Thinking of slipping Mac without bottom paint

[curtis from carlsbad]

I am probably going to get a slip in San Diego at the cost of $448 per month for at least this summer. I am on a 5.5 year waiting list in Oceanside,Ca. at a cost of $75 per year just to wait. When I get the slip there it will be about $11.50 -$12.50 per foot per month. I wonder how often I would have to swim under the boat with a snorkeling mask on and how difficult it would be to clean if I just decide not to put on bottom paint at all. I am undecided on getting the $900 bottom paint applied both for speed considerations and I am unsure I will slip boat for the entire year. If I did slip her long term, is it even possible to swim under myself or is it too difficult over the long term ?

[Russ]

Well, I'm not so sure salt water without antifoulant is a good idea.
I can't imagine snorkling to clean it either. Can you just pull it out every few weeks and power wash it and put it back in?



--Russ

[curtis from carlsbad]

The mechanic at the place that is installing my stern rail seats and bimini suggested that but I don't think I will be able to really do that. I could don my surfing 3mm full wetsuit and booties and quickly jump in the water year round though. I wonder how quickly buildup/marine damage would begin occurring and would the more frequent underwater bottom cleanings gradually wear down the gelcoat?

[Québec 1]

My experience with necessary investments on my boat (bottom coat is necessary for me cause I don't want blisters...anti fouling is not necessary but relatively cheap and it really works well..so I do it anyways) is that when I tried to save 1000$ dollars at the beginning it cost me more in the end. The moral of the story is sometimes it's better to put out right away... if you know what I mean
But every man does what he wants to do anyhow
Q1.
p.s. All in all it's way cheaper to maintain my Mac than any other 26 footer in the marina anyhow and 10 times cheaper than any 29 to 32 footer. My sails cost way less to replace than my friends sailboard sail

[Terry]

Been there and done that, got the t-shirt & the hat.
I did the summer slip thing for five years and no bottom paint. I waxed with Aurora VS721 bottom wax and hauled every 5-6 weeks, cleaned and re-waxed, then back in. The growth builds up a lot faster than you think. I once even donned the wet suit and tried it, but that was a big mistake because I could not apply pressure without pushing myself away from the boat.
It is a big ugly dirty job and you will tire of it quickly, I finally succumbed from the hard work and went for the epoxy barrrier coat then anti-fouling. It is a big job at the outset but you only do the big part once then the anti-fouling every few years. Sure beats the hull out of doing the job every 6 weeks. Take it fro a stubborn mule who had to learn the hard way, do the bottom paint.

[curtis from carlsbad]

Yeah I can see that- No leverage! How do the guys do it (divers) at the local Marinas? Do they use diving fins to increase their leverage? They charge about $50 and it is done on most boats around here every two to three months but that is for boats with bottom paint.

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

a fellow Mac owner keeps his in an Oceanside slip w/out anti-fouling paint.
he has a "bladder" in his slip. Bottomliner or Armored Hull
if i remember correctly, initial cost for his was about $2000. he's been quite happy with it.
even with the bladder, however, i believe that a "barrier coat" is necessary, otherwise you may get gel coat blisters over the long haul.





Bob T.
"DāBob"
'02X w/ '04 90-TLDI (14" x 11 pitch)
Dinghy Motor: '06 2.5-Suzuki

[pokerrick1]

What Terry said!

My .02

Have the bottom painted and then get a diver - - - but $50 is too much - - - $30 divers (per month and do it every month) are a dime a dozen at Marina Del Rey (is that an oxymoron?) In this remaining economy, you ought to be able to get a diver cheaper than $50!!! - - even in SD County.

Rick Less

PS Oceanside is the second Nuts (next from MDR) - - - because of Ocean's 11 Casino right there with poker room

[curtis from carlsbad]

I don't understand (Nuts)- Please explain.

[Sumner]

What Terry said!

My .02

Have the bottom painted and then get a diver - - - but $50 is too much - - - $30 divers (per month and do it every month) are a dime a dozen at Marina Del Rey (is that an oxymoron?) In this remaining economy, you ought to be able to get a diver cheaper than $50!!! - - even in SD County.

Rick Less

PS Oceanside is the second Nuts (next from MDR) - - - because of Ocean's 11 Casino right there with poker room

We had a friend take us out on his 27 foot Catalina a week ago out of Mission Bay and he said his bottom paint is about 10 years old and pretty worthless. He pays $30 there to have the boat cleaned monthly and really likes that option.

I'm putting on a barrier coat and a bottom paint on our boat this summer for the anticipated Florida trip as we don't want to deal with any of that while we are down there. I think I can manage to clean the dinghy bottom while there ,

Sum

Our Trips to..

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Mac-Venture Links

[K9Kampers]

Yeah I can see that- No leverage! How do the guys do it (divers) at the local Marinas? Do they use diving fins to increase their leverage? They charge about $50 and it is done on most boats around here every two to three months but that is for boats with bottom paint.

I've cleaned / inspected a few hulls while on SCUBA, and in tidal currents. For 'leverage', and to stay in place, I used a toilet plunger with a cut-down handle and a wrist loop. Worked great! You can even buy suction cup devices designed for this activity.

[Theo]

Curtis,

Hope you can benefit from our experience. We do what you are planning and slip our boat for a few months here and there mostly during the summer. We don't have bottom paint either. We just pay a guy to scrape our hull every two weeks. Going rate here is about $1 per foot. This will keep you clean during the summer. In the winter when the water is cold you can go for over a month before you need to scrape.

Whatever you do, DO NOT, pull your boat then try and clean it. As long as it is in the water most of the growth is very soft and easy to get off. Our boat cleaner is a surfing buddy of mine and has let me in on a few secrets. He basically just uses steel wool and those loofah sponges. Takes him about fifteen minutes to do the Mac. Occasionally, he has to go after it with a steel brush and that will leave a few marks.

I always make arrangements with him to scrape the boat the day before I pull it. It looks really good. The one time we tried to clean it on the hard we ended up using the most obnoxious chemicals and burning an ungodly amount of elbow grease under the boat. Drenched in the aforementioned chemicals. Like most things if you just stay on top of it you will be fine.

FWIW - I am just up the coast from you so we have the same critters and climate. I know other waters are different.

Theo

[Chinook]

I've never slipped our boat, opting instead to store on the trailer when not in use. Consequently, I've chosen to not apply bottom paint. This has consequences when we go out on extended cruises. We've been out for over 2 months in both cold Northwest salt waters, as well as in subtropical Florida/Bahama and Sea of Cortez salt waters. Extended immersion always results in the bottom looking like a biology experiment. I generally clean it after hauling out, and it is a dirty, messy job on the trailer. Doing the job while it's still in the water is quite practical, provided water temperatures are at least 70 degrees. I like to find a nice, clean sand bottom, in about 2 or 3 feet. With a bow and stern anchor set, I can reach all but a center strip, a couple of feet wide. Cleaning that requires a mask, weight belt, and holding breath. I use a 4 inch metal putty knife, with the corners rounded off. Scratching isn't a problem, and it's effective even on the harder growth. I did hire a guy in Mexico to do the job while the boat was in the water, at a marina. He did pretty good on the first half, but cold water temps and fatigue came into play when he started on the other side. I could really see the difference when I pulled the boat out. All this said, if I was going to keep the boat slipped in warm salt water, I would definitely plan on bottom paint.

[curtis from carlsbad]

To Theo and Chinook: Does the steel wool and putty knife dull the shiny gelcoat? I would be afraid to take metal to the gelcoat. Thanks so far for the terrific responses guys- This will help me formulate a game plan. I think my biggest worry is the speed loss with the bottom paint and the inability to go back to gelcoat once I do it. Also I am waivering on the slip idea because I want to be able to sail 3 primary locations depending on my fancy for that Sunday : Mission Bay, Oceanside or trailer up to L.A. harbor and set off for Catalina. So I am waivering on the idea of slipping so far south of my big three.( Also the cost).

[Irafatsar]

I'm about to put mine back in Mission Bay for a month. I have mine cleaned weekly. You will not believe what grows on your hull in a week. much less in a month. No anti fouling paint. I use plastic scrapers when I get her home. Makes the side of the house smell like the bay, for a few days.