New Boater - might be dumb question

[traderdavel]

I understand that the bottom growth could slow down a boat. I am docked on South Shore of Long Island, salt water, and haven't been able to move the boat for 2 weeks. Could there be enough growth on the bottom in two weeks that would slow it down after only 2 weeks? I do have an ablative paint on the bottom.

 

[dodgeramsst2003]

Re: New Boater - might be dumb question

ablative paint in and of it itself will slow a boat down some, although not usually enough to matter to most, but a lot less than having a heavily fouled bottom which is what this paint prevents. After two weeks, two months etc as long as the bottom is painted every year for ablative, and every couple of years for hard paint, then you are golden. Now find some time and go use that boat!

 

[traderdavel]

Re: New Boater - might be dumb question

Thank you, will be going out today

 

[EricR]

Re: New Boater - might be dumb question

Down here in south Georgia? Five days. In the summer months with water temps between 85 and 90* that's all it takes to grow a "sharkskin" film on the props and running gear. A month and bottom paint or not you have an oyster factory.

I am a marine diesel tech, and have gone on more than one service call on a big diesel cruiser or sportfishing boat for a complaint of "It won't get up on plane" or such.

Last year I drove 80 miles on a service call. Dude had a 48 foot Sea Ray sedan bridge, complaint was one engine max RPM was 1400, the other 1600 or so. So I get down there, hookup the diagnostic and find nothing, look at the Racors (big, primary fuel filters) and they were clean.

I look at the stern, where there is a lift that holds an 11' inflatable, I see some growth at the waterline. Now, the water here is muddy and murky so I can't see it at all. There is a local diver cleaning the bottom of an adjacent boat, I have him slide over and go under the Sea Ray- he comes up and says "You can go home, there's about an inch of barnacles on both sides of the prop blades"

This happened in a month. The owner was from Alabama and had only boated on the fresh water lakes. He had just bought the larger diesel boat and did not know how quick stuff grows here. It cost him about $600 with travel time (portal to portal) plus mileage to have me come down there and find out there was nothing to do. Three hour round trip and an hour on the boat.