SE Sailors - Barnacles worse than ever this year?

[Joe Kern]

For the third time this summer I spent part of my sailing time underneath the boat scraping off barnacles from my prop after motoring at a top speed of 3.5 knots.  This after cleaning the prop spotless just a month ago.  In my 10 years keeping boats in the water in Central Florida in the same marina I have never had to do this more than once a year and even then there was not much growth.   Has anyone else noticed a much bigger problem this year? 

[karista]

Yes, I agree, my boat is in St. Petersburg, I have a dive service that cleans the bottom monthly, however this year I have to go down and scrape the prop after 2 weeks. Also my waterline which has worn off the bottom paint will be coated with barnacles after 2 weeks. I will haul next month and repaint. I have been using Ablative paint, but did a test, I applied Trinidad to a small section on the waterline before I applied the CSC Micron Paint. There are no barnacles where I applied the Trinidad on the waterline. So, now I will do the entire waterline with Trinidad and then apply the ablative to the rest of the hull, including over the Trinidad.

[Michael Shaner]

 I think I'm experiencing the same issues in the southern Chesapeake, both at the waterline and on the prop.

One problem with the Chesapeake is water clarity...I'm guessing one and a half to two feet of visibility under the boat on a good day in the anchorage.  On my last dive on the prop (seventh trip with putty knife in hand TO the prop), I found myself face to tentacles with one MONSTER jellyfish...I've decided the prop is clean enough for a while...   

[mtullier]

Use a black  "Marks a Lot" on your prop.  This will help inhibit barnacle growth. 

p.s.  Don't try this underwater