The title says it all. How do you do that? Or does anybody do that? When our boat's on the cradle you can't get at the bottom of the keel, can't even look at it. Feels pretty rough. We don't have a travel lift at our marina so leaving it hanging in slings overnight is not an option. Maybe it doesn't foul much in freshwater since it gets no sunlight and it seems like in freshwater the stuff that grows on a bottom does better on the sunny side of the boat. But what about salt water?
And how do you anti-foul under the cradle pads if you're not using a flash dry paint like VC17? I am thinking maybe to put a temporary brace in beside each cradle pad one at a time and then lower the pad and put on the 3 coats of antifouling, but that is going to be a long slow process since this stuff drys pretty slowly.
How do others deal with these issues?
I can't get antifouling paint on the bottom of our wing keel, either.
What I do to remove barnacles is randomly scrape the keel across a small sand bar in our ubiquitous sandy bottomed cruising grounds from time to time. I do it at slow speeds and usually while searching for a shortcut somewhere. Sometimes it is a mild surprise, but I always try to ensure the "surprises" come on a rising tide.
This technique may not be advisable in other cruising grounds. ;)
Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/
My marina blocks the keel only under the section directly under the verticlal keel root, so the 'wings' are not covered. We scrape and paint wherever we can reach, usually about 75%. When in the slings for launch, I scrape and paint the remainder, plus where the jack stand pads were against the hull. Let it dry for maybe a half hour then launch. This is the common practice I've observed here in the Northern Chesapeake and has never presented any issues. I had a 'quick haul/pressure wash/launch' last Tuesday (gained 1.5 knots..!). The bottom was uniformly fouled with Chesapeake mud/slime and a couple dozen barnacles. This year has been the worst for barnacles we've seen in 22 years at this marina. The spots painted in the slings were no better or worse than anywhere else on the boat so the short drying time doesn't seem to make any difference. I use Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote, an ablative, and have since the boat was new.
Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay