short haul bottom cleaning

[fixxxer0]

I have an ablative paint on my bottom, which hasn't gotten as much use as I'd like, and I can see some growth on the rudder and WL. The paint jobs only 3 months old.

I am having it shorthauled tomorrow to inspect damage done from a rock collision. I'm figuring I might as well wipe down the bottom while its out and save me having to pay a diver.

Aside from a powerwasher/hose which I won't have available tomorrow, whats the best way to clean the slime and such off while in the slings?

[sawingknots]

without a powerwasher/hose it seems your only option is a hand brush,bucket of water and lots of elbow grease,btw i've done this on a soft sandbar at low tide

[fixxxer0]

Originally Posted by sawingknots

without a powerwasher/hose it seems your only option is a hand brush,bucket of water and lots of elbow grease,btw i've done this on a soft sandbar at low tide

how hard/soft of a brush? i dont want to remove too much good bottom paint, but i dont want to spend 3 hours either haha.

do you think the blue carwash type might be too soft and a deck brush too harsh - so something inbetween?

[sailingdog]

Wipe lightly with a cloth or soft-bristled brush....if growth is agressive, use a scotchbrite pad...but that may take off more paint than you'd like.

[sawingknots]

just have a couple of different styles or stiffness brushes with you and experiment,you know most divers aren't that gentle and you will lose some anti-foul

[hellosailor]

Stop by the supermarket and look for those 3M "scrunge" pads, or similar "plastic wool" pads like a Dobie Pad.

The plastic scrubber stuff actually is sold in auto body shops and janitorial supplies as well, each color is a different "roughness" so you can select the one that works best for you. On a hull, pretty much anything works just ease up on it so you don't just chew all the soft bottom paint off.