Underwater Hull Cleaning
Commercial dive teams remove hull fouling with the vessel afloat and on hire — at anchorage or alongside, day or night. The fuel saving starts the moment the divers surface.
- No dry dock, no off-hire
- Coating-safe method
- Before-and-after video
- 24/7 operations desk
Get a quote
Tell us the vessel, the port and the window. Scoped reply, usually the same working day.
- 65
- Ports with published coverage
- 8
- Operating bases
- 24/7
- Operations desk manned
- 5
- Underwater scopes
Hull fouling is the quietest cost on the P&L
It never produces a defect report, never triggers an alarm and never appears on a work list. It simply takes a percentage of every tonne of fuel you burn, and takes a little more each week.
Fuel burn climbs quietly
A moderate layer of slime and barnacle growth can add double-digit percentages to fuel consumption, and it accumulates steadily between dry dockings without ever producing a defect report.
Speed and schedule slip
Drag costs you speed at the same power, or power at the same speed. Either way the main engine works harder to hold a schedule that was fixed on a clean hull.
Carbon intensity follows fuel
Every extra tonne burned is extra CO₂ against a carbon intensity figure that is now reported rather than internal. A fouled hull shows up in that number long before anyone calls it a defect.
Cleanship provides comprehensive underwater hull cleaning while the vessel remains afloat, covering vertical sides, flat bottoms, bilge keels, sea chests and difficult-to-reach areas. Our trained marine teams use professional diver-operated equipment and specialised hand tools to ensure thorough and controlled cleaning.
Regular hull cleaning helps remove marine growth before it becomes firmly established, supporting a smoother hull surface, better vessel performance and improved fuel efficiency. Operations can be carried out alongside or at anchorage, day or night, with minimal disruption to normal vessel activities.
What an underwater hull clean includes
Every job is quoted against the fouling actually found, not a menu. This is the full scope a standard attendance covers.
Fouling survey
A pre-clean dive establishes fouling type, coverage and severity, and confirms coating condition so the correct tooling is selected.
Flat bottom and vertical sides
Brush cart cleaning of large areas, removing slime, weed and shell growth to restore surface smoothness.
Niche areas
Hand cleaning of bilge keels, bow thruster tunnels, rudder, stern frame, anodes and other niche areas where fouling concentrates.
Sea chests and gratings
Sea chest gratings and inlet openings cleared of growth and debris to restore cooling water flow.
Documentation
Underwater video and stills before and after, with a written report covering coating condition and anode wastage.
Tell us the vessel
Send the vessel, the port and the window. You get a scope, a crew size and an honest duration — usually the same working day.
From enquiry to completion report
Four steps, in this order, every time. The permits are ours to obtain and the safety case is agreed with the master before a diver enters the water.
- 01
Permits and approvals
Port authority diving permission and any environmental approval for in-water cleaning are obtained before mobilisation.
- 02
Safety setup
Vessel is secured for diving — main engine and thrusters immobilised, sea suctions confirmed shut, and a permit agreed with the master.
- 03
Cleaning dives
Teams work the hull in planned panels under surface supervision with continuous diver communications and video.
- 04
Report and debrief
Completion report with video evidence is issued and the coating and anode condition discussed with the vessel.
Everything underwater, on the same attendance
The dive team that cleans the hull carries out the propeller, thruster and survey work too. Combining them is cheaper than calling anyone back.
A dive contractor, not a broker
Crews, compressors and brush carts are ours and are held in country. Nobody is subcontracting your hull to whoever answered the phone at the port.
- Commercial dive teams and equipment held at eight operating bases, not mobilised from a third country when you call
- Brush hardness, tooling and working pressure selected against your antifouling coating and its remaining service life
- Port authority diving permission and environmental clearance obtained by us, not left to the agent
- Work carried out alongside or at anchorage, day or night, with the vessel afloat and on hire throughout
- Surface-supervised diving with continuous diver communications and live video
- A completion report with underwater video and stills, plus coating and anode condition, issued on the job
- The same mobilisation can take in propeller polishing, thruster work and a class-approved in-water survey
Vessels we clean
- Bulk carriers and tankers
- Container ships
- Offshore vessels and barges
- Vessels idling at anchorage
Divers within a day of your berth
65 ports carry a published hull cleaning page of their own, covering local conditions, the approving authority and the traffic that calls there.
Coverage
India (33 ports) · UAE · Togo · Côte d'Ivoire · Liberia · Sierra Leone · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · The Gambia · Senegal
Operating bases
- Ajman — United Arab Emirates
- Fujairah — United Arab Emirates
- Khor Fakkan — United Arab Emirates
- Dammam — Saudi Arabia
- Kandla — Gujarat, India
- Visakhapatnam — India
- Colombo — Sri Lanka
- Conakry — Guinea
Underwater hull cleaning — frequently asked
If the answer you need is not here, ask the operations desk directly. It is manned around the clock.
Will hull cleaning damage the antifouling coating?
Not when the method is matched to the coating. Brush hardness, tool selection and operating pressure are chosen against the coating type and its remaining service life. An aggressive clean on a soft self-polishing coating shortens its life, which is why we ask for the coating specification before quoting.
Do you need port permission to dive?
Yes, and we obtain it. Diving permits, port authority approval and, where required, environmental clearance for cleaning operations are arranged as part of the job rather than left to the agent.
How much fuel can hull cleaning actually save?
It depends entirely on the fouling state, the hull form and the trade. Independently published studies put the penalty from heavy fouling well into double digits, but we would rather survey your hull and give you a specific assessment than quote a headline number.
What is underwater hull cleaning?
Underwater hull cleaning is the process of removing marine growth, algae, barnacles, and biofouling from a vessel's hull while it remains afloat. CleanShip Marine uses professional divers and specialized equipment to clean hulls without dry-docking, saving time and cost.
Why is underwater hull cleaning important for ships?
Marine growth on a hull increases drag, which raises fuel consumption and reduces vessel speed. Regular underwater hull cleaning restores hydrodynamic efficiency, improves fuel efficiency, lowers emissions, and extends the hull's coating life.
How often should a ship's hull be cleaned underwater?
Cleaning frequency depends on vessel trading routes, water temperature, and coating type, but most vessels benefit from underwater hull cleaning every 3-6 months to prevent heavy fouling buildup and maintain optimal fuel performance.
Does underwater hull cleaning require dry docking?
No. One of the biggest advantages of in-water hull cleaning is that it is performed by divers while the vessel is docked or anchored, eliminating costly dry-dock downtime and keeping the ship in service.
What equipment and methods do you use for hull cleaning?
CleanShip Marine uses diver-operated brush systems, ROV-assisted inspection tools, and eco-friendly cleaning techniques designed to remove hull fouling safely without damaging antifouling coatings or the ship's hull surface.
Do you offer propeller polishing along with hull cleaning?
Yes. Our underwater hull cleaning service includes propeller polishing, which removes marine growth and corrosion from propeller blades to restore smooth rotation, improve thrust efficiency, and reduce fuel costs.
Is underwater hull cleaning safe for the vessel's coating?
Yes. Our divers use controlled-pressure cleaning methods calibrated to the hull's antifouling coating type, ensuring effective marine growth removal without stripping or damaging the paint system.
How does underwater hull cleaning improve fuel efficiency?
A clean hull reduces drag through water, allowing the vessel to move more efficiently. Studies show that heavy hull fouling can increase fuel consumption significantly - regular hull cleaning helps recover lost efficiency and cut fuel costs.
Do you provide underwater hull inspection and video survey reports?
Yes. Along with cleaning, we offer underwater video survey and hull condition inspection reports, giving shipowners and fleet managers documented evidence of hull condition for compliance and maintenance records.
Is underwater hull cleaning environmentally safe?
Yes. CleanShip Marine follows eco-friendly hull cleaning practices and complies with port and environmental regulations to safely capture debris and prevent invasive marine species from spreading during the cleaning process.
Which vessels can use your underwater hull cleaning service?
We provide underwater hull cleaning services for bulk carriers, tankers, container ships, and offshore vessels of all sizes, with divers mobilized to ports worldwide on request.
How do I book an underwater hull cleaning service?
You can request a quote for underwater hull cleaning directly through our website, or contact our team by phone, email, or WhatsApp, and we'll schedule diver mobilization at your vessel's port of call.
Get your hull assessed.
Send the vessel, the port and the window. You get a scope, a crew size and an honest duration — usually the same working day.