Barnacles

[crieders]

When I hauled the boat out of the Chesapeake, these pesky little barnacles were on the depth and speed wheel unit which I had zinc coated.  They are hard as rocks, and seem impossible to get off.  What is the best way to get them off without damaging anything?  The zinc spray paint was absolutely worthless, and I will never use it again.

[Noah]

West Marine carries two types of transducer anti-fouling paint. One is a Petit spray and anothe is a MDR brush on.

[ghebbns]

We get similar growth in Nova Scotia.  I find that if I leave them over the winter, they get brittle and scrape off rather easily in the spring.

[scgunner]

Cliff,

Not sure how bottom maintenance works in the Northeast but in SoCal since our boats only come out of the water every three or four years for bottom paint we use a bottom cleaning service. They generally scrub the bottom every four weeks which prevents barnacles and even more destructive mussels from gaining purchase. The service is cheap usually about $35 to 40 bucks plus they also maintain zincs. This also maintains hull performance.

[karista]

Cliff,

Not sure how bottom maintenance works in the Northeast but in SoCal since our boats only come out of the water every three or four years for bottom paint we use a bottom cleaning service. They generally scrub the bottom every four weeks which prevents barnacles and even more destructive mussels from gaining purchase. The service is cheap usually about $35 to 40 bucks plus they also maintain zincs. This also maintains hull performance.

Wow, $35-$40 for a 34 ft sailboat is unheard of here in Florida, the going rate here in St Petersburg for diver Cleaning service is $2.75-$3/ft (About $100 per cleaning) plus $10 for zinc labor replacement. You have a great deal!!

[Patches]

If you do buy the "brush on" transducer paint--which comes in a nail polish-sized bottle, resist the temptation to calculate what you are spending per quart for that stuff.  Gold, saffron, truffle oil, diamonds--will all seem very reasonably priced in comparison.

[crieders]

i have used the petite zinc spray on transducers, wheel and prop and it is totally worthless. tried it 3 seasons
another brand was mentioned, MDR. how well does that work?
no bottom cleaner divers that I know of in Worton Creek Md. did a mid summer haul out due to crazy growth of mussels on the prop also utilizing the worthless zinc petite spray product.

[Ron Hill]

Cliff : ALAWYS use transducer anti fouling paint on the speed and depth and transducers.  Either spray or the bush on will work.  I use the spray on for the speed wheel and the brush on for the depth.

A few thoughts

[mark_53]

Just scrape off as much as possible then use Line-A-Way to remove the residue.

[Ron Hill]

Cliff : The reason for "Transducer" Paint is because it is made so it is anti-fouling, but does NOT inhibit the transducer signals for accurate readings.  Who knows what happens to the signals with regular bottom or zinc paint on the transducer face???

A thought