Commercial Fishing Boat Insulated with Closed-Cell Spray Foam, Protected with Polyurea

FALL RIVER, MA – December 14, 2012 – What's more important in the commercial fishing industry than keeping your newly caught product fresh? Controlling temperatures with ice and refrigeration not only keeps the catch from spoiling, but can also prolong the length of fishing trips, making it possible to increase the catch benefiting both the vessel and the crew. The last thing you want is for the ice in the cargo hold to melt. GreenStar Foam Insulation applied spray foam to an aging scallop boat's cargo hold to help ensure this wouldn't happen.

The 20-year-old 120 ft. scallop boat was being rehabilitated when GreenStar was called in to insulate its cargo hold. The cargo area already had existing spray foam insulation, but according to President Sol Cohen, "GreenStar took it to a whole new level."

"The primary reason for using spray foam was because they go out to the middle of the sea and wanted a thermal break between the ocean and the interior where the ice was being stored, primarily to minimize the melting," said Cohen.

It was also important that the foam itself be protected from the fishermen's daily activities, including using pitchforks to move the ice around. With that in mind, GreenStar applied polyurea over the foam as a protective coating. Polyurea would also help the foam resist mold growth and help prevent moisture penetration. "It was a very strong barrier between the foam and all the activity down there," Cohen added.

Before application, GreenStar had a lot of prep work to do. Crewmembers used a great deal of visqueen plastic wrap in order to protect all the sensitive areas intended for perishable food items from overspray. Ice bins and other areas that might be in contact with food products were all carefully safeguarded.

The existing spray foam insulation had already been removed when GreenStar began their new application. Crewmembers had to apply close to 12 inches of QuadFoam 2.0, a 2 lb. closed-cell spray foam made by Quadrant Urethane Technologies, to the steel walls and ceiling of the cargo hold, requiring at least five passes over the area. They applied about two inches of foam per pass totaling about four inches a day over the course of a few days. Cohen said crewmembers took their time with the process, making sure the application was given an appropriate amount of time to dry.

Once the foam had cured, GreenStar applied 140 mils of Versaflex 45DC-F polyurea over it for added durability. The total spray area was approximately 3,000 sq. ft.

Spraying inside a boat can be difficult. In order to reach the cargo hold, the crew had to employ a 250 ft. spray foam hose. "It wasn't easy, but once you got a pattern going, it went pretty quickly," said Cohen. The crew wore fresh air masks while spraying. It took two crewmembers about a week to complete the project in February of 2012.

There were some perks to the job. "We were given complimentary scallops," Cohen said. "All we could eat."

Cohen added that the boat's owner was very happy with the results of the spray foam application and has since contacted GreenStar to work with them on future projects.

About GreenStar Foam Insulation: GreenStar Foam Insulation is a full service insulation installer using the latest cutting edge equipment and spray foam insulation technology. GreenStar's trucks will come to your building site and manufacture custom building materials for waterproofing, flooring, insulating, roofing, siding, set design and more. GreenStar Foam is a woman-owned and operated full service spray coating company that works with new construction, attics, basements, and more. For more information about GreenStar Foam Insulation, please use the contact details and links provided below.