Dahanu Port · INDHU

Underwater Hull Cleaning at Dahanu Port

Full hull cleaned in the water, vessel stays on hire

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

Cleanship Marine provides underwater hull cleaning at Dahanu Port, Maharashtra, working the outer anchorage and lighterage transfer position. Commercial dive teams remove slime, weed and shell growth from the vertical sides, flat bottom, bilge keels, sea chests and niche areas with the vessel afloat and on hire — no dry dock, no diversion, no off-hire.

Dahanu is a lighterage anchorage serving the thermal power station on the Palghar coast, working coal parcels out to barges rather than over a deep-water berth. Vessels sit at anchor through long discharge cycles, and that is precisely when fouling gets its opportunity — the hull is warm, static and in nutrient-rich coastal water for days at a time.

What it gets you

Hydrodynamic smoothness restored before fouling reaches the calcareous stage that damages coating
Fuel and emissions penalty from drag reduced without taking the vessel off hire
Documented condition record for the technical file and the next docking specification
Sea chests and inlets cleared, protecting cooling water flow

Working conditions at Dahanu

Dahanu works as an open anchorage on the Palghar coast north of Mumbai, so every dive is done with the vessel at anchor and no shelter from swell. The south-west monsoon effectively closes the season between June and September. Coal dust from barge transfer settles down through the water column around the working area, so visibility drops sharply near an active discharge and the dive plan puts the team clear of the transfer side of the hull wherever the anchorage and the wind allow.

Where we work: Outer anchorage · Lighterage transfer position
Vessels we see here: Handysize and Supramax bulk carriers · Lighterage barges and tugs

What we do at Dahanu

Pre-clean fouling survey to establish coverage, growth type and coating condition before any tool touches the hull
Brush cart cleaning of the flat bottom and vertical sides, with brush hardness selected against your antifouling specification
Hand cleaning of bilge keels, rudder, stern frame, thruster tunnels, anodes and the niches a cart cannot follow
Sea chest gratings and inlet openings cleared of growth and debris to restore cooling water flow
Diving permission cleared with Maharashtra Maritime Board and the terminal before mobilisation
Before-and-after video and stills, with a written report on coating condition and anode wastage

Planning the window at Dahanu

The south-west monsoon governs the calendar at Dahanu Port, roughly June to September. Swell and reduced surface visibility close most open-water work on this coast for the duration, and the weeks either side are unreliable rather than unusable. Work here is done with the vessel riding to her anchor, so the dive plan is built around sea state and swell rather than a berth slot, and the team stands by for a workable window rather than a scheduled one.

Work is taken at the outer anchorage and lighterage transfer position, and which of those a vessel ends up at changes the dive plan more than the season does. Teams mobilise via Mumbai (BOM), 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 Dahanu

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 Dahanu than owners budget for.

Vessels here sit at anchor for long periods, and a stationary hull in warm water is the ideal fouling substrate. The heaviest growth we lift at this port is almost always off a vessel that has been waiting rather than working.

Standard scope of work

Included as standard on every underwater hull cleaning attendance, wherever the vessel is. Anything outside it is quoted separately and flagged before mobilisation, never added afterwards.

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.

Full Underwater Hull Cleaning service details

How we deliver it at Dahanu

1
Scope and vessel details
Tell us the vessel, her particulars, the coating specification and the window at Dahanu. 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 Maharashtra Maritime Board, 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 Dahanu
Divers, compressors, brush carts and cameras mobilise via Mumbai (BOM). Where a vessel is also calling at Mumbai, 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 underwater 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.

Dahanu Port at a glance

UN/LOCODE: INDHU
Port type: State Port
State: Maharashtra
Country: India
Water body: Arabian Sea
Port authority: Maharashtra Maritime Board
Main cargoes: Thermal coal, General bulk
Crew mobilisation: Mumbai (BOM)
Services here: Hull Cleaning and Hold Cleaning

Frequently asked — Underwater Hull Cleaning at Dahanu

Do you provide underwater hull cleaning at Dahanu Port?

Yes. Cleanship Marine works Dahanu Port (INDHU) in Maharashtra, India, covering the outer anchorage and lighterage transfer position. Teams mobilise via Mumbai (BOM) with the full spread.

Can underwater hull cleaning be done while the vessel works cargo at Dahanu?

Yes — it is the norm here, because the work is done at anchor rather than at a berth. Barge operations carry on around the dive, with the working side agreed with the master beforehand. The vessel stays on hire throughout, and there is no diversion and no dry dock. We scope against the conditions at Dahanu and tell you honestly whether the window you have is enough.

Do you need a diving permit from Maharashtra Maritime Board?

Yes, and we obtain it. Diving permission from Maharashtra Maritime Board, terminal approval where the berth requires it, and any environmental clearance for in-water work are arranged as part of the job rather than left with the agent. The master's permit to work and the immobilisation of machinery are agreed on board before anyone enters the water.

What is underwater visibility like at Dahanu?

Visibility at Dahanu Port is generally workable outside the monsoon, though cargo dust from lighterage reduces it sharply near an active transfer, and the south-west 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.

Which vessels do you carry out underwater hull cleaning on at Dahanu?

Handysize and Supramax bulk carriers, Lighterage barges and tugs — the traffic at Dahanu Port runs to thermal coal and general bulk, so those are the profiles we see most. The scope is sized to the vessel, not to a standard package.

How quickly can a team mobilise to Dahanu?

Divers and equipment mobilise via Mumbai (BOM). Give us the ETA and the window and we will confirm what is achievable rather than promise a date we cannot hold. Where the vessel also calls at Mumbai or Nhava Sheva, one mobilisation is often sized to cover both.

What does underwater hull cleaning at Dahanu cost?

It depends on the vessel's dimensions and wetted area, the fouling state found, the coating specification and the working window available at Dahanu. We would rather scope it properly and give you a specific figure than quote a headline rate that changes once the work starts. Send the details and the window at Dahanu and you get a scoped price, usually the same working day.

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