Without antifoul - how long till the bottom gets growth?

[Garold]

My new boat is a Beneteau Antares 8.80 with x2 150hp Suzuki outboards, and I have decided to keep it on the drystack at Swanwick Marina on the Hamble river.

I have not antifouled the boat because we are on the drystack. I would change this if say next year we keep the boat in a marina.

We expect to use the boat mainly at weekends perhaps staying in the water a couple of days max. Since the drystack power wash the hull at each lift out, I am sure that we should keep a clean hull. I have had the whole boat cleaned and waxed thoroughly and intend to do so every 6 months or so, which I hope will help when power washing.

However, I was just pondering what may happen when we want to use the boat for say a couple of weeks in the summer. I'm not too sure how quickly one would expect any significant, performance sapping growth/slime one gets over a couple of weeks. And how hard it is to remove.

Does anyone have any idea how long we can stay in the water without causing a nasty cleaning job?

Thanks

Garold

 

[kashurst]

In the uk with regular use over a two - three week period you wont get very much at all. Nothing a good jet wash won't shift easily.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

My first boat was a Searay 180CB speedboat, which I kept on a trailer at home. One summer I kept it in the water at Brighton, and I found that after about four weeks it was beginning to foul up. I would have thought a couple of weeks in the water would be fine.

 

[Nick_H]

It varies from year to year, and also depends greatly on where the boat is. This is an untreated boat after 6 weeks in Lymington River last year. I used it about two weeks into this, and the speed was certainly down already. Having said that I wouldn't go to the cost and hassle of antifoul if you only plan to have it in the water for two weeks a year. Better to just find a cheap lift and scrub mid-holiday if you find you need it.

 

[han34]

I know from experience that even at two week's you will start to get barnacles, these can be cleaned off without a problem. If i leave my tender in the water for more than a week it will start to get fouled. This is the summer in the channel when the water is warm. Last year I left the tender afloat for ten days in Normandy and had quite a few barnicles. So two weeks will be fine but you will need to clean off.

 

[rwoofer]

From tender experience in the height of summer I would also say about a week without usage is the longest. If used every day than you can double that at least.

 

[Garold]

Thanks for the replies so far.

We will probably be moving every day or two so it looks like a couple of weeks should be fine.

If I can avoid anti fouling I want to do so.

Garold

 

[mm1]

The other thing to remember is that fouling is a lot easier to clean off antifoul paint than gel coat. You will be amazed at how quickly fouling will effect your boat. And how stuck on it can get.
I would suggest for longer stays in the water then a good hull polish should help.
MM1.

 

[Nick_H]

I wonder if it would help to wipe the hull with some thick grease or wax before launch?

 

[Marine Reflections]

I wonder if it would help to wipe the hull with some thick grease or wax before launch?

Yes, definitely!
If kept without anti-foul it should really be in the same condition as the other surfaces, highly polished and waxed.

Under the water Collinite 915 seems to work well, but it is as tough as old boots so a pain to apply in this cold.

As it has been washed off but highly unlikely dried, there is probably some water scale spots on the surface, so a descale prior to application would serve you well.

It it won't be long before a wipe on application will replace conventional anti fouling I'm certain, or even an additive in the gel coat that rises to the surface of the gel on curing and offers a super hydrophobic state.

 

[BartW]

this was last summer, after 5 weeks leaving the boat in salt water, (unexpectedly while having a trailer problem)
she wasnt used in that period

at the time In Croatia we left her afloat for approx 4 weeks,
that was about the maximum period, before having too much growth / speed slowing down / getting it off with pressure wash