Hull Cleaning Information

[offthewall1]

See my post under "Help Wanted" then check out KB Diver Services

I currently offer a PSAI approved course "In Water Boat Maintenance" for in-water hull cleaning. The course deals with everything you need to know to make a business out of it. Diving in contaminated waters (like harbors), electrical hazards, bacterial hazards, injury hazards (from barnacles, line cutters etc...) insurance regulations & requirements, how to price your services, prop changing, zinc anode changing, intake cleaning etc... etc...

If you're looking to make a move... I have a ready built business for sale.

I will tell you that if you do any kind of business at all - avoid hookah systems (Marina's and their boaters do not want the noise - they're there to relax.) A hookah on a tank is fine... but not practical if you do as many boats as we do. In other words, it requires you to get out of the water to do a boat two slips over or across the other side of the dock... lines get tangled on things and you have to double back etc... There is nothing better than a tank on your back for active boat cleaning business. With that said, I recommend using smaller tanks such as AL50's or 63's. I can usually do as many as 4 40 ft. boats on one AL63 before I have to change out.

Best of luck... and Be Safe.

 

[offthewall1]

Salt water is a better conductor of electricity which is why you are safer when working in it.

In fresh water, the salt content of your body is the only conductor available to the stray current... and you will get the complete impact of the shock.

In salt water, stray current has many avenues to travel. It will dissapate througout the entire body of water... leaving less current to hit you.

In fresh water, there is the chance of what is called Electrical Paralysys. Even if covered in neoprene, if you become surrounded within a stray electrical current (field) and make contact with the metals (prop shaft etc...) you will most likely be temporarily paralyzed and you will drown while perfectly awake and aware of what is going on. There are many documented cases of this in fresh water. Not just for divers, but for swimmers swimming in fresh water in proximity to boats and piers.

To remove this possibility, it is recommended to unplug shore power from boats in fresh water prior to working on them and to make sure you do not stray under the piers if applicable.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Chuck,

I have a pretty good handle on electrical hazards except for your distinction between fresh & salt. Isn't saltwater a better conductor? Being in the water you will be grounded. If the boat is wired improperly there is a chance of current flow from any bonded item (zincs, steel hull, running gear) to ground. If a diver (encased in wet neoprene) touches one of these "hot" surfaces the likelyhood of electric shock should be minimal as current will follow the path of least resistance. I would expect that to be the surrounding water not the wet neoprene.

I do see the risk of coming in contact with defective wiring or fixtures while exiting the water.
If you have one foot in the water and grab an exposed hot wire you are definitely in trouble!!

So, there is my "textbook" understanding. What is it like in the real world?

As to the marketing side. I have seen people placing doorhangers advertising services on boats in a marina down in Santa Monica. I expect that this is quite common. I think that offering something special to first time customers and showing them when you perform the service that you provide a superior service. The question would be: what to offer that will set me apart from the others (in a good way) ??

As to the Brownie's unit. It uses a tank secured to a kayak. No noise. I thought the kayak may make a good staging point for tools etc.

If I can clean a 40' boat hull & gear in two hours and charge $150 I would need to average about 40 boats a month to cover supplies, insurance, office overhead(minimal), marketing and make a reasonable wage. Maybe even throw a little into the cruising kitty.

I am currently living in NW Arizona. Not a huge amount of potential business here. Nor is the diving & sailing that great. We do have 3 lakes in the region with marinas that are anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours drive from here. I have my home for sale and when it finally sells I am headed for the ocean. Most likely either Southern California or Seattle area. Anybody want to buy a house in AZ??

I am thinking that I may try to find someone who is offering these services in my area and offer to work for free one day a week to learn the ropes.

 

[underboats]

Steve,
That's also some good advice from "Offthewall1". I think his business is about 50 miles up the bay from where I work. I have seen some people use bc's and tanks and we did for a few years but it just seemed more of a hassle and I was always fearful that the other divers would hit somebodies boat with a tank. Also almost every marina I work in has a floating dock and without the tank on my back I can just kick once and be up on the dock. Just two different styles..both work. As for leaving flyers or tags on boats, it depends on how the marinas are where you are located. Here where I am it is considered advertising and they don't allow it. I was able to put cards in the office in the beginning and that helped. It seems once you get working in a marina you will just pick up business, certainly if you are there later in the day when most of the boaters are around.

Come to the east coat and buy "Offthewall's" business...at least you get a break during the winter

Chuck

 

[Piro]

Here in GA, i clean some boats on the lake, or did when still had some water, while it is fresh waters, so no barnacles grow on the bottoms, the algae is ridiculous. I found the best to get it off was with a square of carpet and that was that, attached to a Velcro pad, and then stick it on a handle, and boom, a nice brush which isn't too abrasive, especially on the race boats that always need there bottom squeaky clean.

 

[ItsBruce]

As far as bottom cleaning in Marina Del Rey, it is a very competitive area and in my experience, people who find a diver they like don't tend to change. In 21 years I've had only 3 different divers, with the current one having been with me for something like 10+ years. Also note: none of the divers in MDR is getting particularly wealthy due to the number of them.

 

[eyeswideopen]

I've been reading this post because I was thinking about doing some hull cleaning on the side in Connecticut this summer. After doing some research it seems like you can go as big as you want with underwater maintenance, but that most companies offer at the most basic level hull cleaning, zinc replacement, and an inspection report, with possible photography. My question is: What is zinc replacement, what does it entail, and why is it important. Thanks for any help.

 

[james croft]

Here is a link to a short thread about stray currents found in marinas that was in the public safety diving section a couple of years ago. It may be of some use:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/public-safety-divers/130026-stray-electricity-hazards.html

 

[Blake]

does anyone know of any company that clean boats this way in SW Ontario? me and a buddy were talking about doing this up here but we don't have many race or large yacht type boats, just wondering if it would work up here? and if anyone had any info about the business, i don't think there is any zinc used on boats up here that would need to be changed but not sure. any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[underboats]

Blake,
I have quite a few customers who keep live way up North and they have their boats cleaned when they are in home port. Zincs are always used, whever you are. Most of the time it will be just heavy scum on the boats and not as much barnacle growth. The season is also much shorter. You can check out our web page if you want, we do the same job here on the east coast. Welcome to Underboats!
Chuck

 

[pipedope]

We call them zincs but in fresh water usually they are magnesium.