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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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"Dry Diver"

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Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/19/2003 : 15:22:48

My boat has developed a layer of algae from sitting in the Potomac all winter. My marina has no facilty for a power wash. Other boat owners jump in the river and scub with a brush. Yuk!

West Marine has this thing called a "dry diver". It's a long, wide scrubber on a long pole. It's designed to scrub from the dock.

Has anybody tried this? Does it work? I don't expect 100% results, especially on the keel, but I'd be very happy to make some large gains to tide me along until the weather warms up.

Cheers,
Bruce Baker
"Yee Ha"

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2003 : 18:43:49

I have made several hull scrubers over the years. The best have been made from PVC pipe and astro turf. Well not astro turf realy but one of those fake green door mats with rough fiber like fake plastic grass. The handle is about 8' and and then has a 45 deg. angle.2 more feet and another angle 1' and a T fitting with the plastic grass duct taped to the T. Reach under the hull with it and scrub. You can also attach a small float to the lower handle to help it float up and press against the hull. Another method has been to use a nylon rope with tube like sections off the same plastic grass attached or woven into the rope. It is then placed under the bow and pulled back and forth as the person on each end slowly moves aft. This only cleans the forward 1/3 and aft 1/3.

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2003 : 23:59:53

I've used the dry diver quite a few times.

IMHO, It pretty much works as advertised and does a good job at getting the undersides of the hull.

It's really pretty simple. There is an angled plastic pipe handle that snaps together at an angle, a block of foam to float up against the underside of the hull (that's really a key to it's design) and some flexible nylon 'scrubber' material that goes over the foam.

The only complaint I've had with the dry diver is that the handle came apart once and the foam head went floating off in the marina. (to be retrieved later)

What the dry diver doesn't do very well is get the keel. It's not really designed for it as the flotation of the scrubbing head tends to fight your efforts to scrub vertical surfaces.

For the keel I like a stiff wooden-backed rectangular scrub brush on a telescoping fiberglass painters pole.

Currently maintaining two holes in the water...'77 Venture 23 and new to the family,
'78 Catalina 25

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2003 : 12:29:53

I'm afraid to jump in at my slip to scrub the bottom because I'm afraid I'd "glow" after getting out -- high polluting commercial traffic dominates LA Harbor; plus throw in a couple local oil refineries, assorted other chemical factories, too numerous pleasure boaters who know/care little about waste/holding tank regulations and the LA river system which essentially drains all water runoff from the entire city into LA Harbor.

So occasionally my slip neighbor lets me use his pool brush. About 5-10 minutes with this makes a surprising difference without getting wet -- It makes doing a more thorough job much quicker and easier after getting to Catalina Island where jumping in is probably a much less hazardous affair.

RichardG 81 C25 SR/FK "Sanity"

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ssteakley
Captain

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USA
467 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2003 : 14:07:30

I used a dry diver on a friends boat prior to a race and I thought it cleaned to well!, It got all the Algea and all the water around the boat turned blue as well..I thought to many times with that type of scrubber and you would be hauling out to do another bottom job??
Steve

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3dc32b3127cce94d57c8cff3b0000001010" border=0> Moon Chaser #385WK <img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/forum1.gif" border=0>

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Dave B
Admiral

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Mali
863 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2003 : 22:18:38

I've heard warnings not to jump in and scrub the bottom if it's painted with ablative paint. You end up swimming in a toxic cloud. Judging from what comes off when I scrub on the hard, I'd have to agree with that warning.

Dave Bristle, 1985 C-25 #5032 "Passage" SR/FK/Dinette/Honda in SW CT

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5936 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2003 : 09:49:02

Interlux is now putting "Biolux" in many of its bottom paints, to prevent the accumulation of algae, which is a huge problem on our inland lake in the middle of farm country, where rain washes fertilizer into the lake and the algae blooms. I haven't tried it yet, because I'm still using up my old, non-Biolux paint, but I hear from others that the bottom comes out clean at the end of the season. It sounds great.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

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RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 05/21/2003 : 10:33:59

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>I've heard warnings not to jump in and scrub the bottom if it's painted with ablative paint.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

That's an interesting point. While I don't jump in too often, it's not a problem (hopefully) with my modified epoxy bottom paint. But can you imagine those guys who make a living by jumping in and scrubbing?

RichardG 81 C25 SR/FK "Sanity"

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Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 05/23/2003 : 08:14:48

Bruce: scum on the bottom is exacerbated by the boat sitting still. The cheapest way to clean the bottom (some) is to go sailing!

I've used Pettit Trinidad for years with good success. I went 3 years between paintings last time and the yard guy was impressed with how good the bottom looked. Last spring when the bottom was painted I used Trinidad SR (slime reduction), and I have been delighted with how clean the bottom is. We are in similar environments (I'm on the Rappahannock), so I think that should work for you next time you paint. Of course, all the effluent from Capitol Hill adds to your problem. I wouldn't swim in the upper Potomac, either (insert your own partisan political joke here).

When the weather is warmer, make a long sail downriver to some sandy place like Colonial Beach. Run the boat aground at mid-tide. As the tide drops, go swimming and lightly scrub the hull. When you're finished, have lunch, take a nap, do some chores, and wait for the tide to rise again. (For those of you in other parts of the world worrying about the boat falling over at low tide, tides in the Chesapeake are only 2 - 3 feet).

It works for me.

Brooke

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Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Response Posted - 05/27/2003 : 15:14:35

After Doug's recommendation, I bought the Dry Diver, and I gave the boat a scrub. I painted the bottom with Trinidad SR paint, and it looks like I scrubbed most of it off! In hindsight, I don't think there was much slime there after all. I must be doing something else wrong to account for my slow performance. We're watching "Rebecca" our sister ship like hawks for tips on sail trim and the like.

Bruce

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