If you are a do-it-yourself, fresh water lake bottom scrubber.....

[1911tex]

What is your favorite brush, scrubber for moss/zebras, etc.?
How do you keep from pushing yourself off the hull while scrubbing...(I tie a bow to stern cheap small rope under one side then another and hang onto it pulling myself to the boat, until I need to take a gulp of air (no aqua lung). I usually takes me 15-20 chugs of air to do the job. Any better ideas other than hiring a diver? Thanks!

 

[Loren Beach]

The divers that scrub out boat have all had a suction cup handle, in various sizes. Found this with a search, https://www.homedepot.com/p/Seachoice-9-in-Suction-Cup-Hull-Handle-37483/312085406
(Finding this stuff at this particular vendor did surprise me, tho)
While they all would work well on smooth gel coat down to the waterline, I am not sure if they work as well on rough bottom paint.
Anyhow, if you have a firm hand hold right at the waterline, that would help quite a bit, seems like.

 

[1911tex]

I tried using one of these; but it would not stick on anything below the water line due to algae and I could not reach the keel with it above the water line...arms arn't near long enough! An orangoutang might be able to do it? Also on my waxed above water line hull, it was difficult to make it stick!

H Berger Co 621322 AquaPlumb Red Rubber 4" Cup Plunger ~ 9" Handle
$1.01.$1.01Hardware World

 

[Frank Langer]

The divers that scrub out boat have all had a suction cup handle, in various sizes. Found this with a search, https://www.homedepot.com/p/Seachoice-9-in-Suction-Cup-Hull-Handle-37483/312085406
(Finding this stuff at this particular vendor did surprise me, tho)
While they all would work well on smooth gel coat down to the waterline, I am not sure if they work as well on rough bottom paint.
Anyhow, if you have a firm hand hold right at the waterline, that would help quite a bit, seems like.

Hi,
I use a different approach. I start with a medium coarse brush about a foot wide screwed onto a 6' broom handle. I start at the starboard stern, and while treading water and using slight forward motion with my legs, I brush from the water line down to the keel / centre line of the hull and back up, so each section gets 2 brush strokes. I'm careful around the knotmetre impeller. Once I've done the whole hull and rudder, I unscrew the brush from the handle and swim under the full length of the hull to clean any areas I missed. Finally, I dive down holding my breath to clean the keel with just the brush, on each side. The whole process takes about 20 minutes, keeps the hull clean, and is good exercise at my age. I also save lots on divers fees.
Frank

 

[1911tex]

Frank, You are one tough fella....that water up there is COLD even with a dive suit! It is even chilly down here in Central Texas until May. I will try it your way with the 6' broom handle..I don't use flippers, but may try them as well for better contact, but still will use the bow to stern line. It presently takes me 40 minutes with all the gulps of air I need. Thanks!

 

[toddster]

The long-handled-brush-from-the-dock method is attractive during the nine months when the water is excessively refreshing. I picked up one of these things when it was on sale last year. It's still difficult to reach around the top of the keel.

Scrubbis Groovy | Davis Instruments

Designed to handle the tough bottom growth that is aggressively attached to the boat's hull, including algae, slime, grass, barnacles and worm castings.

www.davisinstruments.com

Mostly just slime and (if you let it go too long) sponge to get off around here.

There is also a communal one on our dock that is much stouter and home made. Well, I'm sure it belongs to somebody, but it seems to get passed up and down the dock.

Here is an example, but ours is stouter and floatier than that - made from 1.5 and 2-inch PVC pipe, I think. The floatation creates significant upward force on the brush. Er... carpet.

Homemade Bottom Cleaner | Good Old Boat

goodoldboat.com

When I've dove with the red-rubber plunger, I had mixed results. Almost as hard to get the plunger attached as to scrub without it.

 

[1911tex]

Toddster that is an interesting tool...I am going to the sailboat department at Home Depot, look at the various more robust PVC tubes (for applying leverage pressure) and connections and see if I can devise such a great tool project.....then may purchase some of the Scrubbis tool heads, or see what H/D has in the way of window washing/commercial mopping heads. Maybe devise something for keeping the hull waterline clean as well. Don't know if this will work getting crud of the prop/shaft however..may need to still get wet, but only for a few minutes! I have one of those Garmin underwater video cameras to use in conjunction with the "tool", to see what areas I missed. Great ideas from great folks! Will report back........

 

[toddster]

IIRC, The "local" tool ends in a solid Tee about 18" wide, with a piece of carpeting sewn or wired around it. The shaft has two 45° bends to give it more of a rounded shape. The great thing about PVC is that if you don't like the shape, just cut it and add (or subtract) another joint. There is also a side-Tee near the handle end to provide leverage to help control it. I'll try to remember to snap a pic next time I see it.

HD, as well as WM, have various brushes and squeegees that screw onto a standard broom handle thread. Which also happens to be present on WM boat hooks. But with those you get no bend in the shaft. I suppose one could devise a PVC - broom handle adapter. But with both the home-brew and the Scrubbis, the head itself provides crucial floatation.

edit: Local thing looks something like this...

 

[1911tex]

Ideas keep flowing...I can't get enough! I like the wide tool...makes the job quicker....

 

[Frank Langer]

Ideas keep flowing...I can't get enough! I like the wide tool...makes the job quicker....

Wide is good to a point, but after about 2' width, it becomes heavy and unwieldy, and doesn't conform as well to the hull curve.
Frank

 

[Teranodon]

I'm reviving this thread because I just finished going over my hull with a newly-acquired "Scrubbis" from Davis Instruments. I mostly used the tougher black brush head. All work done from the dock. I was pleasantly surprised. I had to go over some of the areas multiple times, but the thing is well designed and easy to use. The amount of buoyancy is just about right, so you don't have to kill yourself keeping it underwater. I recommend it, with one caveat: it's pretty useless on the keel.