hauling boat out for a few hours, should i worry about powerwashing?

[boataway]

i'm taking a weekend trip and towing the boat along with me. it'll be in the water the whole time when i get there.

i'd like to get your opinions on whether i should powerwash the bottom or not. i figure it'll probably be out of the water around 3-5 hours each way. i used BottomShield CCT paint straight on the 15 year-old bare hull (nothing had been put on it previously).

should i be afraid that the powerwash will remove the paint? i've tried to clean it while in the water a few times and sometimes the paint seems to flake off.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: hauling boat out for a few hours, should i worry about powerwashing?

If the paint is fresh, I would avoid the pressure wash...just use a soft-bristled brush and hull cleaner. Not much will collect to the hull even if your destination is salty.

 

[boataway]

Re: hauling boat out for a few hours, should i worry about powerwashing?

i painted it in March. is that considered fresh?

are you saying that the hull cleaner won't harm the paint? something like Starbrite Instant Hull Cleaner?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: hauling boat out for a few hours, should i worry about powerwashing?

First, is your bottom paint an antifouling paint? If so, don't power wash it if there is some growth on it already; soft brush at most and hose if needed. You paid a lot of money to put that paint there; leave it there.
Second, nothing will happen to your bottom in a week.
Third, if there's no growth, there's no need to wash it at all. You don't need hull cleaner on the bottom of the boat regardless (although some people spend their spare time working to make the boat bottom look better on the trailer, something I don't get). Yours, however, is painted. Leave it alone.
Finally, what exactly have you been trying to clean since you painted it 4 months ago and what are you doing to cause the new paint to flake? that does not sound right at all.

 

[tswiczko]

Re: hauling boat out for a few hours, should i worry about powerwashing?

I would use the least corrosive, IE soap water and brush with a garden hose rinse.

I think the main issue would be transfer of possibly invasive species so I would worry more about vegetation debris and a good flush of the engine.

 

[boataway]

Re: hauling boat out for a few hours, should i worry about powerwashing?

yes, it's anti-fouling. thanks for the input. especially since it's a "do nothing" suggestion. i like to do nothing!

shimmy stuff gets on there. but nothing like barnacles. i tried to clean it with a brush that was too hard (realized my mistake) then got something softer. i read in a magazine that you should try to clean it mid-season. they recommended using something along the lines of a piece of shag carpeting. i found a mop at the grocery store that is just a bit softer than that.