How long in the Ches bay before build up (no paint)

[zz4gta]

Lets say I wanted to sail up to the Sailnet raft up, but didn't have bottom paint on my boat. How much of a PITA would it be to powerwash off when I pulled the boat out after a week. Two weeks? Three? When does it start looking like a swamp thing?

[JohnRPollard]

You'd probably begin to notice some thin scum within a few days at anchor. After a few weeks you'd have some good growth if the boat was staying put most of the time, and the water was warm. But it should all come off with the pressure washer at haulout (assuming you stay in at most a few weeks).

There are a lot of race boats that only "dry sail" (stored on cradles and launched for each race) so they never use bottom paint. They sometimes stay in for a week or more at a stretch for big regattas.

[Jeff_H]

Depends on the time of year but in the summer and fall you can get pretty grunged up in 2-3 days and have barnacles in less than a week. Even with bottom paint I get my bottom done weekly when I race the boat.

Now what is this about a Sailnet Chesapeake Raft-up.

Jeff

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by Jeff_H

Now what is this about a Sailnet Chesapeake Raft-up.

Jeff

Jeff,

Scroll on down to the Chesapeake Bay forum. There is a thread there about a raft-up in late-May or early June, I think.

[chef2sail]

JH...we are having a rondevous at the Maryland Yacht club my home base June 14th and 15th. There are slips available as well as a great anchorage. Check out the Chesapeake forum and let me know if you are joining.

Dave

[eryka]

zz - every year is different but we can usually leave our dinghy in the water without much trouble till about late July or early Aug, then, as Jeff says, the slime starts building in just a couple of days.

[Jeff_H]

Thanks Dave,

Is that Maryland Capital Yacht Club in Eastport (Annapolis)? If not where is Maryland Yacht Club?

I'd like to attend. I had planned to be out cruising that weekend to see the Liberty Ship and air show, so this might work.

Jeff

[chucklesR]

I first put my Crownline 250 cr (yes, I have a stinkpot) in without bottom paint. The idea was to haul it every two weeks and powerwash - scrub down. After a couple times of doing that it became every three weeks, then 5 weeks. At five weeks barnacles were starting to attach so it got hauled and bottom painted.

A week or two in followed by a power wash and hand scrub with a good cleaner will make it as good as new.

Jeff, that's the rock creek based MYC here: Chesapeake Bay Boating and Sailing Clubs ~ Maryland Yacht Club
Sadly I will be unable to attend, I'll be off the coast of Portugal sailing with Alex.