How do you prevent barnacles from attaching to alluminum pontoon boat used in salt water and brakish water?

I have a new Avalon Pontoon Boat which has been in salt water for one month. I pulled it out recently and found a considerable amount of baricles attached to the pontoons and the motor. What can I use to reduce or prevent this problem. I used a pressure washer to remove as many of the barnicles from the engine and pontoons, but portions of the pontoons can not be reached while on the trailer. Even after powerwashing with straight water, there is a roughness to the pontoons. What can be done to remove the roughness and coat the pontoons.How do you prevent barnacles from attaching to alluminum pontoon boat used in salt water and brakish water?
+ first you need to get all of the barnacles off. If that means jacking up the pontoon boat from the trailer one section at a time then that's what you have to do. Be really careful, and place safety blocks and dun age where you can so that there is no danger of having it fall on you or getting stuck. Next you need to clean the portion of the boat to as smooth as you can get it. The smoother the surface the better. I have seen people use a good quality paste wax to make it smooth and I have seem sail boat racers use a coat of soap to smooth the bottom and prevent barnacles but they are very temporary solutions as barnacles are pervasive. The longest lasting solution is the use of a good marine bottom paint at least two coats. Even that will not last a whole season. Interlux and Petit are the ones I have tried so far.

Good Luck, work safe, and

Happy Holidays
Once you get it clean and ready to apply bottom paint, make sure the bottom paint is for alluminum hulls. Normal bottom paint will speed the corrosion of your hull.How do you prevent barnacles from attaching to alluminum pontoon boat used in salt water and brakish water?
Here's a marine paint site:



http://www.ship2shoremarine.com/what-is-鈥?/a>
Antifouling bottom paint is necessary, be sure it is for aluminum. If it is left for a time in warm weather it will get some anyway.We (in the Chesapeake, brackish)have the worst problem on the shaft and prop, metal, so maybe they like better. When the boat is out of the water, power wash.How do you prevent barnacles from attaching to alluminum pontoon boat used in salt water and brakish water?
The glue left behind by the barnacles will come off with fine ( 180 or better) wet and dry sandpaper.



ridenicely has a point which I want to emphasize:

the only thing that keeps barnacles off a boat is anti-fouling bottom paint.

Period.



almost all anti fouling bottom paint is copper based.



copper based paint in salt water will, by electrolysis, eat the aluminum hull of your boat in weeks. No kidding. Massive damage in no time



You must either use an anti fouling especially designed for aluminum, or



use many many many layers of primer and barrier coat first.



Paint is a system. A specific paint is meant to go with specific primer.

Read the cans!
get it clean...very clean. then find a quality "anti-fouling" paint. even then you will still get a few, but not covered in them.
I just saw this question on a pontoon boat forum. Maybe it was you. If not, go to www.pontoon.net and go to the forums. Then either do a search or go to the general forum. It should be on the first or second page of threads. BTW, it's great forum. Good luck!

alpinestars