SodaBlast Systems has developed a more eco-friendly way to prepare boats for bottom painting. The system uses baking soda as a blasting agent to remove old paint.
A new entry in environmentally friendly boat maintenance is the SodaBlast Systems boat hull cleaning method to remove bottom paint and marine growth without harming fiberglass gelcoats.
The SodaBlast Mobile Unit uses a blasting media made of non-toxic sodium bicarbonate or baking soda to strip and prepare boat hulls. The blast media is driven by air and is non-destructive to hull materials. The system is used to initially strip paint and marine growth. It can also be used to open blisters in fiberglass gelcoat and prepare them for repair. The manufacturer claims the process takes a tenth of the time required by conventional methods.
The equipment package is self-contained and is skid or trailer mounted. Storage tanks hold enough blast media for four hours of operation. A heavy-duty moisture separator is included to ensure uninterrupted use of the equipment.
While bottom paint removed from a vessel still needs to be properly handled and diposed of safely, this hull preparation system looks promising. More information is available from SodaBlast Systems webpage.
