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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Hull Cleaning Brush

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/19/2006 : 05:44:42

Has anyone bought/used a hull cleaning brush to clean off slime in the middle of the boating season ? Here is a link for what I am talking about:
http://www.marinestore.com/dridiver.html?cart=324935490521079

To keep the bottom relatively clean, I would ideally have the bottom pressure washed twice during the season. This past year, I did it once during the Fall seasons in 2005 and 2006 and there was a healthy buildup of slime (no barnacles because I am located on the upper part of the Potomac River). My paint job was 5 years old and so that may have had something to do with the buildup. it came off easy enough with pressure washing it this Fall and then I had the bottom repainted with a copolymer paint - believe it was Micron Extra.

A friend of mine indicated he saw someone at his marina using a curved brush and i believe it is what is shown in the link above. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. I figured it would help to keep the bottom cleaner/smoother for mid-season sailing and avoid one mid-season pressure washing. Two concerns: It may remove some of the bottom paint and ...the cost - I can get a pressure washing for $75 including the raising and lowering it. The brush would not do as good a job but would not have to schedule a cleaning and ...the brush is about the cost of 2 pressure washings so takes two years of mid-season cleanings to break even. Any opinions ?

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 05:49:32

There is another link with a photo of the above brush but i could not find the link. The above link does not do the device justice. the curved brush/handle has foam floatation attached to it and that is what keeps it up against the hull when moving the brush up and down. just looking at the sketch from the above link, it would look hard to do but the floatation is what does the exertion against the hull and so then it is just an up and down motion to clean.

Edited by - on

Chris Z
Captain

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452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 06:38:24

Larry,

They say their product "closed-cell foam to press a Scotch-brite scrub pad ". I would consider trying to make my own before I would pay that price. If this is all it really is made of, then it couldn't be too hard to make.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 07:28:36

good point - maybe could even use the foam pipe insulation that come in cylinder form sold at Home Depot and put that on an aluminum tube that was curved with a contour to facilitate cleaning.

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 08:06:22

For years I would clean my bottom and topsides at my mooring from my dinghie, and the parts of the bottom and keel with a mask, snorkel, and scrub brush. At 57 this process has become a little too albor intensive. In my opinion, the curved brush, while perhaps a little more labor-saving, will not clean the bottom as well as my scrub brush and certainly will not get my wing keel clean.

Since I discovered the technique, power washing has become the better option for me. It costs me nothing to put my boat on the trailer at a public ramp. I then connect my gas pressure washer to an electric submersible water pump and clean the bottom. In about 45 minutes I'm back in the water. The only real problem is finding an hour or so of relatively traffic-free time at the ramp-usually early Sunday morning.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 08:13:39

Al,

Sounds good..great...but I do not have a trailor nor a car that could pull it nor a convenient ramp semi-near my marina.

Years ago when I had an ODay 23, I would occasionally clean the bottom from the water. but that was in Huntington harbor, Long Island. Where I presently have the boat, I would hesitate to get in that water out of fear of growing a thrid leg, etc from the contaminants in the area near the Anocostia River and the Potomac. Upstream, past some bridges i cnnot go under or downstream where other tributaries join in ...then it's okay.

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Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 08:16:37

I bought one of these a few years ago, and they do a great job if used regularly. I race and therefore use the brush every week before the race. I also was hesitant to pay the price but I have a fixed keel so it would cost me $50 if I wanted to have the boat hoisted at the marina every time I wanted to wash the bottom so the $75 for the brush (that's what it cost at that time) looked like a bargin. It is a simple device and I believe that I could duplicate it myself easly but I don't know if the savings would be worth the effort after purchacing the materials required. I am also on a river (fresh water)on an outside bend, and the upstream side of the hull always gets twice the alge growth as the downstream side. The brush has made a noticeable difference in boat speed (especially in light air conditions) and only takes about 20 minutes to clean the bottom.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 13:00:29

I have a dri-diver too. Works as advertised and does a pretty good job as long as the buildup isn't too great. Indeed, I think a guy could make one of his own with some PVC pipe, foam, tie-wraps, 'brillo pad' material and some glue. That's about all that there is to it.

Edited by - on

PZell
Admiral

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USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 12/19/2006 : 13:24:31

Around here many guys make their own with PVC pipe. Kinda looks like a bent T so it fits under the boat like in the picture on that site. They wrap the T part with old carpet. Use large PVC. Works pretty good. 50 bux here to have a diver do it by hand. I use my neighbors so cost is good.

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SJ
Navigator

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USA
198 Posts

Response Posted - 12/20/2006 : 12:24:37

I have one as well. It works fairly well if you keep up with it. The cool thing about the whole unit is the handle is curved so that the brush does all the work. If you were to make one, Add on a few 45's to create the curve....

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Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2006 : 10:54:03

I've got one too. I use it between pressure washes. I'd rate it as "better than nothing".

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 12/21/2006 : 17:10:51

Bruce,

So...you rate it betther than nothing. Hmmm...that does make one pause. Maybe I should try making my own contraption.

By the way, you still going out this winter ? I was out last night from about 330pm till 800pm. Hardly any boats were out except the Coast Guard boats doing some drills.

Edited by - on

Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2007 : 13:55:44

Larry,

It looks like I threw in the towel too soon. It's 55 degrees outside today. A good day for a January sail!

Bruce

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2007 : 21:10:21

Bruce,

Yeah...it has been relatively warm !

I was out yesterday and today. Yesterday was very windy. I went out with main reefed to second reef points and jib furled 50%. Today, it seemed better and went out with full main sail but once I was out, it seemed still pretty windy, though, they had predicted 5-10mph. It seemed more like 20mph. The wind was coming from the south-southwest and the waves were pretty large for the Potomac. I tacked down to Alexandria and then headed back eating my lunch with wind behind me. I saw one sailboat that came out from the Wash Sailing Marina. He was tacking toward the bridge as I was heading up the river back to my marina.

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