How to remove barnacles?

[les morgan]

I live on Coinjock Bay, just off Currituck Sound in NC. Had my boat over for about 3 or 4 mos and now I
have barnacles on the bottom. It is a fiberglass boat, so what is the best method to remove them
without scratching the bottom...


Thanks

 

[Bondo]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

I live on Coinjock Bay, just off Currituck Sound in NC. Had my boat over for about 3 or 4 mos and now I
have barnacles on the bottom. It is a fiberglass boat, so what is the best method to remove them
without scratching the bottom...


Thanks

Ayuh,.... There's gonna be some scratches, but a putty knife, then an acid bath will clean it up...
Then throw some bottom paint on it...

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

pressure wash them off while they are still alive.Do it as soon as you haul the boat.Use on-off for the stubborn ones.Charlie

 

[Fireman431]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

pressure wash them off while they are still alive.Do it as soon as you haul the boat.Use on-off for the stubborn ones.Charlie

+1 to this. Keep the boat wet until you are ready to do it. They're tougher to get off after they dry. Pressure wash, On/Off, finish up with a plastic putty knife. The pressure washer will help you get in the tight areas.

If you plan on keeping it in the water, go with a good bottom paint (Interlux/Petit) and don't forget to paint the running gear, depending on the type (shafts/props/rudders, etc). Replace all zincs and make sure there is good contacts between the zincs and the metal. Don't paint zincs.

 

[woosterken]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

check this out . you can get the multi tool from harbor freight for 20 bucks you just cant use the hf. under water.



http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/videoDisplay.do?videoId=1186

woosterken

 

[high'n'dry]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

The best way to remove them is to not allow them to get there to begin with. Either haul the boat on a lift or bottom pain it.Fiberglass boats that stay in the water should be barrier coated (to prevent blisters from developing) and then bottom painted with an anti-fouling paint.

You will need a pressure washer and then finish up with acid such as diluted muriatic (hydrochloric). You will wind up on your back under the boat, picking the last bits off, I have used scrapers made from acrylic.

The acids will eat the galvanizing from a trailer by the way.

 

[jacoboregon]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

check this out . you can get the multi tool from harbor freight for 20 bucks you just cant use the hf. under water.



http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/videoDisplay.do?videoId=1186

woosterken

Cool!

 

[Beefer]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

pressure wash them off while they are still alive.Do it as soon as you haul the boat.Use on-off for the stubborn ones.Charlie

+1 to this. Keep the boat wet until you are ready to do it. They're tougher to get off after they dry.

I've always believed this to be true, but the last 2 times I had to remove some, they were dry (like 2-3 weeks), and they came off incredibly easy.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: How to remove barnacles?

With a checkbook

 

[NHGuy]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

I think the on/off they are referring to is On & Off hull cleaner from the brand Marykate.
That stuff works wonders on my freshwater boat, makes the glass all white again when it came out of the water kinda tan below water line. It's gel based and I think the main ingredient is oxalic acid. Put on safety glasses & rubber gloves. You cover the trailer painted & galvanized parts with plastic, paint on the gel & then water rinse it. It sticks so well that I just covered my trailer fenders and put it on neatly with a 4" paint brush.
I don't know about the barnacles but on my white gel coated bottom the stuff works great.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

With a checkbook

Not entirely true...I've found cash works just as well

 

[tpenfield]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

They are easier to remove once they have died and shriveled up a bit. There are some special chemicals to losen their grip.

It sounds like you have got an entire hull of them.

I usually remove the few barnicles that grow on my boat in the spring time after they sat out of water for the winter. they pop right off.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

They are easier to remove once they have died and shriveled up a bit. There are some special chemicals to losen their grip.

It sounds like you have got an entire hull of them.

I usually remove the few barnicles that grow on my boat in the spring time after they sat out of water for the winter. they pop right off.

X2 on this ^^ I find there easier to remove after they have died and gotten brittle also. They come right off. Now the algae is easier when its still wet.

 

[Outsider]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

Barnacles are little creatures who live within exo-skeleton houses they have secreted around themselves. The state of health of the creature makes no difference in how easily they can be removed ...

 

[Ammonite]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

I read your posts on this subject and checked out the tool at Jamestown suggested by Jacoboregon. While looking on their site i came across a tool called Waveblade, a tool to remove barnacles you can take underwater! Here is the link

EDIT
EDIT

Well I spent the bucks and got one, a little skeptical. It worked as well as the people giving the reviews said it would and I recommend it to others. It sure beats scraping.

 

[riptorn]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

I read your posts on this subject and checked out the tool at Jamestown suggested by Jacoboregon. While looking on their site i came across a tool called Waveblade, a tool to remove barnacles you can take underwater! Here is the link

EDIT
EDIT
.

Your link ?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: How to remove barnacles?

usually used ice scrappers while anchored in shallow water. a few minutes per month with a mask and snorkel and the bottom would be clean.