8/19/2016 – On our last trip to Annapolis we noticed the boat just seemed to be a bit sluggish and going 1/2 a knot slower than it should. The bow thruster wasn’t responding as well as usual, and seemed to not be as loud. We weren’t sure why.
When we had the boat pulled out of the water for a power wash we discovered the offending barnacles that were most likely the culprits. 
After a bit of cleaning and some touchup paint, the bow thruster was looking better again. Sure enough, the next time we used it, it worked perfectly.
Unfortunately, after the barnacles and scum were cleaned off the boat, it became obvious that we really needed a complete bottom paint job. No, bottom paint is not for looks, but rather to help prevent marine growth. So….one more unexpected expense we will have to contend with — but we’ll wait awhile and just enjoy our improved speed for now.