Haul out frequency

[canadianseamonkey]

For those of you cruising the Carribean and living on the hook, how often do you haul out to clean your hull and check things over? Does the haul out and launch costs vary quite a bit depending on the island? What is the average cost?

[tager]

If you are fearless, just careen your boat.

[Fstbttms]

Originally Posted by canadianseamonkey

For those of you cruising the Carribean and living on the hook, how often do you haul out to clean your hull and check things over?

God invented divers for a reason.

[Zanshin]

It depends upon how often I move and where I anchor. I spent 3 weeks each in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua and close to the ferry dock in Marigot, St. Martin. After both visits I needed a whole tank of air and several wide paint scrapers to clean off the hull. Other anchorages with more water circulation didn't necessitate any diving.
A BCD and a PADI or equivalent license pay for itself very quickly in warm waters!

[CaptainForce]

We've lived aboard for 38 years, mostly in Florida with crusing to the Bahamas and up to Maine. Our average time between haul outs for bottom painting is three years, but I frequently clean the botom with a light rub of a 3M pad. We have careened for cleaning and painted on several ocassions,- not a fearful process, but hard work. Most problematic growth appears within the first three feet reached from the water line and on the prop and rudder. We can manage to clear these surfaces without air tanks or diving gear beyond mask, snorkel and fins. We've paid as little as $500 for a haul out with DIY option and as much as $2,000 to have it all done by the yard for our 41' boat. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[scottyt]

i just dove on my boat over the weekend, a 3'3" draft is nice. i pulled into a sandy area and anchored in 4'6" water, jumped in with a brush. first i used a short handle and did the water line to about 2 feet down, then a longer handle and i did from the 2 foot area down to the keel. then a few trips down to the keel with a mask on. it took me about and hour and my boat was bad, i picked up over a knot. even doing the shaft and prop was not bad.

the worse part of it was the water where i was only has about 1 foot of decent visibility until the growth come off and blinds ya, but luckly i needed a breath about then

edit my boat has been in the water and untouched sense sept 08

[sailingdog]

Depends a lot on how the boat is setup. Different bottom paints, through-hulls, and such will require different maintenance periods... divers can do quite a bit, but re-painting the bottom is beyond them.

Originally Posted by canadianseamonkey

For those of you cruising the Carribean and living on the hook, how often do you haul out to clean your hull and check things over? Does the haul out and launch costs vary quite a bit depending on the island? What is the average cost?