We have two seasons in Florida, dry and wet. The shift from wet weather to dry weather usually is somewhere in mid October. The shift is brought about by cold fronts coming from the North West that begin to change the weather patterns. This welcome relief! You can feel the reduction in the humidity and some days are actually mild and pleasant.
Barnacle Growth Slows Down
During the summer, the barnacles grow fast. A monthly cleaning really means having two good weeks on the water and two weeks with sluggish performance and increased fuel cost. If you have been active over the summer, you have either been cleaning the bottom of your boat twice a month, or noticed the sluggish performance around the third week of the month. During the summer you get the same amount of growth in one week that you get in one month during the winter. This is why we recommend cleaning the hull twice a month during summer months.
If you are active on the water, you do not need to clean the bottom every two weeks all year around. It is only during the summer when barnacle growth is fast that you need to clean twice a month.
When To Go Back To Once A Month Hull Cleaning?
When can you go back to a normal cleaning schedule and enjoy a full month of sailing, fishing, or both? You can stop doing double cleans in November. In fact, we only recommend doing double cleans during the summer months from June to October. October is not a month you absolutely have to have your bottom cleaned twice. It depends on how active you are and what your local conditions are. It is a good idea, though, because October is a great month to be out on the water.
Normal Fall Predicted This Year
We should have a normal Fall this year in South Florida. While the rest of the South East may be wetter, the major weather organizations are predicting a normal situation for us. The one caveat is that the Gulf water is still hot, and we still have the potential for a tropical storm or hurricane to come through before the hurricane season is over.
Bottom line for boaters: Great boating weather is just around the corner.