Although our dustless blasting machines are most often used for blasting and cleaning large commercial fishing boats, ferries and other ocean going vessels, we also supply compact machines that are ideal for cleaning and maintaining smaller boats as well.

Our machines are proven to be highly effective in a wide variety of marine environments, and are renowned both for their capacity and performance. Abrasive blasting using the Quill Falcon Cyclone System means that coatings, corrosion and residue are removed from surfaces in such a way that newly-applied marine coatings adhere better and for longer, and the process is more cost-effective, efficient and environmentally friendly than other blasting methods, including UHP cleaning.

Our range of Quill Falcon Cyclone Dustless Blasting machines is available for sale and hire in Adelaide and throughout Australia, and offer the most technologically advanced blasting system on the market today.

Why you need to clean your boat regularly

Boats of all sizes are subject to a variety of contaminants on the hull, and there is a constant build up of algae and barnacles, grime and dirt, bilge-oil film and blisters, all of which can cause drag and ultimately affect your boat’s longevity and performance.

However, removing these types of contaminants by hand is not only very laborious, but it can also cause damage to the surface, particularly on a fibreglass hull. It can be easy, for instance, to scratch or gouge the gelcoat, leading to blisters and fractures.

Because it can be a challenge to fully strip a boat or yacht, there may be a temptation to apply a fresh coat of anti-fouling paint over the hull without stripping it right back beforehand. As well as only hiding, and then eventually exacerbating problems, this can also result in poor performance, due to a rough bottom and excess weight produced by additional layers of paint.

Likewise, boats and ships of all kinds are prone to corrosion. Rust in particular can affect the hull, propellor, motor and other surfaces, all of which can suffer from crevice corrosion, where a crevice is formed under a deposit such as silt or sand, or anywhere moisture can get trapped, which then becomes stagnant.

When you’re dealing with any form of corrosion, it’s important to act quickly and efficiently. Abrasive blasting is so effective in this because affected surfaces can be stripped back to a corrosion-free base before being primed and new anti-foul paint applied.

Why wet abrasive blasting is ideal for cleaning boats and ships

Wet abrasive blasting combines conventional grit blasting and ultra high pressure (UHP) jetting to create a precision dustless blasting system that leaves all types of marine surfaces clean and contaminant free.

It can be used to clean the hulls of fibreglass, metal and timber yachts and boats, and will remove surface contaminants such as chlorides and soluble salts, mill scale, old coatings, rust and paint.

Using vapour blasting equipment also means that all of this can be achieved without the need to expend huge amounts of time and labour. In turn, this leads to you having more time for applying anti-fouling paint and protective coatings thoroughly, which will ultimately add years to your boat’s operating life.

Wet dustless blasting is also a highly versatile process, and so it can be used for a range of boat cleaning and maintenance tasks, including:

• fabric maintenance
• cleaning debris from decking and other surfaces
• removing old coatings prior to NDT preparation and repainting
• removing sea growth

Preparing your boat for a new marine coating

Applying a protective coating is the best way of combating corrosion on your boat, as it will protect against moisture interacting with surfaces and prevent degradation and corrosion.

However, if you paint your boat or apply a marine coating before contaminants have been removed, the new coating is likely to fail because it won’t be able to adhere to the surface effectively. In addition, contaminants can draw moisture through the coating, which causes blistering, detachment and can also accelerate corrosion.

Preparing surfaces with a portable abrasive blasting machine prior to coating creates an effective anchor for the coating, producing the right physical environment for the coating material to adhere effectively to the surface. In addition, blisters in need of repair can be identified and surfaces primed so that the new coating can achieve maximum bonding.

However, at the same time wet grit blasting won’t damage any of the sealing on seams, or thin the metal of the hull.

Why surface preparation is so important

To effectively prepare a surface before adding a marine coating, it is essential to remove dirt and debris, paint, rust, mil scale, marine growths and previous layers of coating. Proper surface preparation has a greater effect on the performance and reliability of a coating than any other factor, so if the preparation of a surface for coating is poor, the ultimate performance of that coating will likewise be poor. The Quill Falcon Cyclone System profiles the surface area in such a way that the coating is able effectively to anchor itself to the small peaks and valleys of the blasted surface and thus adheres better.

For high performance and racing boats, abrasive blasting can remove existing layers of paint from the gelcoat before a final surface buffing, while on a new boat abrasive blasting can be used to remove the shine from the gelcoat before the initial painting of the bottom.

Likewise, a portable sandblaster will effectively wash away soluble salts and chlorides, which are among the primary causes of protective coatings on marine vessels failing. It produces a clean, contaminant-free, profiled surface that creates the best possible bonding strength when protective coatings are applied.

A further advantage of using wet abrasive blasting to profile surfaces is that the blast media is encased in water, so there is no risk of contaminants or the media itself becoming embedded in the substrate, which means nothing is left on the surface that may compromise the integrity of the marine coating.

Furthermore, wet blasting is a flexible system that creates precise profile specifications designed to suit the type of coating that is to be applied. This is because a variety of different blast media can be used in our dustless blasting machines, and this means that the precise anchor profile can be achieved while avoiding potential problems like pinpoint rusting.

A further factor to consider the risk of flash rusting when blasting metal and steel surfaces, particularly in environments where there is a high likelihood of salt deposits forming on newly blasted surfaces. With wet abrasive blasting, however, the water used to encase the blast media dissolves any soluble salts on the substrate and flushes them away, minimising the chances of flash rusting occurring.

How to hire a portable dustless blasting machine

At Quill Falcon Australia, we have a range of abrasive blasting machine (also known as sandblasting or dustless blasting equipment) available for hire. These vary in size and capacity, and so we can help you find the right machine for your boat cleaning job.

We deliver our machines to you and also supply blast media that is suitable for the work you want to undertake. Our machines are simple to operate and no specialist experience or qualifications are required. We provide full training and in about 30 minutes most people are competent and confident to be able to use our equipment safely and effectively.

Quill Falcon wet abrasive blasting machines use potable water, which can be gravity fed or from mains pressure, an air supply comes with the equipment, and there is no power required, meaning our equipment can be operated self-sufficiently almost anywhere, even in places where mains water and power are difficult to access.

Dustless blasting equipment produces minimal dust and so specialist personal protective equipment (PPE) is not required. However, we can advise you on the sort of protective clothing that should be worn.

You can hire our abrasive blasting equipment for 1 day if you have a small job that needs doing, or for longer periods if necessary. Alternatively, contact Australian Enviroblast if you have a larger job or don’t feel confident in tackling a blasting job yourself.

Call Quill Falcon Australia on (08) 8345 0719 or email us to learn more or arrange a free, on-site demonstration.