barnacle scum - bottom paint or treatment?

[hank schneider]

Hey Brats
Couple of things
#1 Had a pretty serious barnacle attack - have scraped them off but there is still a calcium residue remaining. I used muric (sp) acid to clean a little section - worked well but the fumes will kill me. Is the MA supposed to be diluted?? Anything less toxic that will work?

#2 After I have it cleaned up, what's next? I trailer the boat to the ICW and will do some trips up to 14 days long. Should I be looking into bottom paint for that level of exposure? Ate there other types of treatment (like wax) that will minimize fouling or facilitate cleaning for my level of salt water exposure??

As always
Thanks for the help
Hank

[JT]

Hank,
You can and should dilute Muriatic Acid. NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID.
Always add muriatic acid to water. Wear a respirator, safety glasses, gloves and long sleeves, etc. Google Muriatic acid and understand it before using. Read the bottle, too!
I am not sure if it is a good product for Fiberglass. I use it for cleaning concrete and masonry. It is a strong acid and will burn you. It is also good stuff used properly.
I'm sure others will reply with their knowledge of its use on the hull of a C-Dory.


JT

[journey on]

Hank, I think you answered your own question. If you've got a layer of barnacles (and scraped them off,) I would guess you'll get them again.

And the ICW is a great place to get stuff on the bottom. I once left a dingy in the water for a week, and it took me all day to clean it off. Never made that mistake again.

So what do you think: bottom paint or scraping? Personally, I'd vote for bottom paint. It's not the easiest thing to put on, but it sure makes it easier to get rid of growth. 3 years ago I put 2 coats on Journey On, and I'm adding more next week. That's not too bad.

If you do it yourself, the first coat isn't easy, because one has to degrease the hull, and I put on epoxy bottom sealer. This time around, it's going to be a lot easier. Remember to get ablative paint that's meant for trailerable boats. And you don't need the best, since your boat will not be in the water continuously.

Also, if you get a cheap electric water pressure sprayer, cleaning the boat after a trip is easy.

Boris

[JamesTXSD]

We've used muriatic acid to clean boats in the past. The dilution has been anywhere from 10:1 to 4:1, depending on what needed to be cleaned. After using it on the hull, be sure to flush very thoroughly with LOTS of water and do not get any of the muriatic acid on your trailer. The recommendation for eye protection and gloves is important. You will have to rewax any areas that you used the acid on.

If you've had a problem with barnacles, besides scraping, you may have to do some sanding. We have had good success with Micron CSC Extra bottom paint as far as keeping the barnacles at bay. You still get some slime, but you can powerwash or scrub it away. Even with bottom paint, you will have to do regular cleaning. The Micron I mentioned above is favored in our area (Gulf Coast); works well with warm water and being able to have the boat in the water and on a trailer and remain effective. Check with a boatyard locally to see what they recommend.

With two weeks in the water, and moving regularly, you could probably get by without bottom paint, as long as you thoroughly clean the bottom and keep it waxed. In the PNW, we had Wild Blue in for 6 weeks when she was new with no bottom paint, and had no problem. Moving to the Gulf, we started getting critters on her within two weeks (warmer and saltier water).

Hope that helps.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[thataway]

At this point, I would consider the bottom paint, since you probably have roughened up the bottom with your scraping and cleaning. I don't normally leave the Tom Cat in the water more than 5 days without wiping the bottom down with a rough rag or a very fine nylon pad.

Normally I would suggest a 20 to 30 mil layer of epoxy barrier coat to prevent osmosis. If you are leaving the boat in the water only a few weeks at a time, you really don't need blistering protection. But when you sell the boat with bottom paint on it, the new owner may ask if epoxy was applied before the bottom paint.

I prefer not to use muriatic acid for several reasons. But it may be necessary for barnacles. For light stain, you can use oxylic acid, David Fiberglass stain remover or "Sno Bol" cleaner.

[hank schneider]

Thanks for the Ideas - I'll get some of the suggested solvents and give it a try when it warms up on Tues
Hank