What are the consequences of not A/F when not in use?

[OAF]

It might sound like a daft question and the obvious answer is tat the bottom will become really fouled up;

Here's my dilemma.

Boat is 43ft planning hull with shafts, A/F 12 months ago, lifted and cleaned off in September last year, at that point it had lost a few bits of the A/F here and there, anodes were all in good condition.

Boat not been used since October last year, Took the boat out last weekend and it had lost a couple of knots of its top end so some fouling evident, but looking around the hull it wasn't too bad.

This year I will hardly be taking the boat out as I have some other big commitments and if I do it will only be on very short trips and only a couple of times if I am lucky.

Would you bother having it lifted and A/F now or, A. Leave it until later in the year, B, leave it until next year?

Cheers
Simon

 

[oGaryo]

as long as I was confident the anodes hadn't perished, I'd leave it and sort out later in the year doing the work a week or so prior to the period you know you'll be using her the most.

 

[Bandit]

You are probably burning 20 to 30% more fuel per mile.

Did you change your anodes in September ? if not you are endangering the skin fittings, valves, props, shafts, ropecutters and trimtabs with electrolytic corrosion.

What are your stergear, ropecutters, cutless bearings like?

 

[Nick_H]

If you've only lost 2 knots, then its probably just the props which are fouled, so you could get a diver to clean them before you use the boat. Hull anti foul doesn't suddenly stop working, it just gets gradually less effective, so you may lose some performance through the season. If you have a main holiday on the boat, get it lifted and scrubbed just before, Sealift is a good cheap option if you're Solent based.

You need to check your anodes again though.

 

[benjenbav]

If you've only lost 2 knots, then its probably just the props which are fouled, so you could get a diver to clean them before you use the boat. Hull anti foul doesn't suddenly stop working, it just gets gradually less effective, so you may lose some performance through the season. If you have a main holiday on the boat, get it lifted and scrubbed just before, Sealift is a good cheap option if you're Solent based.

You need to check your anodes again though.

+1

I would add that, the water temperature in the Solent isn't high enough yet for really exciting growth, so from that point of view it's not going to get much worse for the next month. If it was me I'd have the boat lifted now, anodes replaced and might as well scrub at the same time and then be prepared to have another lift + scrub in July or just before some major use.

If I was confident in the anodes I would leave it all for a couple of months.

 

[OAF]

Thanks guys for your replies

I had the anodes replaced 12 months ago, so I reckon that might be the only issue, I really doubt that I will get much use out of the boat this year at all, but maybe if I do have a week later in the year then that will be the time for a lift, scrub and general check, and this winter I might leave it out of the water and get the jobs done then, if no harm is being done to the hull leaving it then I don't see the point in wasting money!

 

[epervier]

Another vote for the use of Sealift2, cheap, quick and great service.