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The Miss Ellis Island is one of the boats that carries passengers from the New Jersey-based marina across New York Harbor and onto Ellis Island. Getting ready for the busy summer tourist season includes conducting maintenance on the ferries, and this past year, the Miss Ellis Island was due for some much needed recoating on the walkways and decks.

Shipbuilding and marine repair is frequently heavy, hard industrial work. Manufacturing is loud and can get dirty. In a marine environment like a ship yard (which can include one or more dry docks) this process must occur within close proximity to water, posing unique challenges regarding containment and suppression of dust during the building and repair process.

Sponge Media™ abrasives are currently being used to help the US Military keep their amphibious hovercraft in fighting shape. These vehicles are known for their versatility, facing deployment in different climates all over the world. Naval hovercraft vessels have coatings that must hold up in environments ranging from the arid desert to the freezing arctic. To prevent corrosion from damaging these costly vehicles, surface preparation must be perfect.

Damage from corrosion is one of the largest threats to the safety and integrity of a ship. Without proper safeguards in the form of coatings, surface preparation, and cathodic protection, ships and boats of all sizes will eventually rust and deteriorate. While materials used to build ships vary, most types of metals corrode, especially in chloride-rich environments like sea water.

This turn-of-the-century lighthouse, also known as Hockomock Head Lighthouse or Swan’s Island Lighthouse provided fisherman and their schooners a beacon for safe travel in busy Penobscot Bay (ME, USA) starting in 1872 and still acts as a navigation aid today. In 1988 the lighthouse was added to the Register of Historic Places. In 1994 the US Coast Guard deeded the light station to the Town of Swan’s Island and by 2000 the Friends of Swan Island Light began working on a long-needed preservation plan. The plan called for adaptive public use while restoring each of the four buildings including the light tower.

It’s becoming increasingly more apparent that companies in the commercial marine space, specifically shipyards, dry docks, and other industrial marine manufacturers are in major need of increasing their ROI while simultaneously decreasing production and repair time. That’s why Sponge-Jet is attending the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, Louisiana.