Since moving our boat away from Seattle a couple years ago, I have employed a diving service a couple times a year. In Seattle I used to hire a local independent diver about once a year to do zincs and clean the running gear between haulouts.
I usually hauled the boat every 2-3 years for fresh bottom paint and I greased the prop myself. It's important maintenance for an expensive piece of hardware. Last winter I read their website and one of the services they provide is prop greasing in the water. I called their office and confirmed it. I had not thought of doing that task underwater, but logically and actually there isn't any problem with that. They had zerks and spare set screws. Yesterday they came out and performed the usual service: cleaned and inspected the bottom and running gear, changed one shaft zinc, and then greased the prop. Nice. And the paint is still doing its job. I use a hard bottom paint, not a soft, ablative type.
I think that I will continue a regular dive service and haul less frequently. We are quite a bit further from reasonable cost boatyards now. I have 5 or 6 coats of bottom paint on the hull and several years of dive service is still cheaper than hauling out.
I usually hauled the boat every 2-3 years for fresh bottom paint and I greased the prop myself. It's important maintenance for an expensive piece of hardware. Last winter I read their website and one of the services they provide is prop greasing in the water. I called their office and confirmed it. I had not thought of doing that task underwater, but logically and actually there isn't any problem with that. They had zerks and spare set screws. Yesterday they came out and performed the usual service: cleaned and inspected the bottom and running gear, changed one shaft zinc, and then greased the prop. Nice. And the paint is still doing its job. I use a hard bottom paint, not a soft, ablative type.
I think that I will continue a regular dive service and haul less frequently. We are quite a bit further from reasonable cost boatyards now. I have 5 or 6 coats of bottom paint on the hull and several years of dive service is still cheaper than hauling out.