Polite Beach Antifouling Question

[Fore and Aft]

I know our resident Sheldon asked a similar thing, but my question is does anyone still beach their boat and paint antifoul on it while beached?
In my local area of Queensland one boat, I surveyed years ago had been beached then two plus years of growth removed and new antifoul applied. The guy got badly harassed (local businessman public phone number) and never did it again and was not fined. Last year I was taken to a remote beach by a client, and he had completely repainted the hull and deck of his catamaran while on the beach. The area was remote enough that it was out of the public eye so he could get away with it. Our local boatyard was recently fined a 5-figure sum for environmental breaches, so the laws are there I am just not sure how often they are applied to individuals.
When answering this question try and keep your toys in the pram. I know it's bad for the environment, but I just wonder if it is still a thing that's done anywhere?
Cheers

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

I know our resident Sheldon asked a similar thing, but my question is does anyone still beach their boat and paint antifoul on it while beached?
In my local area of Queensland one boat, I surveyed years ago had been beached then two plus years of growth removed and new antifoul applied. The guy got badly harassed (local businessman public phone number) and never did it again and was not fined. Last year I was taken to a remote beach by a client, and he had completely repainted the hull and deck of his catamaran while on the beach. The area was remote enough that it was out of the public eye so he could get away with it. Our local boatyard was recently fined a 5-figure sum for environmental breaches, so the laws are there I am just not sure how often they are applied to individuals.
When answering this question try and keep your toys in the pram. I know it's bad for the environment, but I just wonder if it is still a thing that's done anywhere?
Cheers

It’s common practice, there are tide grid’s everywhere where there is enough tide. Our American designed and built boat is designed to be able to use tide grids for this.

What is illegal in some US states is scraping the hull in the water. The thing divers do for a fee. Boatyards have all kind of regulations they must adhere to, like a trap to catch all they scrape off, even in states where divers are allowed to scrape. I don’t think I have heard of it being illegal for individuals to paint antifouling in a tide grid or other careening setup but I’m sure there will be places.

[Wotname]

I guess there many variables in the question.The jurisdiction, federal/state/local laws, enforcement practices, the remoteness of the area and so on.

What might be common practice (and legal) someplace could well be frowned upon nearby. What is sure is that if some LEO took offence, they will find something to whack you with.

[RaymondR]

It's done quietly all up and down the Queensland coast. The key to staying out of trouble is to avoid the touristy places. I careened once at False Cape but chose a time when high tides were at 1800 and 0600 and all the tour operators and public service nuisances had either gone home to bed or not arisen from thereto.

From an environmental viewpoint, carining just relocates the detritus back into the environment from which it came, ablative antifoul is going to end up in the water anyway and hard stays on the boat anyway. The small amount of spillage does less damage than one tourist boat on a day trip.

[thinwater]

a. The original thread was about the east coast of the US. Sometimes it's just about regulations and arguing the sense or not sense of them is just off the point. Common speed limits range from 25 mph or 70 mph, and the roads with different limits may look similar. Enforcement may be spotty or strict. But the driver is not allowed to choose, in part, because he does not know the reasons for the limit.



b. Scraping in the water is an issue many places along the east coast. In fact, in my area the local marinas do not permit divers. One of the big factors is whether there is effective tidal flushing. In one harbor the pollutants may linger, in another they maybe be diluted below concern. Thus, comparing regulations is messy unless you understand all of the variables.


c. My concern would be can you really prepare and paint it properly between tides? I know in my local area the public and LEO would be on you long before you finished the prep and it wouldn't be pretty. The fine would probably cover your painting bill for a decade.



---


As for the "rightness" of regulations and the cost/benefit of pollution prevention, that's a deep rabbit hole and we're not going to find the bottom. We can all agree that no prevention is inconsistent with life, and zero impact is impossible for humans and not 100% necessary. Rather like immigration rules, the answer must be therefore be compromise somewhere in the gray, and we all need to accept that it is gray.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by thinwater

c. My concern would be can you really prepare and paint it properly between tides? I know in my local area the public and LEO would be on you long before you finished the prep and it wouldn't be pretty. The fine would probably cover your painting bill for a decade.

I think that's really the big limitation. Whether you can get things dry for long enough to get it clean and ready for paint (without making a mess that you can't collect), paint it, and have the paint dry before the tide comes back in. With most paints, that'll be tough. You might spend an entire tide cycle prepping, then have to come back on the next cycle to rinse with fresh water, let it dry, and paint. And even then, a lot of paints want more dry time before immersion than you'd be able to get.

Something like VC-17 (which you'd rarely see in salt water), it can probably be done. Get as much slime off as possible before starting the process, clean it up as soon as you're out of the water, get new paint on, then you're good to go (VC-17 dries and is ready for immersion in 15 - 30 minutes depending on temperature).

[s/v Jedi]

In warm climates the boat is already prepped for paint before beaching it. You do this every time you swim.

For cold climates most boats do one part at a time… so that they finish well before the tide comes in again.

The problem I have with divers scraping boats in marinas is that they are generally unpleasant to work with (don’t show up, overcharge, complain etc.) and the scraped off barnacles seem to spread to other boats or release their brood or whatever they do but I notice more growth when boats are scraped.

[grantmc]

Yes to the OP's question. I've a boat that can stand on the beach.
But of course discrete about the locale.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Something like VC-17 (which you'd rarely see in salt water), it can probably be done. Get as much slime off as possible before starting the process, clean it up as soon as you're out of the water, get new paint on, then you're good to go (VC-17 dries and is ready for immersion in 15 - 30 minutes depending on temperature).

Probably one of the worst antifouling paints I have tried. Everything stuck to it apart from the normal antifoul I tried applying the following year. What a mess. Four days spent with chemical strippers to take the lot off before starting again.

Pete

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

What is illegal in some US states is scraping the hull in the water.

100% untrue. In-water hull cleaning is not illegal in any U.S. state.

[JPA Cate]

There are good drying tides in some areas of Qld, Fore and Aft, but the one that used to be in Auckland Creek has been out of commission for years, now. It's easier to service a small boat on one, anyway, than a big one, if there's only one or two of you to work. And, the boat needs to be able to take the ground. Some endure a lot of bending if sat on their keels without supports to spread the load a bit.

Ann

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

It’s common practice, there are tide grid’s everywhere where there is enough tide. Our American designed and built boat is designed to be able to use tide grids for this.

What is illegal in some US states is scraping the hull in the water. The thing divers do for a fee. Boatyards have all kind of regulations they must adhere to, like a trap to catch all they scrape off, even in states where divers are allowed to scrape. I don’t think I have heard of it being illegal for individuals to paint antifouling in a tide grid or other careening setup but I’m sure there will be places.

It certainly is illegal in western Canada (and i suspect all of Canada). There used to be tidal grids everwhere but most of them have been removed and the ones that remain have heavy signage saying scraping and painting is illegal. Big fines!

[Sailing55]

In water cleaning, scraping of ablative soft antifouling paint is illegal in Wa. State.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

It certainly is illegal in western Canada (and i suspect all of Canada). There used to be tidal grids everwhere but most of them have been removed and the ones that remain have heavy signage saying scraping and painting is illegal. Big fines!

Show the laws. It’s often illegal for companies to do this but not for individuals.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

100% untrue. In-water hull cleaning is not illegal in any U.S. state.

Originally Posted by Sailing55

In water cleaning, scraping of ablative soft antifouling paint is illegal in Wa. State.

There you go.