Keeping a "clean bottom"...

[rogerswin]

Every year around this time there are always discussions about fouling below the waterline. Most likely because of the number of boats that are hauled out at this time. It indicates to me the amount of owners/operators that don't spend a little time during the good boating season to prevent this. I'm on the west coast where we don't haul out for the winter per se, unless it is for a scheduled yearly maintenance. However, we definitely need bottom cleanings. It's probably worse here because owners tend to forget about it for longer periods of time (if you can't see it, it must be okay)! Boaters, in general, tend to forget about below the waterline preventive maintenance. Or maybe "ignore" is the better word? If you get in the water once in awhile (temperature permitting) with a scrub brush and one of those plastic scrapers used to remove snow and ice from a car windshield you can keep the whole bottom, shafts, rudders and drives in clean shape. It also gives you a chance to inspect any through-fittings. I see so many owners at the marina with varnished rails and polished fiberglass, but they totally forget about below the waterline. I do not include the sailboaters in this group - they KNOW what the results of a dirty bottom will do to the performance. They're always scrubbing and scraping! It doesn't take a qualified SCUBA diver to clean a boat bottom. You can get the job done, and have fun doing it, with a good fitting snorkel outfit. I also use a quick release weight belt for neutral buoyancy. Maybe it takes "living aboard" before a person really starts to wonder about the boat parts and areas you can't see everyday. I know that's what got me cleaning below the waterline. I used to lie there just before going to sleep wondering how it was down there? Sleeping with your arm hanging over the side of the bunk as a water detector is not very assuring! I've noticed that live-aboards are always checking and testing their bilge pump systems too. They always seem to have their heads below one deck hatch or another.