Remember that antifouling idea? A big 'bag' round the yacht.

[Greenheart]

Not sure whether I dreamed this, now. I've certainly never seen it in marinas, so possibly it was a 'clever' idea of my own, or somebody equally impractical...

In effect, it consisted of a big plastic sack: long, wide and deep enough to park your boat in. The 'sack' was prevented from sinking by an inflatable rim.

Somehow, the sack could be zipped and unzipped to allow the yacht's entry/exit, but once sealed, a few drips of antifouling added inside the 'chamber' could eliminate organisms therein, preventing any growth on the hull.

Seemed like a pretty efficient way to concentrate antifouling on the body of water around the hull, rather than blitzing everything that the hull encounters on a mooring...

...then again, I haven't seen/heard of its use for fifteen years. Was it a daydream?

 

[Elemental]

Not sure whether I dreamed this, now. I've certainly never seen it in marinas, so possibly it was a 'clever' idea of my own, or somebody equally impractical...

In effect, it consisted of a big plastic sack: long, wide and deep enough to park your boat in. The 'sack' was prevented from sinking by an inflatable rim.

Somehow, the sack could be zipped and unzipped to allow the yacht's entry/exit, but once sealed, a few drips of antifouling added inside the 'chamber' could eliminate organisms therein, preventing any growth on the hull.

Seemed like a pretty efficient way to concentrate antifouling on the body of water around the hull, rather than blitzing everything that the hull encounters on a mooring...

...then again, I haven't seen/heard of its use for fifteen years. Was it a daydream?

I remember reading about that too. Never seen one in the real world tho.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Wouldn't this sort of thing be better, but with a slot for the keel?

 

[Greenheart]

Wouldn't this sort of thing be better, but with a slot for the keel?

For a moment I thought the speedboat just had an alcoholic skipper. But that does look like a good idea...at least, in marinas...I'm not sure if several hundred polythene platforms would look pretty enough, to be approved by our natural-harbour conservancy bodies.

I wonder if the 'drip of biocide in a bag' solution proved less effective/efficient than conventional painted-on antifouling? Hard to imagine that the cost, labour and fairly short lifespan of the trad method, couldn't be improved upon.

Maybe the bag idea was too good...and the inventor was bought-out by International, or Hempel, to keep it quiet?

 

[neale]

I have certainly seen the bags at international trade shows, but never for sale in the UK. I'll keep an eye out when I next go and find out more info about them.

 

[Keen_Ed]

Called boatbags. Available here: http://www.boatbag.com.au/ and here: http://www.boatbath.co/index.html

Bound to be others. Downside is that you have to treat the water in the bag - chlorine, or similar - which you then release into the sea when you leave.

 

[neale]

Called boatbags. Available here: http://www.boatbag.com.au/ and here: http://www.boatbath.co/index.html

Bound to be others. Downside is that you have to treat the water in the bag - chlorine, or similar - which you then release into the sea when you leave.

There is a page on that website all about the use of chlorine in very small quantities but suggests that the bag would also work without by providing a closed environment. This makes sense to m as any fouling needs food/oxygen and the closed off bag would limit the amount of this available.

 

[Lakesailor]

For a moment I thought the speedboat just had an alcoholic skipper. But that does look like a good idea...at least, in marinas...I'm not sure if several hundred polythene platforms would look pretty enough, to be approved by our natural-harbour conservancy bodies.

There was of those bonkers "Buy a House Somewhere You've Never Been Before" sort of programmes on 't' telly a couple of months ago in Florida and the place was built around a canal system. Every house had boats on floating docks like that. See Here

 

[Deleted member 36384]

The amount of sailing that some boats do would probably result in a sulphuric soup of dead organisms that disolved the gell coat.

 

[prv]

There was of those bonkers "Buy a House Somewhere You've Never Been Before" sort of programmes on 't' telly a couple of months ago in Florida and the place was built around a canal system. Every house had boats on floating docks like that.

Sounds a bit like Hythe "Marina Village", or the northern side of Port Solent.

There used to be a RIB on a piece of Versadock like that at Kemp's, though it's moved away now.

Pete

 

[dabsolute470]

might be ok until you flush the loo or start the genny....lol

 

[wizard]

Wouldn't this sort of thing be better, but with a slot for the keel?

Ken, you might just be on to something with this idea !!

 

[agurney]

Called boatbags. Available here: http://www.boatbag.com.au/ and here: http://www.boatbath.co/index.html

Bound to be others. Downside is that you have to treat the water in the bag - chlorine, or similar - which you then release into the sea when you leave.

Presumably would work with fresh water as well, and there's (usually) enough rain in this neck of the woods to flush much of the salt water out of the bag.
When I was based in Bellanoch (Crinan Canal) I managed several years without needing antifouling due to the continual change between fresh and salt water.

 

[Greenheart]

Presumably would work with fresh water as well, and there's (usually) enough rain in this neck of the woods to flush much of the salt water out of the bag.
When I was based in Bellanoch (Crinan Canal) I managed several years without needing antifouling due to the continual change between fresh and salt water.

Is that right? Really? Can the seawater organisms which attack hulls, not tolerate fresh water? I never knew that.

 

[onesea]

Is it not a case that you will have to spend more time cleaning the weed of the outside of the bag? You could end up with one hell of a mess...

Sadly in the river I am in with plenty of fresh water coming down the change over manges both... Kills the Anti fouling then the weeds and crustations really start

 

[Greenheart]

Is it not a case that you will have to spend more time cleaning the weed of the outside of the bag? You could end up with one hell of a mess...

Sadly in the river I am in with plenty of fresh water coming down the change over manges both... Kills the Anti fouling then the weeds and crustations really start

Reminds me of...Crocodile Dundee, was it? Something about an Australian river where the swimmers needn't be afraid of sharks...because the crocodiles ate the sharks...

 

[onesea]

Reminds me of...Crocodile Dundee, was it? Something about an Australian river where the swimmers needn't be afraid of sharks...because the crocodiles ate the sharks...

I have always felt for the diver I read about who went diving on a reef in Aus only to get mauled by a SW Croc...

Less of a thread drift the bags reminds me of a pollution drill I was involved in the manufactures of next latest oil pollution booms was there.
I asked if they worked?
He said oh yeah..
What the skimmers and everything?
His reply: The oil tends to collect stick to everything and you end up with a sticky mess, it still collects it though....

 

[ChattingLil]

Was it a daydream?

I have day dreams like that too - usually about an automatic car wash for boats. A sail through boat wash! Heaven!

 

[lustyd]

I have day dreams like that too - usually about an automatic car wash for boats. A sail through boat wash! Heaven!

Like the ones in Cowes and Gosport?

 

[DaveS]

Is that right? Really? Can the seawater organisms which attack hulls, not tolerate fresh water? I never knew that.

When I visited the Vasa, which is Stockholm's "must see", it was explained that one of the reasons for its very good state of preservation is that the water in the archipelago is brackish and suits neither fresh nor salt water species so there are very few organisms.