We're Marking Time In New York City

This Is My Kind Of Transport - The Club Launch At NYAC Pelham Brings Us Ashore In Fine Style

With unexpected repairs and maintenance to complete, we're kinda stuck in New York City.

Do You have this In A Size Large ?

However it's not a bad place to spend some time - we're berthed against a floating pontoon in the river at the New York Athletic Club Yacht Club, in Pelham. Our friends Paul & Eileen Osmolskis have arranged visitor access to the NYAC for us, and we've been able to participate in the social life here at the club, including crewing for Paul in a club race last weekend.

Manhattan is only 30 minutes away by train, where we emerge into the stunning hall at Grand Central Station, check our credit cards and head off into retail wonder land.

We're expecting our nephew and friend Brendan Pollard to arrive on Tuesday, staying with us for six days, so we'll no doubt see a lot more of the big apple.

September is the busiest month for tropical storms on the east coast, and so far we've been lucky on this part of the coast, though the storm season still has two months to run. However summer is waning, trees are starting to change colour and we can feel autumn in the air.  In fact we've broken out what little warm clothing we have, stored away the shorts and T-shirts, and have even taken to wearing socks. Quite a shock to the system.

From The Mast, Moored Boats In The River At NYAC Pelham

Cruising The Space Coast

Falcon 9, 1st Stage Burn

Titusville Florida, and nearby Cocoa Beach, are known for their proximity to Kennedy Space Center (KSC). We anchored there with a specific mission - to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch at this famous site. There are several designated anchorages that provide great viewing of the launches, however we opted to leave the boat and visit the nearby KSC Visitor Center with friends.

Space Cadet Neil

I was there in 2003, however even that wasn't my first visit. Back in 1972, only 45 years ago, I was there as a student representative for Australia - hosted by NASA, as a guest of the US Government. Back then I was truly fortunate to see the final spectacular Saturn V moon launch, for the Apollo 17 mission. That was an incredibly significant experience, and had all sorts of impacts on my life from that day forward. Yes I built a lot of rockets, had been doing so for many years, we even launched one from Crystal Blues on our wedding day!

So this really was a pilgrimage for me ... and I wasn't disappointed. With the boat safely anchored we arrived at KSC early, and joined the line of excited visitors. NASA provided buses to take us across Merritt Island to the Apollo Center, where viewing stands were available for the launch.

With Admiral Ley I watched the SpaceX launch and the (amazing) powered descent and soft landing of the 1st stage booster section around 8 minutes later. Also amazing is that both the booster and the Dragon spacecraft on top had been flown before (re-usable space craft are here). This launch was a re-supply mission to the International Space Station, flown by SpaceX for NASA.

If you're cruising the Florida coast, don't miss Kennedy Space Center.  It's a fantastic place and NASA do a great job entertaining and educating visitors of any age. If you really want to see a launch, check the launch schedule on the KSC web site. Thanks to Andrew & Carolyn Bellamy for sharing a fantastic day, full of great memories for this slightly older space cadet!

SpaceX Falcon 9 & Dragon Lift Off

UPDATE January 8, 2018 / Watch the SpaceX launch video for Mission CRS13 !

Yes, We had A Fun Day!

Cruising Families

The Langford Boys - Dean, Peter & Neil, Onboard Pete's Power Boat, Just Cruising Again

A Warm Welcome In Williamstown !

After 12 years at sea, coming home is precious. However just two weeks in Melbourne wasn't enough time to catch up with everyone - it felt like speed dating, though we did cover a lot of people, ground and water. And of course it was very social, from the moment we arrived.

We based ourselves in our home town and stayed close to family, while working through a busy social diary plus a long list of items to be purchased and carried back to the boat in the USA. On the list was a new refrigeration compressor (only 26kg!) plus a big spring for our rod-kicker, a toaster, and dozens of other specialty boat items. The final tally was over 100kg of luggage for the return flight.

The family time was joyful, specially seeing how fast the grand kids and nieces are growing up. So we chased kids, played with dogs, kissed parents, repaired cars, planted trees and drank more than a little wine .... what joy. A special treat was the "long lunch" at Rovina, the beautiful property owned by our friend James Farrell (check the photos below).

Then on Thursday it was back to Dallas onboard QF07, an A380 flight out of Sydney. Right now we're shooting eastward in the Chevy truck, having crossed the Arkansas border at Texakarna. We're heading for Little Rock tonight and Nashville tomorrow night. Bring on the music!

Three Young Rascals, Plus An Older One

Bristol Fashion, Herreshoff And All That

A visit to the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol, Road Island, was an essential stop for us on our New England cruise. We day sailed north from Newport to Bristol and took a mooring offered by the museum, the cost of which included museum entry for the crew.

The museum occupies the original Herreshoff factory site, amazingly complete today, with some buildings leased by shipwrights who are building and restoring wooden boats on a commercial basis. Dozens of Herreshoff boats are on display - from dinghys to motor launches to catamarans. It was here that the great Nathaniel Herreshoff conceived and built the beautiful yachts that originally challenged and defended the Americas Cup over a 100 years ago.

I've cruised extensively on H28 and H37 ketches designed by L Francis Herreshoff, son of the master designer Nathaniel. Our afternoon in the museum was an overdose of timber, craft and history, graciously supported by one of the museum volunteers, who recognised our keen interest and escorted us around the site.

The museum is a living, breathing heritage site that, to my delight, operates youth sail training programs in classic timber Herreshoff boats. In the image below you can see the crews getting underway for an afternoon of sailing - they sailed on and off the moorings, bringing back a flood of memories for me, as I started my sailing experiences that way.  Yes, we have sailed Crystal Blues both onto and off moorings, though it has been a while ...

A Strong Sense Of Deja Vu .....

Pirate Bight, Norman Island

Ah, the British Virgin Islands. Thirty years ago I sailed here, different boat, different life, different wife, you get the idea.  It was great then Wendy, and it's great now thanks Ley. Crystal Blues sailed into the north sound of Virgin Gorda on April 20, after an easy overnight passage from St. Martin. Here we found to our delight a friendly social scene and a great number of sail boats, punctuated by the occasional spectacular power boat. We figure big power boats are OK if they look really good - like Savannah, (below) that really delivers on her hundred million dollar construction price tag. Ouch.

Then again, you can charter her for just a million bucks a week. Much easier.

This is the boat with the underwater lounge, swimming pool, and which is (gasp), "Eco Friendly"", despite the lack of solar panels and wind generators. Diesel electric propulsion pods, battery storage, and just one direct drive low RPM diesel engine. Read about it here.

When Savannah wasn't keeping us on our toes, there was no shortage of inspiration in the anchorage.

So here we started to relax a little, meeting new friends and spending time on other boats, coupled with the obligatory eating, drinking and general yabbering. Quite a few yachts are here, ready to depart for the USA, though many are joining one of two available rally groups to make the transit.

Even the ARC organisation is running a rally from here, leaving mid may to Florida, which is a little late to our thinking. Most of the named storms that sweep up the Florida coast to the Carolinas do so early in the season. We'll be on the move quite soon.

The past two days we've anchored in Cane Garden Bay on the main island of Tortola,  relaxing and doing provisioning before our next passage. It's a cruiser friendly lazy beach resort, with a perfect white sand beach and clear waters. A string of bars are scattered along the foreshore offering entertainment and sustenance to suit all budgets. For every cruising sailboat you can count at least four or five charter yachts, so entertainment is everywhere, specially at anchoring time. We were all there once I guess.

Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI's

Blunt's Boatyard, Williamstown

Many of my childhood memories are associated with this place - my father bought his first boat (an 18ft Jubilee) out of this shed. My first (and only) wooden boat was repaired there. On each visit to Melbourne I still spend some time at Blunt's, where the eyes can go misty and the heart often beats a little stronger.

Some years back Greg Blunt, with typically minimal ceremony, handed me a key to the place. He explained that he knew how much I loved it there, and told me I was always welcome. This is my chance to say thanks to Greg, and to the boat building generations that went before him. Enjoy the video.

Family Memories - A Unique Anemometer

Ley's father, Ray, was a toolmaker, machinist and engineer - there really wasn't much he couldn't build or repair. My own father says that Ray had a tool for every task, no matter how unusual.

During our recent visit home we were given some tools and measuring instruments from Ray's workshop, among them this lovely anemometer.

Opening the wooden case I really wasn't sure what to expect, so the brass and alloy instrument was certainly a surprise. I think every sailor is habitually fascinated by wind speed - it is the one thing we dwell on for many countless hours of our lives.

Nowadays, the very latest wind instruments use ultrasonic measurements to track wind speed, however I don't think that even the modern instruments could match this one at the low end of the speed range.

I really only have to blow on it very gently to generate readings on those dials, which all seem to be working. An amazing instrument, though not one likely to survive at sea.  We'll keep it safe and dry on land.

Family Time In Australia

Back in Australia we were fortunate to stay with our good friends Ray and Jan Pitt, who are regular visitors to Crystal Blues. We lived with them in Williamstown and at their holiday home on the south coast at Fairhaven, near the start of the Great Ocean Road. The image above shows the view across the inlet to the lighthouse, from their balcony. 

We were also able to spend time with our families, specially sweet with grandchildren Harrison and Sam, who with their parents have now relocated back to Melbourne following two years living in Singapore. Harrison is now at school in Williamstown while Sam is still learning to cause a commotion like his big brother. Splashing in the bath isn't half of it ...

Ley and I also visited my brother Peter's holiday home at Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsular, right on the edge of the vineyard country that has blossomed south of Melbourne. Yes
we drank some wine, but we were also able to spend a morning with Peter onboard his classic timber fishing boat.

Back in Melbourne I was able to crew onboard Peter's very competitive A35 race boat Moneypenny (see the Moneypenny stories here & here).  Did I say crew? I was more like slow moving mobile ballast - it's amazing how fast a well tuned race crew can move and work. Completely opposite to the slow and steady approach we adopt when short-handed cruising. The good news for the Moneypenny crew was a series win in the Wednesday night club racing, which draws a big fleet from around Port Philip Bay. Ley and I were there for the prize giving dinner after the final race, sharing a table with the very happy crew.

That's Peter in the back row, looking bearded like me, getting fresh with his "Other Wife" - partner in Moneypenny, Tony Spencer.

Vale Edith Worrall

Seen here on the aft deck of Crystal Blues, Ley's mother "Edie" was always an enthusiastic visitor and loved her fishing - she spent countless hours on board trailing a line in the water.

Married to husband Raymond for  an impressive 65 years, she was cheerful, optimistic and delightfully opinionated.

Edie and Ray traveled widely around Australia, often meeting up with Ley and I in Sydney or on the Gold Coast when we were sailing the Australian coast.

Advancing years did limit her mobility, yet one of my fondest memories is of Edie boarding Crystal Blues in her own unique way. Standing on the dock, she rolled her body under the life lines and ended up flat on her back on the side deck - mission accomplished, she said it was easier than climbing over the wires. The tricky bit was getting her vertical again !

Following Ray's death some three years ago Edie continued to live at home alone.  A little frustrated with life and the world, if anything she became more opinionated, but continued to enjoy her grand children and growing numbers of great grand children.

She passed away on March 10th at 92 years of age, after a short illness, with both Ley and her sister, Sandra, by her side. She's finally dancing with Ray again.

Cape Town Clean Up - We're Traveling Home

We're leaving Crystal Blues in the marina at RCYC here in Cape Town and traveling to Australia to be with family for a few weeks.

In fact Ley is already home in Melbourne, and I fly on Qantas tomorrow.

I have been shutting down systems, pickling the water maker etc, and have removed most of the lines from the deck.  These have all been laundered as you can see in the photo here.

Cape Town has very clean air, except when the South Easterly blows, bringing with it the dust and dirt off Table Mountain.

Beatiful Boats - Money & Taste Don't Always Come Together

To be honest, right through my childhood I was influenced by my fathers view of what was beautiful in a boat or a ship.  We did spend a lot of time looking at boats.  I think his best quote on the topic was this - "All Boats Are Beautiful, Some Are Just More Beautiful Than Others."

OK, so I tried very hard to find the beauty in this vessel, anchored off Hellville at Nosy Be, Madagascar.  The MV Danah Explorer (check her out on the web) has had a couple of major refits, most recently in South Africa,  but neither seem to have added any cachet to the vessel's name.  What were they thinking ?

Yoiks, for a 900 ton vessel with a draft of only 12 feet, she looks kind of tall after that last refit, which added the complete private upper deck for the owners..  I'd love to understand the stability calculations.

The helicopter is just georgeous though, don't you think ?

Please - there is something about the beauty and functionality of boats that needs to be cherished, preserved and respected.  Money on its own is not enough.  I'm sure that MV Danah Explorer was happier in her first life.  Your comments are welcomed ....

10 Years Ago This Week - An Adventure Begins

When the lock gates in Darwin opened that October morning, we set out on a sailing adventure that is now 10 years in the making, and still happily developing.   

At that point we had been sailing Crystal Blues for eight years, and had already covered around 15,000 nautical miles.  Since that day in Darwin we have covered another 28,000 nautical miles.

It hasn't been without incident, but we've worked hard to keep Crystal Blues in top condition.  My father Dean always says that the boats are stronger than the people, and he is absolutely right.

While Crystal Blues is still looking young and strong, you can see here that just 10 years ago we both looked a little different (click the pics to enlarge).  The boat has benefited from a couple of major refits and Ley and I are now pondering the need for "personal refits" as we grow older.  No such luck !

This is a big milestone for us and the 10 years have flown by.  Every successful voyage needs a good combination of team work, skill and dedication.  I'm just so damn fortunate to have a partner on my team who has all the skill, dedication and love required.  Thank you Ley - the next 10 years should be even better.

Escaping Singapore

Crazy Curved Buildings At The Marina

That's us on the right, so keen to move, sitting here with our mainsail up in the marina. Only two days to go and we'll be away - north from Singapore to Penang, and then on to Langkawi for haul out and yard work.  

This will be our (count 'em) eleventh passage through the Malacca Straits.  Never again, we said last time....

Crystal Blues has been neglected for quite a while, so we're putting energy into cosmetic and systems work.  The mainsail has been bent onto the boom, tracks lubricated and sheets rove. Tomorrow we'll hoist and furl the staysail, and she'll be a sail boat again.  Ley has been busy stocking the freezer and pantry, while supporting me with the polishing, hull cleaning and the systems work. She's also been repairing damaged covers with the sewing machine we carry.


 We've hoisted the dinghy on deck for a thorough clean and minor patch job.  Still need to service the outboard engines, one more job. 

On the systems side, we always voyage with dual Autopilots fitted, with a changeover switch to select the "in service" pilot system.  This year the oldest Autohelm unit died (23 years is fair service), so it has been replaced with a new Raymarine ACU400 with the fancy new EV1 sensor core.  This of course meant running new cables from A to B and from C to D and so on and so on for several days, removing ceiling panels and drilling and painting yet more holes in steel frames - lots of fun for all. 

We've also completed installation of an AIS Man Overboard alarm system (more on that in the future), updated the voltage regulator for the engine alternator and many other jobs.  However the autopilot system was really the big one, as it meant introducing new data networks to the boat and finding ways for the older systems to share information with the new ones.  So we now (stupidly) have six (count them) different marine data networks on board, plus extensive ethernet and wifi systems. We'll talk more about that in a future post.

Sarah, Shaun, Sam & Harrison

Today we went to sea for the first time in six months, testing systems and tuning the new autopilot.  More importantly it was also to be our last picnic sail in Singapore, so we left the dock with family on board - Shaun, Sarah, Harrison and baby Sam, plus my brother Peter Langford who was in town this week attending a conference.  It hasn't rained for weeks, so of course the heavens opened just before our scheduled departure time.  We waited for the system to move through and then motored out of the marina - what a joy to be afloat and moving again. A great day, swimming, fishing and enjoying good food.  Four year old Harrison said the boat was "cool".

Singapore has changed regulations recently, visiting yachts now need to have a locally licensed captain on board - just to go for a day sail.  You can do an online license test, apparently a days swatting will get most people a pass. All private boats must also now lodge a voyage plan before every departure (only $20 at the marina office) and you must have AIS running as well.  Private boating is tightly managed here.  So today we had to hire a licensed captain to be on board for our daysail  ...  could not get a cruising permit without that.

Barnacle Busting

Barnacles and a solitary oyster living on the inlet fittings.

Almost two years since we last applied anti-fouling paint, and the barnacles are starting to grow on our hull once again.


Frustrated with barnacles blocking our raw water intake, in April this year we installed an Ultrasonic Antifoul System on Crystal Blues (read more here & here).  Though the Ultrasonic System is marketed to control barnacle growth on hulls, we were really wanting the system to keep our water intakes clear.  

Since the installation, the inlet hoses and filter basket have been growth free.  One victory for technology.  However the jury is not 100% convinced (yet) on the system's effectiveness on the hull.  Four months after the last clean, diving on the boat we find a fairly regular covering of small barnacles (the boat has been sitting in a marina in Singapore for the entire time).  Would it have been worse without the Ultrasonic system ?  Cautiously, we believe the answer is yes.

Systems Rich Neil

High Tech Cleaning

Removing the barnacles with a paint scraper is an arduous task, so this time we tried using the WaveBlade tool.  

We had looked at these tools with some suspicion over the past few boat shows.  Its like a hand held electric chisel, waterproof, and powered by 12 volts DC.  Faced with several acres of nasties, it seemed worth a try.

I can say this is a wondrous tool !  In use, the best description I can give is that its like shaving the hull.  With a light pressure and low angle, the blade glides across the surface of the hull and simply explodes everything in its path.  The small barnacles don't even slow it down, they just fall off, and the few large critters we found disappeared in seconds. The wave blade isn't specially fast, but it does make removing the critters an easier task.

Shaun & Harrison Helping Out With Scraper & Scrubber.

Low Tech Cleaning

Of course an even easier method is to send someone else in to do the dirty work.

Isn't that what grand kids are for ?  

You can never start hull cleaning too young, and  three year old Harrison was very keen to help Poppa Neil.  

Long may it last.

Another Gemini Birthday

Friday June 13, Lucky For Some

Time flies when you are having fun and it flies even faster the older you get.  Neil and Ley celebrated another birthday on June 13.

Neil's work mates had a surprise for him when he arrived at site, at the City Of Dreams Casino in Manila Bay.  It was in the form of a luscious, super rich, chocolate birthday cake.

After the candle was blown out and the cake cut and shared there was still plenty left over.  We left it at the office as we were flying out that afternoon to another birthday celebration in Singapore.

Ray and Jan Pitt, aka Crystal Blues part time "deckie and galley bitch" were coming to Singapore to continue the celebrations.

They arrived bearing gifts of bubbles and good cheer and quickly settled into their cabin and started to chill out after a whirlwind trip to Bali.

A little bit of Singapore charm was also added to the night as we had starters and pre dinner drinks in Tekka Mall in Little India.  

Then we rode the MRT to the Sands Casino and enjoyed fine dining, Italian style, at Osteria Mozza.

The Last Party for the Geminis

Just a week back, Neil's Pinoy work team joined us for fun at our local bar, Senore Paquitos.  Neil sang, we danced and all had a lot of fun.

Our Singapore Family

Shaun, Sarah, Harrison, Sam & Ley

Seems like we can't keep away from Singapore.

Now, our eldest son Shaun, wife Sarah and two grandchildren have relocated there. 

So we recently sailed Crystal Blues from her berth in Indonesia, across the Singapore Straits to the marina at Keppel Bay.  It has been a busy few weeks, helping the family with unpacking and house setup and enjoying the time with grandchildren - a luxury for two old sea gypsies!

The Job List

H helping Nana Ley

Our new Karcher pressure washer arrived, so with help from Harrison we gave the dinghy cover a good scrub.  Singapore is a great place for boat jobs, as parts and materials are so readily available.

First on the list was to repair the air-conditioning, which stopped working a few hours after we arrived in Singapore (of course).  

With some email support from Stephane of Siam Cooling, Neil was able to locate and repair the problem.  Stephane was spot-on with his advice - we found a burnt AC connection wire, under a cover on top of the rotary compressor housing - probably caused by the low supply voltages on the dock in Indonesia.  Lower voltage equals higher current - not good for the wiring, specially at the crimped terminations.  We replaced the crimp connection and  cool air was pumping around the boat very quickly - a collective sigh all round!

Second on the list was the completion of the Ultrasonic Antifoul system that we purchased a few months back.  We had initially set up a temporary install, but now all cables are loomed in neatly and the system is clicking away, hopefully keeping all critters from attaching to our hull.  We plan to report on the progress of this unit in the future.

Finally, soon after departure from Nongsa Point in Indonesia, our Comar AIS stopped working.  It had been operating faultlessly for 6 years. Robin Kidd from OceanTalk replaced the motherboard and all is up and running again.  Sailing visitors to Singapore should note that local regulations now require that onboard AIS beacons should operate 24x7 for the duration of the visit, even while berthed in the marina.  We have had to re-wire the switchboard supply to achieve this.

Three jobs down, plenty more to follow!

Marina At Keppel Bay

Crystal Blues has been snugly moored here for three weeks.  The staff are exceptionally friendly, and with many live-aboard cruisers around there is always a party somewhere. We think we are going to enjoy our time here.

Floating Between Manila and Indonesia

Neil on a Skype video call to the team in Manila.

It didn't take long for us settle into work mode again....the boat became the home / office for Neil when he was not on site at Tandang Sora in Quezon City, Manila.

Crystal Blues is snuggly moored in Nongsa Point Marina on Batam Island, where she is under the watchful eye of our friend Acok. During the past few months we managed to remove the sails and most of the working lines and decommission the onboard systems.

Ley and Sam

In mid November Ley returned to Australia to spend time with her mother, Edie Worrall, who was recuperating from a hospital stay.  Ley's sister Sandra, who has been a rock of support to mum, was able to have a well earned break from being the primary carer.  Neil flew in to Melbourne in time to celebrate Edie's 90th birthday and spend time with our two grandchildren, Harrison and newly born Sam.

World Heritage Terraced Rice Padi At Banaue, Luzon Island.

Christmas and New Year were celebrated back in the Philippines, the first time we have been away from the boat in 15 years.

During the holiday break we loaded up the car with duvet, pillows, a freshly baked loaf of bread and a well stocked cooler box. We went on a road trip taking in Mt Pinatubo, Angeles City, and the Cordilleras region, covering just under 1000kms. Our last two nights were in Baguio, a hill station nestled in the mountainous pine forests, snuggled under the duvet as temperatures dropped down to 12 degrees each night.

This past week we've spent a couple of days in Singapore, and are now back aboard Crystal Blues in Batam for a short "vacation" - cleaning, hull scrubbing, running engines and generators etc.  All is well onboard. Wishing you all a peaceful and healthy 2014.

Tacking - Changing Direction Again

The Great Escape

Two months ago we thought our long standing love affair with Asia was about to end.  Crystal Blues and her crew were aching to go to sea.  Systems were in sensational order, the cellar was full, cupboards stocked with food and the freezer and refrigerator crammed with delicacies for a four month plus passage to South Africa. We dreamed of long distance sailing, anchoring in beautiful Cocos Keeling and then passage making to La Reunion via Rodriguez and Mauritius.

What Happened?

Neil was offered a decent 10 month contract with the client he had been part time consulting for in Manila.  Then Ley's son called with the news that he and his family were being transferred to Shanghai/Singapore for 2 years, from November 1.  With a new grand baby due later in November, Nana's help would be appreciated.  As Ley's mother is also turning 90 in December, we knew that we also wanted to be back in Williamstown to celebrate this wonderful achievement, so we decided to take the hint and stay put in Asia for another year.

We always said the hardest part of moving on to South Africa was leaving Asia.....looks like we have proven ourselves right.  So Crystal Blues is now berthed in Nongsa Point (Batam), a short ferry ride from Singapore. Neil is working a cycle of 2 weeks in Manila and 1 week on the boat, with Ley now joining him in Manila frequently.  We have a great apartment and car, provided by the client, and are just starting our exploration of yet another country.  South Africa will have to wait another year.

The Foul Story - Barnacles, Ultrasonics & The Facts From Cousin Glen

Some weeks back I wrote (here) of the difficulties we had experienced with barnacles fouling the sea water inlets on Crystal Blues in estuarine waters.

Keen to find a solution, we started to investigate the new ultrasonic antifouling systems - these use a low power transducer attached to the hull, constantly exciting the hull with acoustic energy which (we are told) prevents algae and barnacle growth.  One leading manufacturer, Ultrasonic Antifouling Ltd., claimed that preventing algae growth also prevented barnacles, because the barnacles fed on the algae. I was somewhat suspicious of this claim -  I just didn't see how barnacles (which never move) could effectively feed on the algae on the hull.  See the story here, on their promotional email.

Cousin Glen at Wilson's Promontory, Victoria

So we turned to cousin Glen Burns, our oracle on all things related to marine biology.  His informative and generally hilarious response is presented here :

"Anyway...in answer to your question, barnacles do NOT rely on the slime/algae growing on the (hull) surface, they are (as you suggest) filter feeders. They don't actually suck water into the body as clams, oysters (ie bivalves) do. Barnacles are actually arthropods not molluscs, so they have legs like crabs. Their legs are hairy and  modified into filter feeding appendages. They open their shell and reach out with their hairy legs to "sweep" any organic particles in to their mouths. You can watch them do this... if you have the patience to sit and watch a barnacle. Who said marine biology wasn't exciting!  Lots of particulate organic matter in estuaries and harbours means lots of food for barnacles and therefore a pain in the bum for boaties, constantly trying to keep the little critters from fouling hulls, intakes etc.

Searching For A Mate - Scary

So what do you do about it? Antifouling paint, either toxic or ablative obviously works on the outside. Scrape them off, dig them out, regularly replace bits...there is no easy answer. I'd be really interested to hear how the ultrasonic system works. What's that saying about "Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a pathway to your door"...I reckon the same goes for barnacles...come up with a cheap, easy, environmentally friendly solution and boaties everywhere will be on bended knees in thanks!!    By the way, just another tidbit of information for you re barnacles. Being arthropods they practice internal fertilization. 

Now, being cemented to the substrate,  barnacles obviously can't get up and go looking for a mate so the penis is actually capable of extending out and over to neighbouring barnacles to facilitate insemination.  Which means that if you're a barnacle, size really does matter!  The further you can reach with your penis the more individuals you can mate with and thus pass on your genetic information to the next generation. Which is why the humble barnacle has the longest penis (relative to its body size) of any animal on the planet! Depending on the species,  the penis may be 10 times the individuals body length. So Ley, thanks goodness Neil isn't a barnacle or you'd be dealing with a schlong nearly 20 metres long!!"

Thanks Glen ... I think.  Maybe too much information.   Anyway, I have noticed that the "algae is barnacle food" claim is not repeated on the company website.  Equally, the product may work really well, even if we don't really know exactly why.  So we'll probably try it soon - stay posted, and please feel free to add your comments or opinions to this post.