Exposure: A Hull Lot Cleaner
They don’t seek the limelight but were it not for divers like Robin Reed and Ryan Cheatham shown here at Safe Harbor Rybovich, most marinas would grind to a halt. This duo works for Palm Beach’s Atlantic Underwater Diving Service under the direction of 40-year veteran Rich Easton. “My father was a Navy veteran from World War II,” Easton says. “He loved the water so he used to take us down to the Keys to dive. Been doing it ever since.”
Barnacles are, of course, their primary targets. “I’ve seen it where the whole boat was two to three inches thick,” says Easton. “Mostly it’s hand scraping. They’ve never really been successful in using mechanical devices to clean props and shafts because of the curves and angles.”
Photo: Gately Williams
Divers also replace the myriad of anodes that protect $35,000, 65-inch propellers and replace those propellers when anodes are ignored. For haulouts, lifting straps must be precisely placed to avoid thru-hulls, transducers, exhaust ports and falls.
“I pay my divers really well,” says Easton. “But it’s also tough, very tough work. You have to be both mentally and physically strong. But, you know, putting on a big set of propellers gives you a good sense of accomplishment. A lot of my customers over the years have been very good friends. I’ve helped them out and they helped me out. You know, the relationship between the boat owners, the boat captains, the boat crew, and, you know, our divers. We’re all like a family, basically.”
View the original article to see embedded media.
This article originally appeared in the August 2023 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/at-sea/exposure-a-hull-lot-cleaner
