Removing Algae and Barnacles from Outdrive Leg

Skipper February 20, 2006 Ask The Skipper

Keith Harrison asked:

Do you have a product for cleaning build up off outdrive legs. I am having my cruiser hauled out of the water soon for re-anti fouling. The legs have quite a build up on them, some barnicles etc. Is there a specific product for removing such, without damaging the leg?

Answer:
For your convenience, I’ve highlighted the hyperlinks. Click on the hyperlink to get more information about the selected product.

The product you are looking for is Algex. It is a fouling stripper made especially for aluminum, which is what your outdrive legs are made of.

When you haul your boat, scrub or power wash off as much growth as you can. Spray on the Algex and let it stand for a good 20 to 30 minutes. If the growth is heavy you might want to agitate it with a scrub brush to allow the Algex to penetrate better. Then, rinse it off. You may need several applications and you may also have to loosen the barnacles with a plastic or wooden scraper. The Algex will soften them to the point where you can get them off without too much damage to your drives. You will then have to re-apply the Algex to the adhesive rings and do a bit of scraping to get them off.

I assume you did not apply any protective coating on your drives, so you may have to re-paint them after you get them clean. I suggest that you apply a couple of coats of VS721 Bottom Coat on the drives before you re-launch. It will help to resist future growth and make the drives much easier to clean. Do not put VS721 Bottom Coat on your props. It’s so slippery that it will make them slip and cavitate. Algex can also be used for cleaning props without damage or making them go black.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora
Richard Kittar