Cleaning Boat Bottoms?

[MikeeH]

This may seem like a weird question but do any of you good folks use your skills to clean boat hulls or do running gear maintenance? I ask because we have a 39' Silverton in the Chesapeake Bay and if all goes well, I'll have my C Card by the end of this month. While it's not the reason I wanted to get certified I do realize that being able to use my scuba skills to clean the bottom of the boat or check running gear while she's still in the water is a huge advantage. Just wondering what you would use to clean the bottom of a boat? I'm guessing a big, stiff brush and suction cup grab handle. Are there any other tricks/dangers that I should know?
TIA

 

[robh]

I did it for a friend once (okay a girl I worked with in high school). It sucks as work. You get dirty, zero viz... you may get the picture. Even if you move the boat to open water I imagine it's no fun, but in the marina it's just plain nasty. I used a big putty knife but I imagine there are more effecient tools.

 

[drdiver1952]

I do it for a friend of mine. We use a car washing brush (one of those ones you can attach to a hose--but of course we don't use a hose. I use a putty knife too for the c*** on the waterline. Tie the knife to a lanyard--if you lose it--it's gone--vis in marinas is zero.

 

[jumbo]

be sure to check your local regs, in Washington its illegal to clean the hull of a boat while its still in the water

JUMBO

 

[cudachaser]

Wear a hood...barnacles are free swimming as you scrap them off...I got one in my ear once...bad experience.... really painfull, washed him out with alcohol (rubbing kind)

 

[dpbishop]

The tools you use depend on the condition of the bottom. If the bottom paint is new (0-3 months) just use a rag or sponge, as the paint will still be soft and anything more abrasive will remove too much paint. A large nylon scrub pad fom the hardware store seems to work best on older bottoms; if you have to use a scrapper you need new paint. The cooper in the paint is what keeps the growth off, so try not to remove more paint than necessary. If you are going to do it on a regular basis, consider getting a "hookah" rig or a long hose for your regulator so you can leave the tank on the dock. I crew on a racing yacht. The owner has a professional clean the bottom before each regatta but I still dive it to get the spots they miss. I don't wear gloves so I can check for rough spots that might need sanding. You probably don't need to be that obsessive on a power boat.

 

[RumBum]

I haven't cleaned a boat bottom, but here is a thought... wouldn't you want to get under the boat and inflate your BC so that you're pushed up against the bottom of the boat? I think I have heard that somewhere. It seems like that would make the task easier.

 

[devolution365]

Divers performing hull maintenance, diving in common fishing areas or on shipwrecks should always carry a pair shears for cutting through items that a knife cannot handle.

From: http://www.scubadiving.com/training/lessons_for_life/diver_hooked/

Your question brought to mind this story. Obviously, other things were at play here, like the diver going down without enough air, but the lesson quoted above may be a good one to take. Dunno. I'm definitely not experienced in this area. I'm just "hooked" on reading these "Lessons For Life" for some reason...

 

[The Horn]

The biggest issue to be concerned about beyond the safe scuba diving is securing the boat so that NO ONE can start up anything on board. You should actually be able to apply a pad lock to the controls or the power circuits to prevent anyone from starting the vessel, moving the rudders or operating on board machinery. You also don't want anyone loading or off loading heavy gear or in any way changing the trim or vessels draft. It may seem simple but lots of divers have been killed or severly injured when someone decided to "test" something or rocked the boat unexpectidly.

If the boat is in a busy marina or in an area where other boaters wake can cause the vessel your cleaning to move I would caution about diving beneath it. Also take heed as to the depth of water below the keel. You get under something that only has three of four feet and disaster can happen quickly.

Also you don't want any auxilliaries running like a gen set or anything that draws intake water from overboard. Your scrapping and cleaning will just foul up the intake and could cause you some injury if you get too close.

There is probably alot more like having top side supervision etc so play safe....

 

[Bob3]

In addition to the above, I'd recommend a drysuit, that bottom paint is a bit toxic.
Watch out for stray voltage too, an electrical cord dangling in the water has been known to outright cook a diver. If the marina has a GFI on the main its not so bad, but there are a lot of places that don't even have GFIs on the dockside power connections.