Adventures in Fort Pierce: Goodbye Sea Strainer Problem

Part two of our outing was a visit to West Marine.  I usually don't write about such mundane issues as visits to a marine hardware store but this visit turned out to be very special.  In fact, I'm going to deem it the highlight of our visit to Fort Pierce.  Read on.

The purpose of the visit was to purchase a gallon of Barnacle Buster and to inquire if West Marine had a tool to help me clean our HVAC sea strainer.  The problem I was trying to solve was barnacles growing on the inside of the clear glass that permits you to inspect the strainer without taking it apart.

Groco Sea Strainer

Explanatory Note: Sea Strainers filter sea water which on the 63 is used for HVAC, engine cooling, generator cooling and hydraulic system cooling.  Outer Reef installed the type of strainer pictured above.  Water flows into a basket that traps debris and marine growth and then out the perforated cylinder.  A glass case enables inspection without taking it apart.  Notice the brass wing nut on the top of the strainer.  This model has a metal rod that from bottom to top that hold the basket in place. The top of the rod is grooved to allow the wing nut to hold the brass plate and plastic washer that seals the unit.  That rod creates a problem.  You cannot get you hand inside the unit to clean the glass nor can get a screw driver or other tool to get at the growth that continues to grow under the lid.

HVAC sea strainer with marine growth (barnacles) especially at the top of the unit 

The HVAC strainer works 24/7/365 keeping the boat climate controlled.  It needs to be cleaned monthly.  The other strainers only work when the boat is cruising and require cleaning less frequently.  Just before leaving Sarasota I noticed that the HVAC strainer, which I had cleaned 18 days earlier was as fouled as I've ever seen it (not surprising given the water temperature which had quickly risen to over 82 degrees in the last 30 days).  The entire site glass was covered with barnacles and despite spending over an hour I made very little progress in cleaning the glass.  Hence the visit to West Marine.

I had the good fortune to speak with Pete Ferrel the store manager who listened as I explained my problem and the need for a tool that could get under the rim.  Pete understood the problem an suggested a different product called On & Off Hill Cleaner Gel (hydrochloric acid - very dangerous), which he explained was used to remove barnacles from the hull.  He said it would work in two hours as compared to Barnacle Buster's 12 to 14 hours.  He also explained that the gel could be painted on with curved brush.  When I asked him about a tool he recommended Turner Machine Shop on Orange Ave just 10 minutes away.  He said they could make the tool I was describing to him.

Off to Turner Machine Shop located on the west side of Fort Pierce.  They were INCREDIBLE!  I explained my challenge and drew a picture of the tool.  30 minutes later their technician had produced the tool (an 18 by 1 inch aluminum rod with a 1 1/2 inch rounded knife edge tip at a 45 degree angle).  $31.20 thank you.  While I was waiting, Jan Strange, the office manager, gave me insight into why Fort Pierce was a depressed area.  More on that in a moment.

My new sea strainer cleaning tool

Friday morning I got up early and cleaned the HVAC strainer.  I was dying to see if the On & Off and my new tool would get the job done.  HURRAH, HURRAH, HURRAH!  It worked.  Note: I also cleaned all the other strainers in preparation to the 1,200 NM trip north.  They did not require On & Off or the use of my tool.  They were easy.

A significant improvement.

The HVAC sea strainer has never been this clean

I went back to West Marine to personally thank Pete Ferrel.

Pete Ferrel and I pose with a container of On & Off Hull Cleaner

Now to Fort Pierce. Our routine on the Great Loop adventure was to consult City-data.com to get a sense of each city we visited.  City data provides population, demographics, median income, median home price and lots of other stuff.  That data in combination with chats with the locals allowed us to get the feel for each city.  Fort Pierce, a city of 43,000 is a depressed area.  Median income is $26,370 as compared to Florida at $45,040.  Median home price is $84,000 as compare to $148,200 for Florida. Fort Pierce is ranked 665 our of 887 cities in Florida.  Unemployment sits a 9.6%

Jan Strange at Turner Machine Shop provided some insight.  Fort Pierce had been a major citrus growing area with at one point 10 processing plants.  The citrus crop in this area was destroyed by hurricanes, freezes and disease.  It barely exists today according to Jan who showed my photos of citrus groves that once abutted the machine shop.  She further explained that young people do not want to work in the fields and that the labor force for agriculture has died off with the generations.  A drive through town revealed lots of vacant stores.

Written by Les