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A clean hull starts with a weekly routine that crews will actually follow. Catching slime early protects speed, cuts fuel burn, and reduces the need for aggressive cleaning later. The trick is to make the inspection repeatable, fast, and useful on shore. Start with cadence and evidence.
1Set the cadence15–25 min per week
Same day, same watch
Pick one weekday and watch. Routine beats reminders and keeps photos comparable.
Two boot-top points, two mid-body panels, plus rudder/prop for trend lines.
Monthly three-slide summary
Three photos, one trigger status, one note. Enough for fast decisions.
Why cadence beats “whenever”
Fixed weekly checks create comparable evidence and let shore teams spot trends early. That means you clean sooner, with lighter methods, and avoid performance disputes.
Item
How to do it
Pick the day
One weekday, same watch. Add to bridge calendar and noon-report template.
Compare weekly crew time cost with fuel saved by catching slime early.
Weekly time cost
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Fuel saved (USD)
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Net benefit
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Heuristic: if net is positive, your weekly routine is self-funding. If marginal, tighten cadence only in warm, high-nutrient waters.
2Shoot the five anglesevidence that travels
These five shots capture where growth shows up first and where it costs you most. Keeping the same angles and framing each week lets shore teams spot trends, set cleaning triggers, and defend performance with repeatable evidence.
Angles and what to catch
Angle
Why it matters
What to capture
Port bow boot-top
Leading edge shows first slime and scuff.
1–2 m strip; color note: green film vs brown strands.
Starboard stern boot-top
Eddies trap nutrients near stern.
Same framing every week for comparison.
Mid-body port & starboard
Stable baseline for trending.
Use a fixed reference (chock/handrail).
Rudder & stock
Small area, big drag if fouled.
Trailing edge close-up; look for filaments.
Prop hub & blades
Prop condition dominates efficiency.
Blade face and leading edge; two opposite blades if visibility allows.
Consistency beats resolution. If water is turbid, take more stills and a short video.
Make it actionable on shore
One folder per week with photos and a noon-report export. Keep a running 4-week trend.
Tag by severity: LS light slime, MS moderate slime, WS weed strands.
Auto-brief: three images, one line of notes, one trigger status for management.
Protect coatings: heavy strands call for capture cleaning; avoid aggressive pads on fresh SPC/silyl.
Decision hint
If weed strands show at the boot-top on two consecutive weeks, schedule a prop polish and light in-water clean with capture at the next suitable port.
3Check the niches firstsmall area, big drag
Sea chests, gratings, bilge keels, thruster tunnels, log sensor, and ICCP anodes make up a small fraction of hull area, yet they can contribute a large share of added drag. Inspect them first and act fast, because clearing these spots often delivers the quickest fuel win.
Niche checklist and actions
Niche zone
What to look for
Action
Sea chests & gratings
Filament growth, clogged mesh, shell
Brush or cavitation with capture. Verify valves shut and intake safety.
Thruster tunnels
Rings of slime, weeds at lips
Low-aggression pads. Protect blades and seals.
Bilge keels
Edge strands along the keel
Edge-focused sweep. Avoid cutting into coating edges.
Log sensor housing
Film on face, false readings
Gentle wipe. Recalibrate if speed bias suspected.
ICCP anodes and cabling
Slime bridging, shell close to anodes
Do not abrade anodes. Clear gently and log condition photos.
Record tool, pad aggressiveness, and diver remarks to protect coating warranties.
Niche impact estimator
Estimate fuel penalty and dollars per day if specific niches are fouled.
Estimated penalty
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Extra fuel (t/day)
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Extra cost (USD/day)
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Heuristic only. Actual penalties vary by vessel, speed, and coating condition.
4Do the glove testquick severity check
If you can feel slime, you are already paying for it. The glove test turns a touch and color read into an action signal. Light green film points to a routine clean; brown or weed strands call for faster attention and a more protective method.
How to run it and read it
Wipe the boot-top with a clean glove at two fixed points. Note feel: slick film, slimy, or strand pull.
Note color: light green film usually means early growth; dark green or brown and any visible strands signal higher urgency.
Photograph the exact spot after the wipe for a weekly like-for-like comparison.
Pair the glove test with a steady-RPM trial to confirm the fuel impact.
Urgency helper
Pick what you feel and see. Get a next action and the cost of waiting.
Estimated penalty
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Cost of waiting (USD)
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Heuristic only. Confirm with steady-condition trials where possible.
5Log the numbersevidence in the noon report
At steady RPM and draft, small drifts in speed and fuel tell you when slime is costing money. Log speed over ground, wind and sea state, and daily tons. Rising specific fuel oil consumption at constant conditions is your fouling alarm.
Make the numbers comparable
Signal
How to record
RPM & draft
Hold RPM constant for the trial. Note fore and aft drafts.
Speed over ground
Average over 30–60 minutes. Note current and tide if material.
Wind / sea state
Record Beaufort and swell. Avoid trials above Bf 5 if possible.
Daily fuel (t/day)
Use flowmeter or consistent ROB method. Same tank sequence each trial.
Keep one “clean baseline” from post-drydock or post-clean to compare against.
Fuel drift checker
See percent rise in daily tons and the extra dollars per day at today’s bunker price.
Increase (% of baseline)
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Extra fuel (t/day)
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Extra cost (USD/day)
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6Set simple triggersaction thresholds
Triggers turn observations into action. Use a simple two-step rule so crews know when to polish the prop and when to book a light hull clean. Keep it tied to steady-condition data to avoid false alarms.
Suggested thresholds
Signal
Trigger
Action
Weed strands on prop
Any visible strands
Propeller polish at next safe port
Fuel rise at steady RPM
+3–4% for 3 days
Prop polish; reassess hull after
Hull strands at boot-top
Any strands on two weeks
Light in-water clean with capture
Fuel rise persists
≥5–6% at steady state
Schedule in-water clean and prop polish
Match method to coating. Avoid aggressive pads on fresh SPC or silyl systems.
Trigger helper
Enter what you are seeing and the recent fuel drift. Get a simple next action.
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7Protect the paintmethod + warranty fit
Cleaning method must fit coating chemistry and age. The wrong pad or cavitation level can void warranties and add roughness that costs fuel every day. Match tool aggressiveness to coating type and days since application.
Compatibility quick-guide
Coating
Clean early-stage slime
Cautions
Self-polishing copolymer (SPC)
Soft pad, low RPM; low-energy cavitation with capture
Avoid aggressive brushes, especially < 90 days from application
Silyl / hydrolyzing
Very soft pad; gentle sweep
No stiff bristles; confirm vendor pad spec
Foul-release silicone
Soft microfiber; water-jet or cavitation at lowest setting
Never abrade; keep nozzle distance consistent
Hard epoxy / tie-coat
Soft to medium pad; controlled RPM
Mind edges and welds; avoid cutting into corners
Log tool type, pad aggressiveness, RPM, and vendor in your inspection file.
Method picker
Pick coating type and age to get a conservative cleaning method.
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Vendor and warranty terms prevail. When in doubt, choose the gentler option.
8Close the loopprove the gain
After any prop polish or hull clean, repeat the same photos and a steady-RPM trial. Confirm the improvement in fuel and speed. Share a one-pager with before-and-after shots and the math so charterers and managers see the value.
Proof pack
Before-and-after photos at the five angles, same framing and light where possible.
Steady-RPM trial results: daily tons and speed over ground at similar sea state.
Vendor report with tool, pad, RPM, and capture details for the record.
Save as a dated PDF and file with chartering and technical.
Gain and payback
Enter before/after fuel, bunker price, days to evaluate, and the cleaning cost.
Daily fuel saved (t/day)
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Daily savings (USD/day)
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Payback time (days)
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Net over period (USD)
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Reconfirm against a steady-condition trial to avoid weather bias.
Clean hulls save real money when routines are simple, repeatable, and tied to action. Run the weekly cadence, shoot the same angles, check the niches, and use steady-condition numbers to trigger prop polish or a gentle clean. Protect the coating, prove the gain after every job, and your fuel curve stays flat while disputes stay quiet.
