Best time of year to PW your hull?

[jhance]

If one is keeping their boat in the water year round, when do you all think is the best time to pressure wash the hull to clean off marine growth on an annual haul out? After spring or early summer marine growth spurt is over with? June? Pacific Northwest.

 

[Larry M]

We spent 12 years in the PNW and tried to haul every 3 years for new bottom paint. Occasionally we hauled earlier for a prop repair or an oh sh.t. We’d get a diver once a year for zincs and to clean the running gear/ bottom as needed but that was it. We did use the boat 75 to 100 days a year and painted with Trinidad SR, a hard paint.

 

[caltexflanc]

Power washing is rough on the hull and paint. Prefer a diver myself.

 

[Ken E.]

I bottom paint every other year and pressure wash when I haul out. I have very little growth in the off years.

 

[Lepke]

If you check around, most yards have a slow time and offer a better price then. The commercial yards away from big cities have the best rates. Check in Canada, too. I pay about $1500 for a haul out and pressure wash for an 83' boat. I do my own zincs and paint.

 

[dhays]

If one is keeping their boat in the water year round, when do you all think is the best time to pressure wash the hull to clean off marine growth on an annual haul out? After spring or early summer marine growth spurt is over with? June? Pacific Northwest.

Here in the PNW, I have a diver check and clears the bottom and the anodes every three months. I have only hauled my boats when needed for some other purpose. Using hard paint, I have been able to get a LOT of years out of a paint job. My last sailboat last 7 years without a paint job and when I sold it, the bottom paint was still in great shape and had very little growth.

In cool water, painting on a schedule certainly is a great system, much like buying a new car and trading it in every three years. You will always have a nice, new car, but it sure costs a lot more than needed.

 

[ctjstr]

being not too far from where Dave has his boat in Gig Harbor, my experience is similar. I have access to a grid and try and get the boat out of the water every 6 months or so. My last boat went 5 years without re painting. Zinc's on the other hand...in my location I get about 10 months max. I only pressure wash when its time to paint.

toni

 

[woodlord]

I agree with Ken I have to haul to do zincs on thrusters to many small parts for diver so paint every other year and pressure wash in between seams to work for me with very little growth and I always do it in March before the yards are to busy