Barnacle Removal

[Peter Drake]

What's the secret to removing barnacles from a dry hull?
The boat yard power washed the bottom, when hauling out in October. The Interlux ACT ablative paint (one coat) kept the bottom very clean for six months in salt water. But, I just noticed that I have an area of barnacle growth on the bootstripe, on the underside of the stern overhang. The boat is now high and dry, on its trailer.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
P-

[Mike Johnson]

I used a paint can stirring stick to rid my hull of barnicales after 10 months in the water. Worked very well after water blasting the bottom.

[Neil Gordon]

The shell is pretty easy to break off. The disk that remains is harder. I chisel them off the prop but you don't want to do that on the hull.

If they're under the stern, leaving the disks as is may not be too offensive. (I have lots of them on the bottom of my dinghy.)

The Navy has been studying barnacle glue for years.

[winthrop fisher]

Hey Peter... there is no secret just hard work, then they got off the easy part off of it, you just scrap and sand and barrier coat two coats and prime two coats and paint two more coats and for ever coat want 24 hours for the next one. thats a run down on ever thing you will do... winthrop

What's the secret to removing barnacles from a dry hull?
The boat yard power washed the bottom, when hauling out in October. The Interlux ACT ablative paint (one coat) kept the bottom very clean for six months in salt water. But, I just noticed that I have an area of barnacle growth on the bootstripe, on the underside of the stern overhang. The boat is now high and dry, on its trailer.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
P-

[Peter Drake]

Thanks, guys.
I'll try to knock the shells off, and leave the glue.
I'm hoping to avoid doing a complete bottom job for another year or two. If anything, my topsides is in need of refinishing.
Sail on.
P-

[RMeigel]

These products are used for cleaning organic stuff off our hulls. I have a couple of discs on my boot stripe too, and my plan of attack, when I get around to it, is to dab concentrations of these on the discs.

When I chiseled the shells off, the bootstripe paint came off with some of them, so I'm expecting to have to sand and replenish the bootstripe eventually. Fortunately, I didn't have that many to begin with.

The best time to attack these critters is immediately when the boat is hauled and they are still soft. For that reason, I like to be present at haul out, holding my trusty putty knife. It saves hours of labor later.

[tartansailor]

The industrial Chemist that came up with Krazy Glue ground up a bunch of barnacles and did an analysis. As obnoxious as cyanoacrylates are, that was what he found. That led to the development of isocyanates which are used to catalyze reactive urethanes sold as 2 component adhesives and paints.
Yes they can be dissolved with certain solvents, one being hydrofluoric acid, but the fiberglass would be long gone by the time the barnacles were removed. We are consigned to the scraper.
Dick