Ballyholme sits at the end of the southern side of Belfast Lough in tidal waters. Our three slipways are E or NE facing.

Over the season fine algae weed grows on and in the concrete slipways and has to be cleared at regular intervals to prevent sailors going A over T. Our local council doesn't like us using chemicals that might polute but powerwashing is quite abrasive and we are starting to wear them away.

Any ideas of non-poluting chemicals that we could try? We have tried most things but are receptive to new ideas or techniques.

If you find an answer would you kindly pass it on to Datchett! – F’ing lethal there! Not just A over T!!!!!!!!

Least you get chance to remove it when the tide goes out, no such luck at Datchett and I imagine those that drink the water (never a good idea  - have you seen what fish do in it? ) in that area would protest at the use of chemicals?

What about employing a Pole or Albanian to push a yard broom up and down all day

I remember in Greece the beach employed a couple of Africans, one to sieve the fag butts out of the sand and another to water the sand on the approach to the bar so not as to burn poor Englishmen’s feet  

Hydrogen Peroxide should do the job , environmentally friendly ,breaks down to hydrogen and oxygen - nothing nasty there .

underwater reservoir slips - mj iyeswater has that sorted .

 Try good old sand! helps grip and scrubs the slip at the same time.

pain in the B when it gets into the running gear mind

What about fixing a small amount of copper at regular intervals near the high water mark. Should start to release copper as the tide recedes to help remove the fouling. Not 100% sure if it would work and have a feeling that the quantities invloved would have to be small to stop being classed as source of water pollution.

Certainly works on roofs and ships hulls etc

But if we go back to a different thread.

Datchet deliberately don't clear the slipways. To do so would mean that they took responsibility and could then be sued if someone slipped. By advising people that it is slippery they avoid that issue.

Problem with people reaching for claim forms and solicitors too quickly in this day and age.

so steps don't get slippy ?

I'm all out of ideas. I'm trying to drag a 5 tonne Hurricane (still looking for the lead ballast) up a steep slope having successfull avoided all submerged obstacles (aka Laser trolleys). And bloody algae are laughing at me! If I'm going to be humiliated I'd prefer a slightly more advanced lifeform.

(I've looked up uses for algae in Wikipedia and nowhere does it list "comedy alternative to banana skin").

My Dad's nickname was Captain Chloros(?) because he was the only idiot that ever volenteered to clean our slip and that's what he used. I expect it's very harmful to marine life and probably does strange things to human life too - if you ever meet my Dad you'd see what I mean.

Sand sounds like a good idea... or maybe a winch?

Winch would get my vote too but I'm sure there are all sort of H&S regulations that would get us into trouble. More pertinently, the slip in question is 35m away from any source of power.

what about putting down some of this type of stuff?

http://www.polymax.co.uk/mainframe%20rubber%20products.htm - http://www.polymax.co.uk/mainframe%20rubber%20products.htm

edit:click catalogue products, then rubber mat, second one down. link didn't go where i thought it did

I thought they had something like this outside the sailing school bit at datchet. Algae still grows on it but the profile gives more grip than smooth concrete.

I don't agree with Datchet's "we don't sweep it we just tell people it's slippy" theory. surely sweeping it and still telling people it may be slippy achieves the same bum covering exercise but actually allows people to get in and out of the water without killing themselves?

Isn’t it just old worn out ski slope matting used by the school at Datchet?

They just ain’t bloody well got enough of the stuff down!

Last time I was at Datchett I had to crawl out of the water on all fours , collect the wheels and aim them roughly at the bows whilst entering the water on my arse at mach 1, finally having got the boat on the wheels with the bows almost intact I then had to crawl out of the water on my hands & knees once again, whilst clutching the main halyard between my teeth , then once securely located on clean non slippery concrete, proceed to haul the boat out of the water using the afore mentioned halyard – easy!!  The perks of coming first I guess no one around to help?  I had a crew to try and hold the boat whilst all these shenanigans were going on, for the love of Christ I don’t know how the single handers manage?

If it were pulled/rolled up during the week I’m pretty sure all algae would just die naturally!