Underwater Sea Chests Cleaning
Sea chests are the openings in the ship's hull through which seawater is drawn for cooling systems, ballast, and firefighting. Fouled sea chests — blocked by barnacles, mussels, algae, and biofouling — restrict water flow and can lead to overheating of engine cooling systems, pump cavitation, and increased energy consumption.
SIFM's certified divers perform thorough underwater cleaning of sea chests — the grating, the recess, and surrounding hull area — removing all marine growth and restoring full water flow. Regular sea chest cleaning is critical preventive maintenance that avoids expensive engine overheating incidents.
Why it matters
Blocked sea chests can cause engine overheating, pump failure, and unscheduled downtime. Regular cleaning is a low-cost way to prevent high-cost breakdowns.
Our Sea Chests Cleaning Process
-
Location & Pre-inspection
Divers locate all sea chest positions on the vessel hull and perform a visual assessment of blockage severity before cleaning begins.
-
Grating & Recess Clearing
Hard growth — barnacles, mussels — is removed from the grating bars and recess using hydraulic chipping hammers and hand tools.
-
Deep Interior Cleaning
Remaining soft fouling and biofouling inside the sea chest recess is flushed and brushed clean to restore the full open area of the intake.
-
Flow Verification
Post-cleaning visual inspection confirms the grating is clear and the full intake area is unobstructed.
-
Service Documentation
Before/after photographic report provided for your vessel's maintenance records.
Before & After — Sea Chests Cleaning
SEADOCK MARINE · Click any photo to enlarge
BEFORESea Chests — Before Cleaning
AFTERSea Chests — After Cleaning (1) 
AFTERSea Chests — After Cleaning (2) 
AFTERSea Chests — After Cleaning (3)
Schedule Sea Chests Cleaning
Available 24h/7 across West Africa. Protect your engine cooling systems today.