Removing antifouling

[wells01]

I have a 36' hillyard. Spring antifouling becomes harder as one gets older. I have always used scrapers to remove antifouling. Would carefull use of a jetwash be an acceptable way of getting it off. Many thanks.

 

[Peterduck]

I certainly concur with the difficulty of removing antifouling , and how it gets worse each year. I only ever tried to remove any antifouling which was actually fairly loose, and came away easily. Any which was securely attached to the boat stayed there. This meant that I didn't achieve the glossy finish beloved of the hotshot racers, but as I was dealing with an 88-year old fishing boat I didn't think that a little irregularity in the finish would matter. This was after the hull had been pressure -washed as soon as it emerged from the water. That was very effective in removing the slime and weed, but not the paint. You will notice that I am speaking in the past tense; the boat now has a new custodian, who will look after the antifouling while I sleep better.
Peter.

 

[wells01]

Thanks for the reply. It is actually the weed that gives the most trouble. Im glad to hear that you used a pressure washer. I will certainly give it a try next spring.
Many thanks

 

[Porthandbuoy]

I suggest you take great care if using a pressure washer. It's one thing to sluice off a few molluscs and a bit of slime, quite another to strip back antifoul. You will almost certainly strip the red (or white) lead putty out of your seams and may even remove the caulking. The likelyhood of the latter happening increases the longer the boat is out of the water and the planks begin to dry out.

 

[oldfrank]

Quick, gentle pressure wash when she comes out in October - random orbital sander before repainting. Usually rollered.
Seventy year old wooden hull, stickyflexed underwater seams.