Dry Ice Blasting Boats and Small Ships

Dry ice blast cleaning is growing in popularity due to its versatility and environmentally friendliness. At the Cryogenic Institute of New England, we have found that the process is a great way to clean boat hulls. Boat hulls corrode and collect marine growth that must be cleaned frequently. This protects the boat from further damage while keeping the hull visually appealing. Traditional hand-cleaning methods are time consuming, and depending on the cleaning agent used it can be toxic. Dry ice blast cleaning can remove contaminants from boat hulls efficiently and effectively.

Commonly referred to as Co2 blasting, the process propels dry ice particles at the surface to be cleaned through the use of compressed air. Upon contact with the surface, the dry ice particles evaporate harmlessly into the air after removing contaminants. This process is also non-conductive, non-abrasive and environmentally-friendly, so it can be performed in almost any setting. The only debris associated with dry ice blast cleaning is the removed contaminants, which can be vacuumed or swept up during cleanup.

Dry ice blasting has several advantages over other blasting methods such as water and soda blasting. The dry ice sanitizes the desired surface making it more difficult for algae, mussels and slime to reattach. Dry ice blasting can also be used on propellers, engine equipment, water intake valves, condensers and heat exchangers can all be cleaned without removal of the equipment. Water and soda blasting also leave behind additional contaminated particles, while dry ice leaves none.

Dry ice blasting is well suited for anti-fouling. On polyester and fiberglass hulls dry ice blasting will remove blisters, fouling and lifted paint to prepare the boat for refinishing and repainting. Depending on the amount of marine buildup, a 20-foot hull can be cleaned in 2-3 hours. This application allows boat owners to spend less time maintaining their craft, and more time enjoying it on the water. Our dry ice blast cleaning service continues to expand as more and more applications are found that can benefit from the process. For more information about dry ice blast cleaning, please visit our dry ice blasting page.