What is Hull Cleaning?

Left unchecked, fouling can be a real drag.

Barnacle buildup can cause unwanted drag on a boat as it moves through the water, and all boats experience it. These extra, unwanted passengers not only slow the vessel down, but the organisms can penetrate the hull and cause damage over time if not regularly cleaned. Regular hull maintenance will improve your vessel’s ability to glide through the water with less resistance. Barnacle and sea life buildup can cause a boat to be slowed dramatically, overheat its engine and block intakes, all resulting in excessive fuel consumption and damage. Keeping your intakes, pumps, engines, etc. rely on a clear path for water to flow to keep them operating to their fullest potential. Any reduction in fuel consumption will result in a direct and proportional reduction in operating costs. Every ship needs to overcome hydrodynamic resistance (friction), smooth surfaces will minimize waste and improve the speed and/or distance.

Common reasons for an In-water Survey

Damage assessment.

Visual inspection for certification requirement or performance.

Preparation for sale/purchase.

Assessment of antifouling paint systems.

General inspections of hulls, plating, welding, water intakes, propeller and rudder.

Assessment of general hull condition and/or damage for classification society approval to extend dry-docking.

Preparation prior to or post dry-docking.

Why is it Important?

Hull cleaning is the process of de-fouling and removing the sea life buildup without damaging the coating of the hull. Cleaning the bottom of a boat can be done in and out of the water.

Reduces fuel consumption and increases steaming radius.

Supports lengthened dry-dock intervals, phased maintenance, and repair programs.

Improves effective lifetime of anti-foulant and anti-corrosive paint systems.

Minimizes direct operating costs.

Underwater hull cleaning will get rid of barnacles and other buildup on the bottom of your boat and critical intakes. This, in turn, will prolong the life of your vessel’s hull and it’s components that rely on water flow.

Scrubbing the barnacles off the bottom of a boat really is hard work. This labor intensive task will also require you to use diving equipment which has strict regulations on how to use.

Monitoring zinc anodes, paint condition-your eyes below the surface

Your boat will move through the water much easier.

Save money on fuel consumption. Propellers that are cleaned professionally and smooth cost less to maintain, they reduce fuel consumption by up to ~10% compared to rough and unclean.

Propellers are first sanded off and then the disc pads are changed for polishing pads. There is some generally accepted quick math rooted in decades of experience, that is every dollar spent on a hull clean and propeller polish saves the company ~$8 in fuel.

Dominion Diving also performs in-water surveys for vessels including visual inspections, photographic surveys and CCTV surveys.

Can I do this myself?

Yes of course. There are many safeguards that need to be taken when cleaning the hull of your boat yourself. Second only to personal/human safety concerns, there are potential regulations surrounding location vessel is tied up and if it can be cleaned at current coordinates.

Inquire with Dominion Diving Ltd and we will help you determine what the best solution is for you and your vessel!

Contact us for all your Diving, Marine Service, and ROV requirements

 

+1 (902) 434-5120 

or

contact@dominiondiving.com

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