Re: Barnacle bottom cleaning

Jim,

I hear the oldtimers would take a boat to fresh water and leave her
there a few days and the barnacles would fall off, pads and all. I
wonder if it's true. I sure wish somebody would prove it one way or
another.

I believe I have found if you remove the animal, the barnacle shell,
his pad just falls off or dissolves in a few days.
Provided the boat stays in the water.

ED HAILE

--- Inbolger@egroups.com, Jim Goeckermann <jim@s...> wrote:
> Pete,
> Thank you for the tips and products!
> I really appreciate it.
> Jim
>
> pmcrannell@y... wrote:
>
> >
> > Jim,
> >
> > The hardest part of this job is getting rid of the barnacle
pads.
> > The shells come off easily with a scraper or putty knife. I've
spent
> > many hours scraping these pads off with an old, chipped chisel or
> > pocket knife. NO FUN! It's best to tackle everything when the
boat is
> > first pulled. Once this stuff hardens up, you're in for a lot of
work.
> >
> > There are a couple of products that will make your job easier.
The
> > first one is Starbrite's Hull Cleaner. It comes in quart bottles.
The
> > active ingredient is oxalic acid, similar to clorine bleach, but
> > different. It's used as a teak cleaner, waterline scum remover,
etc.
> > It should soften up the pads enough to scrape them off.
> >
> > If not, you'll have to get out the big guns. This is a product
> > made by MaryKate, called On & Off. This stuff will definitely
work!
> > In addition to On & Off, buy some heavy rubber gloves, goggles,
and a
> > good disposible respirator, and wear old clothes. This stuff has
> > hydrochloric acid in it, and it's pretty nasty stuff. But it
works.
> >
> > Move your boat onto a waste piece of ground, and keep a hose
> > running. It will corrode your trailer, so if any drips on the
metal,
> > blast it with a hose. If you can block the boat on some wood,
you'll
> > have better access, and won't have to worry about the trailer.
> >
> > The charter captains use On & Off for cleaning up fish blood
that
> > soaks into gelcoat, and on stubborn fish scales that sick to
> > everything. I think they overuse it, but it doesn't seem to hurt
> > their boats.
> >
> > Take care,
> > Pete Reynolds
> >
> > --- Inbolger@egroups.com, Jim Goeckermann <jim@s...> wrote:
> > > Boy, that subject sounds like a serious medical condition, eh?
> > > Actually, I have a new-to-me West Wight Potter. (I know, fellas,
> > flame away if
> > > you must, but this is actually a wooden boat - turned f.g.
design
> > from England -
> > > a sort of Micro in every sense. And absolutely cute...)
> > > It sat in the salt for two plus years, then sat on the trailer
for
> > a year. I
> > > think I left a string of clamshells up I-5 when I dragged it
home
> > last weekend.
> > > Who has some cleaning experience here? Should I soak it first?
Any
> > of the
> > > commercial cleaners worth using, or just elbow grease?
> > > Thanks for any suggestions.
> > > Jim
> >
> > Bolger rules!!!
> > - no cursing
> > - stay on topic
> > - use punctuation
> > - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
> > - add some content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.

Pete,
Thank you for the tips and products!
I really appreciate it.
Jim

pmcrannell@...wrote:

>
> Jim,
>
> The hardest part of this job is getting rid of the barnacle pads.
> The shells come off easily with a scraper or putty knife. I've spent
> many hours scraping these pads off with an old, chipped chisel or
> pocket knife. NO FUN! It's best to tackle everything when the boat is
> first pulled. Once this stuff hardens up, you're in for a lot of work.
>
> There are a couple of products that will make your job easier. The
> first one is Starbrite's Hull Cleaner. It comes in quart bottles. The
> active ingredient is oxalic acid, similar to clorine bleach, but
> different. It's used as a teak cleaner, waterline scum remover, etc.
> It should soften up the pads enough to scrape them off.
>
> If not, you'll have to get out the big guns. This is a product
> made by MaryKate, called On & Off. This stuff will definitely work!
> In addition to On & Off, buy some heavy rubber gloves, goggles, and a
> good disposible respirator, and wear old clothes. This stuff has
> hydrochloric acid in it, and it's pretty nasty stuff. But it works.
>
> Move your boat onto a waste piece of ground, and keep a hose
> running. It will corrode your trailer, so if any drips on the metal,
> blast it with a hose. If you can block the boat on some wood, you'll
> have better access, and won't have to worry about the trailer.
>
> The charter captains use On & Off for cleaning up fish blood that
> soaks into gelcoat, and on stubborn fish scales that sick to
> everything. I think they overuse it, but it doesn't seem to hurt
> their boats.
>
> Take care,
> Pete Reynolds
>
> --- Inbolger@egroups.com, Jim Goeckermann <jim@s...> wrote:
> > Boy, that subject sounds like a serious medical condition, eh?
> > Actually, I have a new-to-me West Wight Potter. (I know, fellas,
> flame away if
> > you must, but this is actually a wooden boat - turned f.g. design
> from England -
> > a sort of Micro in every sense. And absolutely cute...)
> > It sat in the salt for two plus years, then sat on the trailer for
> a year. I
> > think I left a string of clamshells up I-5 when I dragged it home
> last weekend.
> > Who has some cleaning experience here? Should I soak it first? Any
> of the
> > commercial cleaners worth using, or just elbow grease?
> > Thanks for any suggestions.
> > Jim
>
> Bolger rules!!!
> - no cursing
> - stay on topic
> - use punctuation
> - add your comments at the TOP and SIGN your posts
> - add some content: send "thanks!" and "ditto!" posts off-list.