Marine blasting · Perth & WA
Marine Blasting Perth
Anti-foul, rust and tired primer stripped from hulls, keels and running gear — on the hardstand or in your own yard.
What comes off
Layered anti-foul hides what is underneath. Blasting takes the hull back to a clean, keyed surface so the surveyor and the coating crew are looking at real steel, alloy or GRP instead of twenty years of build-up.
Because the media is wet, there is no plume drifting across the yard onto other vessels. Neighbouring boats keep working, the yard stays open, and the spent media and slurry are contained and removed.
In short
Yes — we strip anti-foul, rust and failed primer from hulls on the hardstand, in the yard or at your property. Wet abrasive blasting keeps the dust down so neighbouring vessels keep working, and keeps heat out of the plating so thin steel and alloy do not distort. Spent anti-foul is contained and disposed of through a licensed facility.
Which hulls we do, and how
Steel. The straightforward case. Anti-foul, primer, rust and scale come off in the same pass, and we can work to a stated cleanliness grade and anchor profile where the coating system requires it — see surface profile and prep standards. Chloride contamination is the hidden problem on any hull that has sat in the water; wet blasting flushes soluble salts as it works rather than driving them into the profile, which is a genuine advantage over dry blasting followed by a wash.
Aluminium. Softer than steel and easily damaged, so pressure comes down and the media changes. Anything ferrous is off the table because embedded particles rust and stain. Soda or a fine glass at low pressure is usually the answer.
Fibreglass. Possible and routine, but it is the substrate that most rewards a test patch. Low pressure, fine media, and we prove the settings on an area you nominate before going near the topsides.
Timber vessels. Yes, at very low pressure. The aim is to lift the coating without tearing out the soft grain — the same approach we use on jetties and decking.
What we will not do
We will not blast plating that is already perforated or so thin that removing the coating will open it up. Blasting reveals what the paint was hiding, and on older steel hulls that sometimes means holes. If we find that, we stop and call you before going further. We also will not start on a vessel where the coating is likely to contain regulated material without the containment and disposal arrangements agreed in the quote.
Book the slipway and the blasting together. Hardstand time is usually the expensive part of the job, and the coating window after blasting is short — see flash rust, explained.
Coatings and passes
| Coating | Typically | Passes |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-foul | Ablative and hard anti-foul | 2 |
| Primer and barrier coat | Epoxy, barrier systems | 2 |
| Rust and scale | Pitting, weld scale | 2–3 |
| Gelcoat prep | Osmosis blistering | 1 |
Pass counts are for planning. Tim confirms on a site look, which is free inside the Perth metro area.
How the job runs
| Stage | What happens | Typical hrs |
|---|---|---|
| Site look | Access, water, waste and containment checked | 0.5 |
| Mask and set up | Glass, fittings and adjacent surfaces protected | 1 |
| Blast | Wet media at 6–9 bar, passes to spec | 4–8 |
| Wash and inspect | Rinse, flash-rust inhibitor, handover photos | 1 |
Bare steel wants a coat within 4–6 hours in Perth humidity. We can hold the job with an inhibitor if your painter is booked for the next morning.
Recent jobs
Real work from around Perth and regional WA. Every photo on this page is one of ours.
Common questions
Marine blasting — your questions answered
Can you blast a boat on the hardstand?
Yes. Most hull jobs are done on the hardstand at Fremantle, Rockingham or Mandurah, or in your own yard. We supply water, media, power and containment, so all we need is access and a spot to set up.
Will blasting damage gelcoat or GRP?
Not at the right settings. GRP is blasted at a much lower pressure with softer media to lift anti-foul and blistering without cutting into the laminate. We test a small area first and show you the result before continuing.
How long does a hull take?
A typical 38-foot steel hull is one day: two passes, a wash down and an inhibitor coat so the painter can start the next morning. Heavier build-up or a larger vessel runs to two days.
Related services and areas
Metal restoration
Gates, balustrades, wheels, trailers and machinery brought back to clean metal, ready for powder coat or paint.
Refinery and industrial blasting
Tanks, pipework, structural steel and plant prepped on site to the coating spec, with containment.
Dustless blasting Perth
Coverage, travel and typical turnaround across the Perth metro area.