Cleaning time >:O(

[Tony]

Probably been asked a hundred times but....
what's the best way to scrub and clean the hull?
Should the hull be sanded?
and finally what sort of antifoul should i use and how many coats.
Thanks for all your worldly advice to a complete novice.....

[Pete7]

Sacre bluer , antifoulin on a Scorpion? thats treason, only the finest carnauba wax applied with the softest Welsh lambs wool please

If its already got antifouling on it then you might want to wait until late spring before doing it so the antifouling is at its strongest during the summer when the wee nasties are growing. A pressure wash and good scrub might should surfice for now.

If it isn't painted oh dear, your going to have to key the surface of all that nice shinney hull. Worth doing a search on Ribnet and also have a read of this.

http://www.yachtpaint.com/uk/default.asp

Pete

[Lostboy]

Blakes Hard Racing, with the correct primer and undercoat.

This can then be burnished down with wet and dry to a smooth finish (mine is 400 wet 'n' dry smooth) and then you won't even know it's there, except that the performance doesn't dull (and fuel bills rise!) with growth in the summer!!!

[Milo72]

if there is no antifoul on there and it's just stained, pressure wash then work any stubborn marks with a scotch brite, then use Y10 gel to get the staining out. It's brilliant and available from most places. mailspeed stock it and deliver.

[codprawn]

Depends how bad it is - elbow grease is an essential ingredient.

If you have loads of barnacles etc use a plastic windscreen scraper and finish off with nylon scouring pads. Also plenty of water when you are doing it.

http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?...ight=hard+work

Took us 7 hrs of very hard work - made hell of a difference though.

Still haven't antifouled mine - it is coming out of the water soon and I want to try my own special mix I have been working on - applied it on some test strips and it seems to be working - the real test will be in the early summer. IF my system works it will be great because it is so easy to apply and you don't need to sand the hull.

[Richard B]

Speak to the locals in your marina as the sort of anti-fouling depends on local conditions.

I'm sort of asssuming you're keeping the RIB afloat and have given up on just keeping her clean?

[Tony]

She stays in the marina 24/7 always ready for a quick blast whatever the weather. I bought the boat only a month ago. The previous owner had anti fouled it a couple of times.

[Tony]

Ok
Tubes cleaned with Rib Revive and "3M"ed
Hull pressure washed scrubed and scoured nearly back to hull
Trims and Prop polished with Stainless Steel Clean and polish
Engine serviced
Engine Casing and top of Hull polished with Carnauba wax.

Now down to the nitty gritty
The boat is stayng in the marina all year round,I have looked at some antifouls, but which ones do you guys recommend?
Thanks.................

[Richard B]

Tony, the first question is.... is there any remaining antifoul on the hull? If so do you know what type it is? You should be aware that there can be compatability issues between different types of anti-foul. It's unlikely that this will be an issue, as owners of fast planing craft will probably choose the same type. But check if you can! I believe that most people opt for International Interspeed Ultra (for RIBs).

There's loads of info on the International Paint website, and there's a compatability chart on there too if I remember correctly. www.yachtpaint.com They do a quick reference here: http://www.yachtpaint.com/UK/boat_pa...ing/choose.pdf Their FAQ is useful, and gives a very concise answer: "Power crafts (speeds in excess of 25 knots) and boats kept on drying moorings should be coated with a hard antifouling, Interspeed Ultra".

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Richard B

"Power crafts (speeds in excess of 25 knots) and boats kept on drying moorings should be coated with a hard antifouling, Interspeed Ultra".

Good tip Richard, its what I use and I have tried a few.