What's the rationale for this marina reg? Sounds like a place I wouldn't want to keep my boat, and they probably wouldn't want me either.

 

It can't be a State-wide rule, as my prior marina did permit divers. I understand there are many pressures put upon marinas by the Department of Environmental Management. I think each marina negotiates what they can and can't get done by when. If you throw them the bone of voluntarily forbidding the scrubbing of toxic chemicals in the harbor, that may buy you some time to have to reclaim hull washing water ashore.

Painfully, I rarely see these regulations and negotiations based upon scientific fact. There are some very well funded and influence environmental groups around the Bay that insist on all sorts of draconian things and the DEM wants to point to having done something. Cost-benefit, efficacy and science have nearly nothing to do with half the regulations. I'm a true conservationist at heart, but not to the exclusion of humankind, rather for the benefit of humankind.

 

If you watch the Keelcrab videos, you will notice that the boats that are being cleaned are so lightly fouled that they almost don't need to be cleaned. And even then the Keelcrab does a poor job of it. Heavier soft or any hard growth at all? Seems like this device would be pretty ineffective. And of course it's not going to clean any running gear, thru-hulls or transducers. All in all- an expensive way to do a half-assed job of hull cleaning.

 

Good eve. I race my sailing boat and therefore i want to remove even light fouling before a race. However, different hardness brushes can be used for heavier fouling. It's amazing

 

I agree it would be useless on hard growth. In my case, I never get any hard growth on the bottom, only heavy slime. Keeping that to a minimum would be value, especially if I could do it on my own schedule several times per season. I'll answer Capta's question, in a reply to him, but remember divers aren't allowed here.

However, I didn't see anything in the videos that actually showed what was just cleaned, which does make me suspicious. Indeed, one would still need to dive their prop, strainers and thruster tunnels, but I find each of those pretty easy compared to wiping the entire bottom.

 

I agree it would be useless on hard growth. In my case, I never get any hard growth on the bottom, only heavy slime. Keeping that to a minimum would be value, especially if I could do it on my own schedule several times per season. I'll answer Capta's question, in a reply to him, but remember divers aren't allowed here.

However, I didn't see anything in the videos that actually showed what was just cleaned, which does make me suspicious. Indeed, one would still need to dive their prop, strainers and thruster tunnels, but I find each of those pretty easy compared to wiping the entire bottom.

Good evening, Keelcrab is actually very effective against any type of growth because you use brushes with different hardness according to the level of fouling on the boat.

The Videos do show how the Hull is cleaned effectively.

 

Doesn't look like it would do much but removed slime and not on all places such as hell to keel interface.

 

Don't the marina rules have something to do with electrocution?

 

I take the negative review, but some of these objections seem easily overcome. I’m sure I could find a place under my Bimini to see a screen. If there is hard or heavy growth, it would seem the thing needs to be used more often.

Not saying it works, just observations. Where did you buy it?

 

I take the negative review, but some of these objections seem easily overcome. I'm sure I could find a place under my Bimini to see a screen. If there is hard or heavy growth, it would seem the thing needs to be used more often.

Not saying it works, just observations. Where did you buy it?

Good eve my company are resellers for Keelcrab. Contact me on asailltd1@gmail.com

 

If you cleaned with it on a regular basis and it got every square inch clean than it would not need to clean hard growth. But it does not get every square inch clean. I looked at the numbers and it does not add up. the cost of the machine not including the labor to set it up and run it each time would take ten years to pay for itself over the cost of a diver. and the diver does a better job. that means I would have to through in my time and labor and use the machine for ten years to see an advantage. with ten years of wear and tear on the machine I would have to by a new machine if it even lasts that long. I like to walk down the dock and see the tag that says the diver has been there and sail away with out ever looking at the bottom knowing that it is clean.
For me you would have to pay me to use that machine. on second thought there is not enough money in the world for that to happen

 

We clean hulls every 4 months to maintain them clean. The majority of the boats are in decent condition, without mussels growing on the hull. The hull in your video requires scraping with steel blades and brushes. I do not have a video of boats with mussles but if i come across one i'll post it here. The main purpose of the keelcrab is maintaining the hull clean as most people who own boats want to do.

 

We clean hulls every 4 months to maintain them clean. The majority of the boats are in decent condition, without mussels growing on the hull. The hull in your video requires scraping with steel blades and brushes.

Did you see me using steel blades and brushes to clean that rudder? Obviously it didn't require them.

I do not have a video of boats with mussles but if i come across one i'll post it here.

Look, you're not talking to a layman here. I know that Keel Crab isn't going to remove mussels (and BTW, my video did not show Remora doing that.)

The main purpose of the keelcrab is maintaining the hull clean as most people who own boats want to do.

Your very first statement in this thread was that Keel Crab can handle ANY type of fouling. But here you are, walking back that statement to tell us that it is used only to maintain an already clean hull. So which is it?

 

Dear Fstbttms, apologies you just told me above that i am saying that the equipment is used to maintain a clean hull . Now you are saying that the video i showed is not a clean hull. which is it ? Because you seem to know more than anyone here

Keelcrab is used all over the world and not limited to my area. a quick google search will show you that .

Secondly i'm in the Mediterranean not the UK. Water is pretty warm therefore it does encourage growth.
Thirdly, when one owns a boat, one needs to maintain it. Cleaning the hull 4 times a year over an antifouling paint maintains the boat clean, fast, and economical.

Boats that have not been maintained to the level you showed in your video, have the diver using steel blades to remove shells, plus heavy brushing to remove the thick layer of vegetation on the hull. The Keelcrab does have a stiff brush as an accessory, even a steel brush of necessary, but i doubt any antifouling pain will remain at that point.

 

Dear Fstbttms, apologies you just told me above that i am saying that the equipment is used to maintain a clean hull . Now you are saying that the video i showed is not a clean hull. which is it ? Because you seem to know more than anyone here

Keelcrab is used all over the world and not limited to my area. a quick google search will show you that .

Secondly i'm in the Mediterranean not the UK. Water is pretty warm therefore it does encourage growth.
Thirdly, when one owns a boat, one needs to maintain it. Cleaning the hull 4 times a year over an antifouling paint maintains the boat clean, fast, and economical.

Boats that have not been maintained to the level you showed in your video, have the diver using steel blades to remove shells, plus heavy brushing to remove the thick layer of vegetation on the hull. The Keelcrab does have a stiff brush as an accessory, even a steel brush of necessary, but i doubt any antifouling pain will remain at that point.

OK, look- I do know of which I speak because I am a professional hull cleaner with 26 years experience and 38,000 hull cleaning events under my belt. And as such, I know that most sailboats and powerboats (regardless of where they live) are not kept in the state of cleanliness that you claim the boats you clean are. So the reality is that in order to be useful, a hull cleaning drone like Keel Crab needs to be able to tackle jobs significantly tougher than the very lightly fouled bottoms shown in every Keel Crab video I have ever seen, including the one you showed here today. And you have yet to show us that your device can do that. That's all anybody has said to you here. You talk a good game but how about backing it up with something other than your salesman's assurance that it can?

 

The Videos i have available at present are the ones shown. I will certainly post others as i make them.

 

Well since you've already told us that your clientele never have bottoms that are any more foul than what you showed us a while ago, I won't hold my breath hoping you post something more meaningful.

 

show me the money. why pay more to clean your own hull? even if it works as you say why do i want to do the dirty work when I can spend less using a diver. where i sail we need to clean the hull a least every month. and when racing we clean every two week or just before the race. if I cleaned every 3 months we would be sailing an artificial reef

 

The more frequent you clean, the more worth it makes it buying this.
We offer a service to clean 10m hulls for 4 times a year for Euro 87 / clean. A diver costs more here if you need regular cleaning

 

Thread closed.

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