Dinghy Bottom Growth

[danapsy]

Anyone have any ideas on how to eliminate or slow down bottom growth (barnacles and seaweed) on the flexible plastic bottom of an inflatable dinghy? Most bottom paints contain warnings about use with non fiberglass or non solid materials. I was eventually able to get most of the slime and barnacles off but would like to avoid the time and energy.

[admin]

You are discovering why I switched from an inflatable to a hard dink (with antifouling on the bottom).

I tried most of the antifouling paints that are marketed for inflatables with no success. Either they didn''t work, flaked off when the dinghy was rolled up, or rubbed off when dry.

So periodic cleaning is required and the sooner you do it the better before the barnacles get a grip through the surface.

To delay the growth I used to turn the inflatable over in the water and let the sun dry the bottom. Although it meant removing everything it was worth the effort.

When cleaning I used straight Clorox and let it kill the grass and critters before scraping them off. A ''green scrubbie'' (3M) gets the residue off nicely.

But nothing beats an inflatable for snorkeling and diving ... so that''s why I also carry a small one as well.

Terry

[danapsy]

Thanks Terry for the information. I guess I''ll just have to regularly clean it and dry it out. No short cuts here.