It's a nasty job, but has to be done. And honestly, I'd rather do it myself than to pay someone. I'm talking about bottom-cleaning. Yep, scraping barnacles and the plenitude of sealife that kindly attaches itself to the bottom of your hull. It seems to thicken, like rolling a snowball, picking up mass with every changing tide. The conditions here are perfect- constant current, warm waters, and a boat that hasn't had a fresh coat of anti-fouling paint in almost 3 years.
So I don the gear- scuba tank, mask, fins and scraper. I plunge in and attack- scraping away the thick mass of hairy like growth. Fortunately, not too many barnacles to contend with, as these formidable opponents can be really tough to break off. But the algae-like plant life was unbelievable. Here, a mild current is your friend. Whisking away the nasty stuff as it falls from the hull. I burn through an 80cu tank in about an hour, a testament to my miserable aerobic condition. When I draw the last labored breath through the regulator, I ascend the 3 feet and drift to the swim ladder to climb out.
OH- THE HORRID OF WHAT I FIND CLINGING TO ME!!!
You wouldn't know what color my t-shirt actually was, because I was covered, literally COVERED, in millions if tiny brine shrimp. They were in my hair (head, chest, leg....yes, there too), in my ears, on my mask, in my gloves-you get the picture.
While I could have come unglued, I forced myself to minimize the gross factor. Fortunately, I still had not removed my mask, so at least my nose and eyes were out of reach to the clingy buggers. And it stayed on until the last known creature had been power-sprayed off of me. As I shot the hose down into my shorts, I flet a sharp sting in the nether-regions. Instinctively reaching in to brush away whatever was making contact with the sensitive skin, I feel somenthing that actually seemed to take a defensive position. In the haste of the moment, I scooped out a handful of biomass and slung it to the deck. To my shock, a small sand crab regains his footing and scurrys off the edge and into the water. As far fetched as it sounds, yes, I had the crabs
! Carryn doubled over with laughter. Another silly twist to the mundane job of bottom cleaning. A day we won't soon forget.
B, C & B
So I don the gear- scuba tank, mask, fins and scraper. I plunge in and attack- scraping away the thick mass of hairy like growth. Fortunately, not too many barnacles to contend with, as these formidable opponents can be really tough to break off. But the algae-like plant life was unbelievable. Here, a mild current is your friend. Whisking away the nasty stuff as it falls from the hull. I burn through an 80cu tank in about an hour, a testament to my miserable aerobic condition. When I draw the last labored breath through the regulator, I ascend the 3 feet and drift to the swim ladder to climb out.
OH- THE HORRID OF WHAT I FIND CLINGING TO ME!!!
You wouldn't know what color my t-shirt actually was, because I was covered, literally COVERED, in millions if tiny brine shrimp. They were in my hair (head, chest, leg....yes, there too), in my ears, on my mask, in my gloves-you get the picture.
While I could have come unglued, I forced myself to minimize the gross factor. Fortunately, I still had not removed my mask, so at least my nose and eyes were out of reach to the clingy buggers. And it stayed on until the last known creature had been power-sprayed off of me. As I shot the hose down into my shorts, I flet a sharp sting in the nether-regions. Instinctively reaching in to brush away whatever was making contact with the sensitive skin, I feel somenthing that actually seemed to take a defensive position. In the haste of the moment, I scooped out a handful of biomass and slung it to the deck. To my shock, a small sand crab regains his footing and scurrys off the edge and into the water. As far fetched as it sounds, yes, I had the crabs
! Carryn doubled over with laughter. Another silly twist to the mundane job of bottom cleaning. A day we won't soon forget.B, C & B
PS As if scrapping the bottom wasn't a tough enough job, I took on repairing the temperature gauges in the engine room. Note to self...yoga might be a good thing to learn!
1 comment:
Wow...that is crazy! Always a good chuckle though..love the blog. Have a great week, Lv L
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