This is the first season that I decided to leave the boat in a slip, full
time, in a marina. I have a 24 foot Bennington pontoon boat. Now, after
about 2 months in the water, the outboard engine (part that is submerged) is
all green from algae (fresh water river BTW). The pontoons are turning
black. My questions is, when I take it out, will it be possible to get it
looking clean again?

Also, do most of you keep the Outboard engine submerged when in a marina? Or
should I lift it? My fear is that if its lifted, someone could hit it...
submerged it had better protection.

Any thoughts on these issues?

The only reason I have ever heard for keeping the engine down was the zinc in
in the trim tab and leg but most also have a zinc on the bracket. On a pontoon
you should also have a zinc (or magnesium) on the pad in the back of the log
(usually where the speedo pitot ends up)
I vote for keeping the engine trimmed out. That is gospel in a place that grows
barnacles but you have some marine growth there too.

"Dan J.S." wrote in message
...


My questions is, when I take it out, will it be possible to get it
looking clean again?

You may never get it back to the condition it was before, but you should be
able to get it fairly clean.

Also, do most of you keep the Outboard engine submerged when in a marina?

I have a pontoon houseboat with outboards. I have the hulls painted below
the water line with an epoxy barrier coat covered by an antifouling paint.
This protects the hulls fairly well. I raise the outboards clear of the
water to keep them from being eaten away.

You should have sacrificial anodes ("zincs") installed at several places on
your hulls and outboard to assure that you don't suffer from electrolysis or
galvanic corrosion. This is even more critical if your hulls are aluminum,
and absolutely essential if you connect the boat to shore power.

Your outboard would have been equipped with anodes but you should check and
make sure that they are still intact. I would recommend two more (large
ones) on each hull. If your hulls plane then it may not be feasible to have
one anyplace except on the back of the pontoons.

Rod