Use a genuine, traditional, hookah.

After a few deep breaths, you won't care very much whether the bottom is dirty
or not.

Have you actually been UNDER the boat yet? Most houseboats
are pontoon boats, and you get under them no problem and still
breathe. I had to do that once (twice actually) to fix a freshwater
plumbing problem on a rental houseboat. New boat, the factory
hadn't tightened the hose clamps.

--
Chuck Tribolet

http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/people/triblet

Silicon Valley: STILL the best day job in the world.


wrote in message ...
I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under
a houseboat, but am wondering if a hose could
be made to work, or maybe a larger piece of tubing
with a hose attached so it's small enough to be held
in your mouth. Or something...?

On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 17:35:00 GMT, wrote:

I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under
a houseboat, but am wondering if a hose could
be made to work, or maybe a larger piece of tubing
with a hose attached so it's small enough to be held
in your mouth. Or something...?

How long can you hold your breath?

Ok, I'm not suggesting to clean the bottom this way but seriously
though, If I'm not in a position to haul the boat and the shaft zinc
needs to be changed, I change it by just holding my breath for a little
bit at a time. It takes a few trips though. To make the trips faster I
tie a loop in the end of a rope and the first trip down is looping it
over the prop. The other end is either tied to the dock or a stanchion.
So I can pull myself up and down with the rope quickly.

Then I take the zinc down and put a screw in by hand. That takes a
trip. Then the other screw, another trip. Then tighten one then the
other, two more trips. Then I take a hammer down and pound the contacts
in, another trip. Then 2 more trips to tighten the screws again. Then
one last trip to unloop the rope.

So it takes maybe 10 trips down to do the whole thing and each trip is
like 6 or 7 feet long (around 4 feet over and 4 feet down). But it's
not as bad as it sounds. One word of advice though, keep a good knife
handy.

One time I was changing the zinc and the loop of thin line I used to
keep the allen wrench from dropping (I tie a loop around my wrist and
let the allen key hang from that so it's not in the way in transit and I
don't drop it when fumbling to get it in the screw) got snagged on
something. I think it wrapped around the shaft or prop, I don't
remember. Well, when it was time to come up for air I couldn't get it
untangled. So I just grabbed the knife and sliced the line and came up.
I lost the allen key but that's better than the alternative. From
then on I just use thin monofilament or thread or something that's
easily snapped in case I have to. But I still carry the knife just in
case.

Steve

"Steven Shelikoff" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 17:35:00 GMT, wrote:

I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under
a houseboat, but am wondering if a hose could
be made to work, or maybe a larger piece of tubing
with a hose attached so it's small enough to be held
in your mouth. Or something...?

Cheap and dirty way; Borrow or possibly you own a non-oil lubricated air
pump (teflon). Set air pressure at about 10 lbs and tape or clamp hose to a
snorkel that has a blowout reed near the mouthpiece.

Caution! the blowout reed is important to insure you don't embolism your
lungs.
Caution! never use oil lubricated air pump to breathe from.

"Jeff Rigby" wrote in message ...
"Steven Shelikoff" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 17:35:00 GMT, wrote:

I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under
a houseboat, but am wondering if a hose could
be made to work, or maybe a larger piece of tubing
with a hose attached so it's small enough to be held
in your mouth. Or something...?

Cheap and dirty way; Borrow or possibly you own a non-oil lubricated air
pump (teflon). Set air pressure at about 10 lbs and tape or clamp hose to a
snorkel that has a blowout reed near the mouthpiece.

Caution! the blowout reed is important to insure you don't embolism your
lungs.
Caution! never use oil lubricated air pump to breathe from.

Get a diving ticket and use SCUBA !
Life is to short without endangering it by attempting to do things the
'cheap' way.
And with SCUBA you can use the positive bouyancy of your wetsuit to
stand upside down on the hull of the vessel and use a yard broom to
'sweep' it down....
Also: Attempting to breath air at atmosphere pressure underwater
through a pipe does not work
:-)

If you are the Steve Shelikoff who is at Penns Landing {in Philly}, drop me
a line.

If you can make it up river, the club I belong to has a seawall and pretty
good beach, at low tide. Because of the tide swing, possibly you could do
the job 'standing up'. 'Ducking under' with only a dive mask.

Regards,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

" "Steven Shelikoff" wrote in message


I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under
a houseboat, but am wondering if a hose could
be made to work, or maybe a larger piece of tubing
with a hose attached so it's small enough to be held
in your mouth. Or something...?

"Steven Shelikoff" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 17:35:00 GMT, wrote:

I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under

I have used a "Dri-Diver" for cleanng the bottom of my Catalina 30. It is
done from the deck and you don't even have to get wet. It does a nice job
on the bottom, but unfortunately, it does not clean the prop. For that, I
just dive over the side a few times, and using an old oyster knife, I scrape
off the barnacles. I usually have to do this twice a year, since my slip is
in quiet water that promotes a fair amount of growth.

My first mate always holds on to the bitter end of a line that I have
looped under my arms loosely. Hope that this helps.


Kevin

Have you guys heard of Scuba? Or Snuba?

Scuba is obvious but snuba(?) is a surface compressor that
delivers air to divers up to 30' feet down. If you call your
local dive shop they usually have a list of divers who will
do these things for you. If there are no dive shops near by
try a golf course, divers collect balls from the water
traps!

John

"Steven Shelikoff" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 17:35:00 GMT, wrote:

I'd like to clean the bottom of my boat, while it's
in the water. Is there a fairly easy and economical
way of breathing while a few feet below the surface?
A snorkle won't work because I'll be going under
a houseboat, but am wondering if a hose could
be made to work, or maybe a larger piece of tubing
with a hose attached so it's small enough to be held
in your mouth. Or something...?

How long can you hold your breath?

Ok, I'm not suggesting to clean the bottom this way but
seriously
though, If I'm not in a position to haul the boat and the
shaft zinc
needs to be changed, I change it by just holding my breath
for a little
bit at a time. It takes a few trips though. To make the
trips faster I
tie a loop in the end of a rope and the first trip down is
looping it
over the prop. The other end is either tied to the dock
or a stanchion.
So I can pull myself up and down with the rope quickly.

Then I take the zinc down and put a screw in by hand.
That takes a
trip. Then the other screw, another trip. Then tighten
one then the
other, two more trips. Then I take a hammer down and
pound the contacts
in, another trip. Then 2 more trips to tighten the screws
again. Then
one last trip to unloop the rope.

So it takes maybe 10 trips down to do the whole thing and
each trip is
like 6 or 7 feet long (around 4 feet over and 4 feet
down). But it's
not as bad as it sounds. One word of advice though, keep
a good knife
handy.

One time I was changing the zinc and the loop of thin line
I used to
keep the allen wrench from dropping (I tie a loop around
my wrist and
let the allen key hang from that so it's not in the way in
transit and I
don't drop it when fumbling to get it in the screw) got
snagged on
something. I think it wrapped around the shaft or prop, I
don't
remember. Well, when it was time to come up for air I
couldn't get it
untangled. So I just grabbed the knife and sliced the
line and came up.
I lost the allen key but that's better than the
alternative. From
then on I just use thin monofilament or thread or
something that's
easily snapped in case I have to. But I still carry the
knife just in
case.

Steve

It depends on what you mean by easy and economical. E-Bay is a good place
to start for a base price on hookah systems and scuba systems. There are
current listings for both types in the $2k range and both types require
scuba certification. IMHO hepatitis vaccination out to be required too.
Marinas and sewers have a lot in common.
Regards, Boatdreams.