our MoBo club which normally allows around 7 dry hours out of the water.
Apart from emergencies, ropes round props and similar stuff, most club members will use the blocks on a annual basis.
A worrying few on the premise that when the boat finally becomes impossible to move through the water due to fouling it eventually goes on the blocks, usually some horror stories in the anode dept on these boats.
As soon as the tide has dropped enough to expose the hull of the boat we are fortunate enough to have very powerful jetwash able to remove 99.99 % of fouling. .....and loose A/F, normally takes less than an hour to complete.
Old anodes changed , in my case 6 or 7 anodes to be swapped.
The hull usually is now already dry and ready to be masked up with some cleaning of props/shafts and rudders to remove last vestiges of crud .
Providing the jet wash has revealed a sound surface for new A/F to be applied, a decent single thick coat of whatever A/F has been previously purchased will be rollered on.
This normally dries as you apply it.
The keen and well heeled might apply a complete second coat or a quick lick around the water line if anything left in a tin.
A couple of hours blimming hard graft for somebody on their own , lots easier with chum.
If any energy left perhaps the hull gets a quick going over with Oxalic .
There real drag is waiting for the tide to come back to float the boat back off the blocks, it always seems to take forever.
Have never ever bothered with any undercoats or primers when changing from one brand or type of A/F to another just slapped it on top of whatever was on there from last time.
From observations the A/F has remained securely stuck to the hull despite being immersed considerably sooner than that suggested on any of the tins.


Have never yet failed to complete the jobs in a single tide.

That is truly amazing. You managed to transform the boat as well

 

[vyv_cox]

Just a point about the drying times and antifouling effectiveness. For many years we have antifouled with the boat in the cradle, usually the day before launch. Once the boat is hanging in the slings I paint the squares where the cradle supports were, sometimes with a brush, sometimes a roller. I usually get two coats on, walking round the squares consecutively with no waiting between. Launching then takes place within about 10 minutes.

At the end of the season there is no noticeable difference in fouling between the squares and the rest of the hull.

 

[oldgit]

What a really good bit of kit.

£45.00 a day for club members.
Do know we pinched the idea from elsewhere .

 

[Scubadoo]

Just a point about the drying times and antifouling effectiveness. For many years we have antifouled with the boat in the cradle, usually the day before launch. Once the boat is hanging in the slings I paint the squares where the cradle supports were, sometimes with a brush, sometimes a roller. I usually get two coats on, walking round the squares consecutively with no waiting between. Launching then takes place within about 10 minutes.

At the end of the season there is no noticeable difference in fouling between the squares and the rest of the hull.

Same here, I paint the patches with a brush (one coat) where the supports/cradles were and the boat is launched within an hour while the paint is still wet. Never noticed any issues and it is common practice for boats on the hard being launched.

 

[Pirx]

Thank you all, hugely helpful, especially oldgit. We shall do it in a day ....... possibly