If you are an avid boater or veteran boat owner, you know that biofouling is not your friend. In fact, it costs the boating sector of America an average of $100 billion a year! Biofouling is the buildup of algae, barnacles, mussels, or other marine life on the hull (bottom) of a boat.
Inexperienced boaters and new boat owners may not think of boat bottom cleaning, but it is vital whether it is moored in saltwater or freshwater. Having a hull cleaning performed by a local professional can save you loads of money in the long term, so consider the following.
How Often You’ll Need a Boat Bottom Cleaning
There are many variables to consider when deciding how often you need a boat hull cleaning performed. Climate, marine environment, and mooring choices all have to be considered.
Climate
If it’s warm, you can count on organisms to attach themselves to your boat and grow more rapidly than they would in colder locales.
Marine Environment
If your boat is used primarily in the ocean, the salinity alone can hurt your hull – and that’s before all of the barnacles, seaweed, and other sea creatures latch onto your boat bottom. You probably didn’t think of that the last time you were cleaning a boat, huh?
Where You Park It
If you have a slip with a boat lift, you’re not going to need to worry about cleaning a boat hull as often as you would if the hull was underwater for most of the season. However, if you’re in a saltwater environment, have it cleaned monthly at a minimum regardless.
What Does a Hull Cleaning Entail?
Surprise – this also depends on several factors. Marine environment, mooring situation, and state regulations can all play a big part in how you or a professional will go about cleaning a boat hull.
Marine Environment and Mooring Situation
If your boat is sitting in saltwater all-season or even all year, you will get significant buildup that will cost you several dollars per gallon in fuel efficiency. Unless you are a professional scuba diver with a vast knowledge of your state’s environmental requirements – hire a professional.
If you regularly pull her up out of the water, you can get away with a good scrub and a cleaning agent. If you don’t or cannot lift the boat completely out of the water, this is another instance where a professional comes into play.
State or Federal Regulations
If you are dead-set on performing your own regular boat bottom cleaning, read up on your area’s state and federal regulations. Clean water legislation is no joke and you could be fined a pretty hefty amount if you’re not careful.
There Is an Easier Way When It Comes to Cleaning Your Boat
It’s easy to get caught up in maintenance when you own your boat – it becomes a family member. You have a desire to take care of it on a budget and on your terms, which is admirable. But hey, there is a lot more than elbow grease behind this one.
When it comes to boat bottom cleaning, call us. We pride ourselves on our reputation as the best boat hull cleaning professionals in the Middle Tennessee area. You won’t have to worry about legality and paperwork or teaching yourself how to hold your breath and scrub at the same time.