Andhra Pradesh · INKRI

Hull Cleaning at Krishnapatnam Port

In-water hull, propeller and survey work at Krishnapatnam Port — deep-draft coal berths behind long breakwaters.

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Tell us the vessel, the port and the window. Scoped reply, usually the same working day.

Cleanship Marine provides the full underwater scope at Krishnapatnam Port (INKRI), Andhra Pradesh — hull cleaning, propeller super polishing, bow and stern thruster work, class-approved in-water survey and UWILD. Every scope is carried out with the vessel afloat and on hire, at the berth or at the anchorage.

Krishnapatnam is a privately operated deep-water port in Nellore district built primarily around imported thermal coal for the southern power belt, with container and fertiliser volumes alongside it. Large bulk carriers on repeat coal voyages make it a port where hull and propeller condition show up directly in the fuel bill.

Working conditions at Krishnapatnam

Krishnapatnam is a deep-draft artificial harbour behind long breakwaters, so cleaning alongside is sheltered and practical for most of the year, and the cyclone seasons are the main interruption at the anchorage. Coal and ore handling reduces visibility inside the basin, so hull work at the bulk berths is planned as a low-visibility job even though the site itself is calm — a distinction that matters when a client expects survey-grade video from a coal berth.

Where we work: Deep-draft bulk berths · Container berths · Anchorage
Vessels we see here: Capesize and Panamax bulk carriers · Container ships

Hull Cleaning scopes at Krishnapatnam

5 scopes, one team and one mobilisation. Most vessels calling here take more than one on the same attendance.

Planning the window at Krishnapatnam

The north-east monsoon governs the calendar at Krishnapatnam Port, roughly October to December. The Bay of Bengal also carries cyclone risk in April to June and again from October to December, so an anchorage attendance on this coast is planned with a standby allowance rather than a single fixed date. Because the harbour is sheltered, work here normally runs alongside or at a protected anchorage and can proceed in parallel with cargo operations rather than competing with them for the berth window.

Work is taken at the deep-draft bulk berths, container berths and anchorage, and which of those a vessel ends up at changes the dive plan more than the season does. Teams mobilise via Chennai (MAA) or Tirupati (TIR), so give us the ETA as early as you have it — the travel is the flexible part, the approvals and the working window are not.

What we typically find at Krishnapatnam

Dry bulk handling here puts cargo dust into the water around the berths and anchorage. It settles on horizontal surfaces and packs into sea chest gratings and inlet openings, so inlet and grating clearance is routinely a larger part of the job at Krishnapatnam than owners budget for.

Shelter is a mixed blessing for a hull. The same calm that makes the port easy to work in is still water, and still water grows fouling faster than an exposed berth does.

How we deliver it at Krishnapatnam

1
Scope and vessel details
Tell us the vessel, her particulars, the coating specification and the window at Krishnapatnam. We come back with a defined scope, a crew size and a duration we will stand behind. Where the conditions here will not support what has been asked for, we say so at this stage rather than after mobilisation.
2
Permits and approvals
Diving permission is obtained from Krishnapatnam Port Company, along with terminal approval where the berth requires it and any environmental clearance for in-water work. This is handled by us, not left with the agent to chase.
3
Mobilisation to Krishnapatnam
Divers, compressors, brush carts and cameras mobilise via Chennai (MAA) or Tirupati (TIR). Where a vessel is also calling at Chennai, one mobilisation is normally sized to cover both.
4
Safety setup and the dive
The vessel is secured for diving — main engine, shaft and thrusters immobilised, sea suctions confirmed shut, permit agreed with the master. Teams work under surface supervision with continuous diver communications and video throughout.
5
Report and handover
A completion report covering hull cleaning is issued with before-and-after imagery, coating and anode condition and anything found that you should know about. The findings are discussed with the vessel rather than emailed and forgotten.

Krishnapatnam Port at a glance

UN/LOCODE: INKRI
Port type: Private Port
State: Andhra Pradesh
Country: India
Water body: Bay of Bengal
Port authority: Krishnapatnam Port Company
Main cargoes: Thermal coal, Iron ore, Containers, Fertiliser, Edible oil
Crew mobilisation: Chennai (MAA) / Tirupati (TIR)
Services here: Hull Cleaning, Hold Cleaning and Tank Cleaning

Frequently asked — Krishnapatnam Port

Does Cleanship provide hull cleaning at Krishnapatnam Port?

Yes. We cover the full hull cleaning scope at Krishnapatnam Port (INKRI), Andhra Pradesh — underwater hull cleaning, propeller polishing, thruster cleaning & polishing, in-water class survey and uwild. Teams mobilise via Chennai (MAA) or Tirupati (TIR).

What is underwater visibility like at Krishnapatnam?

Visibility at Krishnapatnam Port is moderate, and it drops further around active bulk handling and after heavy rain, and the north-east monsoon sets the outer limits of the calendar. How the tide and sea state shape the dive plan is set out in full in the working-conditions section on this page.

Who approves hull cleaning work at Krishnapatnam?

Krishnapatnam Port Company issues the port-side approval at Krishnapatnam Port, with terminal approval on top where the berth requires it. We arrange both, along with any environmental clearance for in-water cleaning, so it does not fall to the agent or the master.

Which vessels call at Krishnapatnam?

Capesize and Panamax bulk carriers, Container ships — Krishnapatnam Port is deep-draft coal berths behind long breakwaters, handling thermal coal, iron ore, containers, fertiliser and edible oil. Those are the profiles we see most, and the scope is sized to the vessel rather than to a standard package.

Can this be done without taking the vessel off hire at Krishnapatnam?

Yes — that is the point of it. Every scope listed here is carried out with the vessel afloat and working, at the berth, at the anchorage or on the passage out. Divers work with the vessel afloat at the berth or the anchorage, so there is no dry dock, no diversion and no off-hire.

Do you cover other ports near Krishnapatnam?

Yes. Chennai, Ennore and Kakinada all sit within the same operating range for hull cleaning, and a single mobilisation is often sized to cover more than one vessel on the same trip. We work 46 ports on the coverage list for this line.

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