Bottom Care

[beckman2713]

Hello Everyone

New member here, I just ordered my Outback LS. I really appreciate all the useful info on the board. My question is that I don't have a boat lift and want to keep the boat in the water from May to September. I live in Upstate NY, so the water stays pretty cold till about August. I'm worried about bottom blistering and growth. Does anybody else paint their bottoms, which I really don't want to do or is there another solution. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

[EUSTACE]

Other then some kind of lift, I think you are pretty much limited to bottom painting. From what I have been told bottom painting knocks down a bit of top end speed and you gotta add repainting it to your annual to do list.

[YellowMoomba0]

Welcome Beckman !!

I have an 04 Outback that I keep in the water here in South Carolina. Boat Slip in the lake community even though my house is not on the water. This is lake living without the view. I keep my boat in for two weeks at a time. I do get the green slime growth so to remove it I pull the boat and take it to my house. I use Star Brite hull cleaner. I pour a couple of ounces in a bucket and I cut it in half by adding a quart of water or so. I have a very soft brush that I dip in the solution and then apply to the hull. This takes the slime off immediately. I rinse every 1 minute. So never leave it on and do the entire boat at once. Always do 1 minute segments. I can clean the bottom in 15 minutes or so. Do not get this stuff on your skin either. This keeps my boat looking brand new and I dont have any problems. I rinse thoroughly etc. If you do this get an extendable handle brush. I found my at Boaters World. Our water temp is 77 now but will reach the upper 80's soon. My growth will occur more rapidly than yours.

good luck and make sure the brush is soft. I have never seen a sponge on a stick but that would work too.

[cobra219]

I just ordered a new Moomba as well (Outback). My previous boat spent the summers in the water, and my experience has been that it really depends on the particular body of water. Years ago the boat was in the Niagara River and there was ALOT of algae growth, so that even with anti-fouling paint, we had to get into the water and scrub the hull at the waterline a couple ot times per season. We then had to do a serious scrub when we pulled the boat out at the end of the season. We found that the anti-fouling paint seemed to last two years before re-application.

The last couple of years the boat was in Lake Muskoka (a little cooler water...50's now...low 80's by end of July), north of Toronto, and all that the hull needed was a good scrub once a season with no painting.

Now granted this boat is now 20 years old (thus the order for the new Moomba) and we haven't necessarily been as picky about babying the hull as we were when the boat was new.

Best of luck.

Dave

[pjtatro]

The StarBrite is an awsome cleaner, it has taken stains off of my boats that other cleaners could not touch. My only concern is that I believe it (being acid based) takes off the wax. I was always told to make sure I wax the boat immediately after using StarBrite Hull Cleaner.

Pete

[qb12]

pjtatro, the starbrite is awsome stuff. just make sure you don't get that stuff on anything else but the hull. it will eat the fabric of the wench strap, the black trailer pads, everthing.....

db

[beckman2713]

Thanks everyone for the help.

I think I will take it out every couple of weeks and clean her up. I found a couple of sealer/waxes on the net that I think I will apply before she goes in. Anybody have a problem with their stuffing boxes if the boat is in all summer? (excess water, water sitting in bilge) I have owned boats all my life, but this is the first full inboard. Thanks again

[pjtatro]

qb12, I totally agree. I was not advocating its use, I was saying it was good but be careful. You are right, try not to get it anywhere you do not want to and wash it off quickly from whatever it hits.

The truly best prevention is lots and lots of wax, after that apply some more wax......

Of course I can't was where my bunk boards are on the trailer, or can I.......I could smear them with wax...........;)

[Smrtz]

Oh ya just make sure you dont unhitch before you back it down the ramp...Oh man makes me cringe just to think about it

[BensonWdby]

Here in Minnesota/Wisconsin we don't paint our bottoms, we just wear wetsuits ....

[NH Moomba]

I keep my 2000 Outback LS in the water at our lake in NH. I have enough trouble taking the dock out and putting it back in that a lift just isn't in the cards. Yes I do get a bunch of slime at the end of the year when I pull it out and I might lose a few MPH but so what? The hull cleaners described above work great but they are nasty. The fumes are terrible and if you get it on your stuffing box or fins, it will turn them red. I was worried at first about leakage through the stuffing box causing problems but it has turned out to be nothing. I do check to make sure the packing is adjusted properly every spring but that is the last I worrry about it anymore. There is more water that comes in through the cover. I would not paint the bottom. I have never had any blistering problems and I have never waxed it.

Andy