BIA Victoria - Moored Boats All
Moored Boats – Cruisers, yachts, large fishing boats
It’s crucial to make sure your boat is clean before you move it. Follow these 5 simple steps.
1. Slip and clean your boat regularly (at least every year and anytime there is a build up of fouling).
Regular cleaning will ensure that pests are not living on your boat. These pests could be weeds, or animals like shellfish or sabella worms. If you move your boat with these pests attached you could spread them to a new area.
There are three major forms of fouling - slime, plants and animals. The first layer of fouling will be slime – which is made up of millions of algae cells. The slime will not come off as your boat moves through the water, it needs to be cleaned off. Plants and animals quickly attach to the slime layer. The longer they are there the harder they are to get off, so regular cleaning is better for the environment and will end up being more cost effective.
You should not clean your boat in the water, on the ramp or on the beach – you may be removing live pests that could get back into the water. Ideally, you should slip your boat.
Make sure that any waste removed during cleaning is collected and put in the bin – not in the water. The waste may contain live pests, pest eggs, plant spores, or toxic paint filings that can harm native plants and animals.
Even if you cannot see any fouling you should still have you boat slipped and cleaned regularly at an approved facility – there may be pests hidden in propellers, rudders, water inlets/outlets, keel, shafts etc.
2. Select an antifouling paint suited to your boats activity, and apply it correctly following the manufactures advice. Renew it when persistent fouling occurs.
Antifouling is used to protect your boat against fouling. Fouling on your boat can be dangerous and costly.
You can apply antifouling yourself or get a professional to do it. Choosing the correct antifouling is crucial and your supplier should be able to help you with this. Things to consider when choosing your antifouling:
- How often you use your boat
- How fast you normally go
- What the hull is made of
- What paint is currently on it
- Moored in salt or freshwater
- The water temperature
Without taking all of these things into account, the antifouling may not be the correct one and you will probably find your boat will become fouled faster, you have to redo the painting more often, and it could damage the hull.
You should apply the antifouling according to the directions on the can – it needs to be the correct thickness. If you “skimp” when you paint it on, it won’t work properly and you will need to redo it much sooner than the instructions suggest.
Reapply as often as it says on the can – usually every 12 months or when persistent fouling occurs.
When you remove old antifouling, make sure any waste is collected and put in the bin. This waste includes fouling, slime, paint scrapings and weeds. Do not dispose of it in the water.
Make a record of all slipping and maintenance. Record what was done, when it was done and what products were used – you can put this information in your log book. If we have a serious new pest invasion, it is very useful to be able to prove you have been cleaning and antifouling regularly and correctly.
3. Check your boat for fouling every month (any plants or animals attached to your hull, propellers, anchor, cables, fenders, cordage, tenders etc).
Fouling includes slime, plants and animals. The slime is made up of millions of algae cells. It will not come off as your boat moves through the water, it needs to be cleaned off. Plants and animals will quickly attach to the slime on the hull. Fouling on your boat can be dangerous and costly.
If there is fouling that you can see – have your boat slipped and cleaned as soon as possible and definitely before you change locations. The fouling may be pest plants or animals that you could spread to other areas.
You should be checking for fouling as part of your regular pre trip checklist – the hull should be clean before you move – for safety reasons as well as pests.
Even if you can’t see any fouling you should still have your boat slipped and cleaned regularly at an approved facility – there may be pests hidden on propellers, rudders, in pipes etc.
4. Treat internal seawater systems regularly – flush with freshwater or an approved treatment.
If you do this regularly then plants and animals will not have a chance to attach.
Animals such as mussels can be a serious problem for internal pipes. They form dense colonies, clogging pipes very quickly and cannot be removed by simply flushing the pipes. Even if the mussels die they will stay in the pipes. Removal of the mussels can be extremely expensive or even impossible – you may have to have the pipes pulled out and replaced. Regular flushing will stop pests from attaching in the first place.
If you find a build up of fouling in the pipes, you will need to keep a treatment in the pipes for 14 hours to kill the pests. You can use freshwater, a store bought treatment or a very weak detergent (2% detergent) or bleach solution– however this cannot be discharged into to sea – it will need to be discharged at an approved pump out facility.
5. Dispose of sewage and bilge water at an approved pump out facility. Waste could contain pests, their eggs or plant spores.
Even if you can’t see anything in the water or waste – there could be living plant spores, single celled organisms, pest eggs or even a fragment of a plant or animal. If this waste is discharged into the water, the pest could establish a new population. It’s very important to discharge this waste into an approved pump out facility.
These facilities are located around the bays and many are free – St Kilda Marina, Sandringham Yacht Club, Patterson Lakes Marina and Yaringa Boat Harbour.
Most other marinas offer pump out facilities but not all are free to non members. They will sometimes charge a nominal fee of around $5 – you will need to check with individual marinas to see what they offer and if they charge.
For more information on free hoppers and sewage pump out facilities around the Bays click here