Here's why I'm a firm believer of anti-fouling paint

[PSG-1]

And when I say anti-fouling paint, I mean on every surface below the waterline. When you have someone paint a boat, make sure they also paint the engine parts below the waterline, or this is what happens:


This is a Sea Hunt with a 150 merc optimax that belongs to my parents. We had it painted last winter, and the paint is still in good condition, as you can see in the photo, there is no growth on the blue paint.

However, they failed to use outdrive paint on the power trim and mount bracket. This is the result of the boat not being used often, and it's only about 8 or 9 months of growth. The boat was put in the water in March of 2011 (They grow really fast in our creek, due to increased water and sediment flow from having a channel scoured on a regular basis from boat traffic at low tide) Normally, it takes 2-3 years for oysters to reach this size.



Heck, that's a handful right there, almost enough for a snack. Too bad the dock is an area closed to shellfish harvesting (pollution)

Anyhow, for those who leave their boats in salt water for extended periods, keep a good coat of anti-fouling paint on EVERYTHING, and change your anodes often.

 

[JamesM56alum]

Holy crusties batman!

 

[PSG-1]

Yeah, that's what I said, except, the word I used wasn't 'crusties' LMAO

Took me over an hour with a chipping hammer and a large flatblade screwdriver to knock all the crap loose. In the process, I also found another use for phosphoric acid....removing barnacle and oyster residue. Since oysters and barnacles are made of calcium carbonate, acid will help dissolve them. But when they are growing on an aluminum surface, it's not safe to use strong acids like muriatic, those will destroy aluminum components. Phosphoric acid is one of the few acids that can be used on aluminum.

After hitting it with acid, I power washed it with a 0 degree tip, which helped to knock most of the junk off there. Now it's a simple matter of replacing the zinc anode, and then painting all the aluminum surfaces of the power trim unit and the mounting bracket with some outdrive paint. Outdrive paint is cuprous thiocyanate-based, just like Trilux 33, or other bottom paints specially formulated for use on aluminum. The use of cuprous oxide-based paints will lead to very rapid corrosion.

Since it rained last night, it's too wet to paint right now. As soon as it dries out, though, I'll be painting it, then checking on a few other things, then put it back in the water.

 

[JamesM56alum]

lol yeppers now all you need is some hotsause to go with them and you got your self an mid afternoon snack or bait depending on the way you look at it..

 

[PSG-1]

lol yeppers now all you need is some hotsause to go with them and you got your self an mid afternoon snack or bait depending on the way you look at it..

Yeah, no doubt, a few of those oysters were eating size, like 2-3 inches in length. If the dock wasn't in an area closed to shellfish harvesting, I'd have probably steamed them and had a snack!

As I said before, an oyster normally grows about 1 inch per year, but I guess when you have a lot of silt being kicked up on a regular basis from prop washing to keep the channel clear, it's like miracle-grow to oysters. And then when the boat just sits at the dock and isn't used very often, they really take hold.

 

[surfman]

Shucks!