Commercial Fishing Vessel Hull Restoration
Complete anti-fouling paint and barnacle removal from a 22m commercial fishing vessel hull during scheduled dry dock.
Before & After
Same hull section — before and after laser cleaning
The Challenge
A Scottish fishing vessel owner needed the hull of their 22-metre commercial trawler stripped of 6 years of accumulated anti-fouling paint, barnacles, and corrosion during a 5-day dry dock window in Dundee. Traditional high-pressure water jetting had been used previously but left the hull surface rough and required additional preparation before recoating.
The owner required a cleaner, faster method that would leave the hull ready for immediate recoating without additional grinding or preparation work.
Our Solution
LSR deployed a 1500W laser cleaning system on the dry dock floor. Working from scaffolding and mobile platforms, the team stripped the entire underwater hull area — approximately 180m² — in 3.5 days. The laser selectively removed anti-fouling paint and barnacle adhesive down to bare steel without damaging the hull plating.
- Full hull stripped to bare metal in 3.5 days
- No water, no chemicals, no abrasive media
- Surface profile ideal for direct recoating
- Barnacle adhesive fully removed — no residue
- Completed within dry dock window with 1.5 days to spare
"First time I've seen a hull come out of the dock looking like that. No grinding, no mess, just clean steel. We went straight to primer the next morning. Will be using LSR every time the boat's out of the water."