[rondds]

On my last run this season, I noticed the boat was sluggish and had some shudder at cruise speed. After dropping the hook at a swimming hole we frequent, I donned my mask and went beneath for a look. The running gear was clean but I found a 3' long bungee cord wrapped around the starboard prop hub. I was able to get it off easily and figured that would solve my problem, which it did to an extent. On the way back, the shudder was gone but the boat still seemed sluggish. I was able to get proper RPM at WOT but even with full fuel this boat will break 30MPH - today she couldnt get much past 24MPH.

Two weeks later the boat was hauled and blocked for winter and here's what I found. Could this few barnacles chop 15-20% off a boat's speed??? :huh:

 

[rondds]

Man, who'da thunk it? I figured it would take barnacles like this covering 1/2 the surface area to screw things up that badly, not just 2/3 of the keel.

 

[rondds]

I dont fully paint the bottom each season. The brackish water is pretty kind to my Pettit Hydrocoat. I do mainly cosmetic touch-ups and, as you can see, I dont get much growth. Quite honestly, this is the worst I've ever had on any boat on Barnegat Bay in 7 years. BUT, shame on me b/c now that i think of it, I believe I did NOT paint the keel line last spring, and I usually DO. Probably the most ablation occurs at this point, other than in the prop pockets. Take home lessons here are...

1. Paint the keel every year regardless.
2. Follow the travellift with the can and a brush to hit the areas where the boat was blocked.

 

[rondds]

This bay that we boat on is ridiculously shallow in many of the areas that we MUST go through to get around. Additionally, we are CONSTANTLY kicking up lots of mud. I suspect that there are times that I dont even realize that the bottom of the keel is literally grazing the silt. I suspect this b/c each spring, when I'm crawling around under the boat, I notice areas of white showing through the paint, the same type of white you'd get in the bow section if you frequently beach your boat. Normally I lightly sand those areas and paint, but I think I didn NOT do that back in April.