Q: Why should I use Barnacle Busters over other competitors?
A. Barnacle Busters is the largest, oldest and best known underwater yacht maintenance company in the Palm Beach County area. We work very hard every day to maintain our excellent reputation in the industry. We use certified scuba divers who are trained to care for your boat. Some of our quality controls include GPS tracking of our service vehicles and weekly spot check dives by our manager to ensure the highest quality cleaning and maintenance in the industry.
Q: Up north I only have the bottom cleaned every 3-4 months. Why do I need it cleaned so often down here?
A: Most leading bottom paint manufacturers agree that Palm Beach County has the highest barnacle growth in the country, especially in the hot summer months. The water in the ICW exceeds 90 degrees in the summer and is rich in nutrients, both of which promote heavier barnacle growth.
Q: If I have antifouling bottom paint, why do I need you to clean it?
A: Although bottom paint helps stunt the growth of the barnacles, it does not stop them. Barnacle Busters will only clean the bottom when necessary, paying special attention to maintaining your bottom paint so that you get maximum paint lifespan. Additionally, bottom paint wears off of the metal hardware (props, shafts, rudders, struts, trim tabs) rather quickly. Where there is no paint, barnacles will attach and grow within only a few days.
Q: If my boat is in an area with heavy current, doesn’t the speed of the water prevent the growth of the barnacles?
A: Although the theory behind that seems plausible, current actually creates heavier growth. Barnacles are filter feeders and the current acts as a conveyer belt delivering food to them. Barnacles also have great adhesion properties and even heavy current is not strong enough to knock them off.
Q: What if I only want you to clean the bottom one time?
A: Barnacle Busters will be happy to provide one time and transient customer service
Q: I just had my bottom paint redone, how long should I wait before having it cleaned?
A: You should have your bottom cleaned after one month, if you wait any longer, the barnacles will grow larger and heavier causing more wear and tear on your newly applied bottom paint and shortening the life of the paint.
Q: Will PropSpeed prevent barnacles from growing on my props?
A: No. Although it does slow the growth somewhat, the purpose of the PropSpeed coating is to prevent scaling and reduce drag. It does not have antifouling properties. We can usually pop the barnacles off the PropSpeed with our gloves if they are small, however if you wait too long to remove the barnacles from the PropSpeed it will weaken the coating and shorten the life of your PropSpeed.
Q: When PropSpeed is applied, how long do I need to wait before having my props cleaned?
A: As with new bottom paint, PropSpeed coated metals should be cleaned during your next regular hull clean. In fact, since PropSpeed is not antifouling, the barnacles will grow much faster on it than the rest of the hull. We recommend going no longer than one month between prop cleanings. Heavy growth on the PropSpeed will cause damage to the coating when cleaned, thus shortening its life.
Q: How long should my bottom paint last?
A: Approximately 12-18 months. Although you may still see bottom paint on your boat after this period of time, it has lost most of its antifouling potency. Not replenishing the bottom paint on your boat by this time will cause heavy growth on the bottom and possibly lead to the other issues related to heavy marine growth.
