Why Brazil’s Shore-Based Hold Cleaning Model Creates More Value Than Crew-Only Markets

In many parts of the world, cargo hold cleaning is still treated as a crew chore – something squeezed between watchkeeping, drills and port operations, with limited tools and unpredictable results.

In Brazil, the reality can be different.

With specialised providers like Seachios® Marine Services, hold cleaning becomes a planned shore-based operation that protects time, TCE and compliance across the entire voyage – including when the vessel is sailing from Brazil to stricter markets such as North America.

This article explains why the Brazilian model, when done properly, can create more value than traditional “crew-only” approaches.

1. Crew-only vs. shore-based: two very different mindsets

On paper, a superintendent might think:

“We’ll let the crew clean the holds during the ballast leg – that saves money.”

In practice, crew-only cleaning often means:

• limited pressure equipment and chemicals on board;

• cleaning squeezed between navigation, maintenance and safety duties;

• highly variable quality depending on the individual crew and time available;

• surprises at inspection: rejections, re-cleaning, shifting and disputes.

By contrast, a shore-based Brazilian model, when led by a specialist like Seachios, treats hold cleaning as a discrete project:

• pre-defined scope and method;

• dedicated riding crew and supervisors;

• professional equipment (high-pressure units, chemical application systems, PPE, lighting, access gear);

• clear deliverables: grain-ready / surveyor-ready holds, supported by reports.

Side-by-side comparison

2. How Brazilian port reality turns idle time into operational advantage

Brazilian bulk ports are famous for:

• long anchorages;

• weather windows;

• complex scheduling between terminals, receivers and authorities.

For most Owners, this is seen as pure risk: more days at anchor, more exposure to off-hire, more uncertainty.

Seachios looks at the same reality and asks:

“How do we turn this waiting time into a controlled, productive operation?”

What we typically do in Brazil

• Deploy riding crew at anchorage (Santos, Paranaguá, Itaqui, Rio Grande and others);

• Run intensive cleaning programs, including:

  • removal of heavy residues (coal, petcoke, clinker, fertilizers);

  • chemical washing where necessary;

  • hydro-jetting and mechanical removal;

  • sweeping, mopping, drying and final finishing;

• Bring the vessel alongside already in grain-ready condition, minimising delays and disputes.

Instead of asking the Master to “make a miracle” in a short ballast leg, we turn anchorage time into structured work, aligned with your chartering and loading plans.

3. Same Seachios quality worldwide – but different inspection cultures

A crucial point:

Seachios does not operate with different “qualities” depending on the country.
We keep the same technical standard, but we respect that inspectors and markets have different tolerances.

Some receivers and inspectors will:

• accept light, non-active rust or old staining as “cosmetic” or non-critical;

• focus mainly on loose residues, contamination, moisture and hygiene.

Others – especially in stricter grain regimes – may:

• treat the same rust patches as a serious risk;

• demand additional work, or even reject holds until issues are addressed.

And there is an important technical limit that many stakeholders overlook:

• Cleaning, even with strong chemicals and HP water, removes contamination and loose matter.

• It does not repair coating, stop deep corrosion or rebuild steel.

Sometimes, the only truly correct remedy is:

• spot blasting and painting, or

• more extensive coating repair / steel work.

In those situations, “more cleaning” is not a solution – it’s just more cost and delay without addressing the root cause.

4. Why we need to know your next ports (especially US & Canada)

For Owners loading grains or foodstuffs in Brazil and then heading to North America or other high-compliance markets, this question is critical:

“Where is the vessel going next, and what inspection culture is waiting there?”

We ask for this information not to charge more, but to calibrate the operation properly.

When you inform us early that the next port is US/Canada (or other strict regimes), we can:

• design the cleaning scope to anticipate that higher bar;

• place extra focus on:

  • removal of light residues in corners, stringers and internals;

  • moisture control and proper drying;

  • reducing staining within the physical limits of the coating;

• prepare reports and photographic evidence with the next inspector in mind, not only the Brazilian receiver.

Conversely, if we are not informed and only discover later that the vessel is bound for a very strict inspection regime, then:

• the original scope may not match the real risk;

• the Owner may face additional exposure upon arrival;

• we all lose the chance to treat the operation strategically from the start.

How this becomes part of your risk management

You can frame this internally as a simple rule:

“Whenever we employ Seachios for hold cleaning in Brazil,
we must always inform them of at least the next one or two ports,
especially if they are in stricter grain or foodstuff markets.”

This turns Seachios into a voyage partner, not just “the team that cleaned the ship somewhere in Brazil”.

5. Cleaning vs. coating: setting realistic expectations

To protect both Owners and ourselves, we are very clear about what hold cleaning can and cannot do.

What professional cleaning can achieve

• Removal of loose cargo, dust and debris;

• Removal or strong reduction of adherent residues (with correct combination of chemicals, HP water and manual work);

• Neutralisation and washing of corrosive or contaminating cargo remains;

• Drying and preparation for new cargo in line with recognised “grain clean” or “hospital clean” standards (where achievable based on coating condition).

What only repairs / painting can achieve

• Elimination of active corrosion and pitting;

• Restoration of damaged, flaking or missing coating;

• Correction of long-standing structural or coating defects.

We make this distinction very explicit in our reports:

• when a hold is fully clean within the physical limitations of its coating and steel;

• when remaining marks are cosmetic or embedded in damaged coating;

• when, in our professional opinion, painting or repair is the only viable technical remedy.

This protects you during discussions with:

• receivers and surveyors;

• P&I clubs and insurers;

• chartering and legal teams handling claims.

6. The Seachios method: from enquiry to “surveyor-ready” holds

When you engage Seachios for cargo hold cleaning in Brazil, we follow a structured, repeatable path:

1) Voyage & risk mapping

• We collect:

  • present and previous cargoes;

  • next ports and expected cargoes (especially if US/Canada or other strict destinations);

  • laycan, current schedule and anchorage/berth pattern;

  • any previous remarks from receivers or surveyors.

• We then define the target standard realistically achievable:
  grain-ready for Brazilian receiver only vs. grain-ready anticipating international inspection.

2) Technical and operational planning

• Decide on:

  • required riding crew size and profile;

  • equipment set (HP units, chemicals, access gear, lighting);

  • whether operation will be:

    • fully at anchorage,

    • split between anchorage and alongside, or

    • carried out in ballast between Brazilian ports.

• Align with the Master and, when required, with your superintendent and local agents.

3) On-board execution

• Briefing with the Master and officers;

• Safety measures, permits and confined space routines;

• Systematic cleaning:

  • gross removal, scraping and sweeping;

  • chemical application where justified;

  • hydro-jetting and final rinsing;

  • drying and finishing touches.

4) Joint inspection and fine-tuning

• Walkthrough with Master, Chief Officer and, when present, surveyors;

• Addressing minor remarks in real time where possible;

• Clear communication about any limitations linked to coating or structure (cleaning vs. painting boundary).

5) Reporting and documentation

• Before/after photo sets with clear angles and references;

• Narrative report in English suitable for:

  • Owners / Operators;

  • Charterers and receivers;

  • P&I and Class;

• Specific notes if:

  • the vessel is bound for stricter regimes (e.g. North America);

  • any remaining marks are rooted in coating/steel condition, not cleanliness.

7. A practical scenario: from dirty cargoes in Brazil to grain abroad

Imagine a bulk carrier:

• arrives in Brazil after discharging coal or petcoke;

• is scheduled to load grain at one Brazilian port;

• then proceeds directly to a North American port.

Without a structured Brazilian cleaning partner

• crew struggles to clean during a short ballast leg;

• holds look “acceptable” to some eyes, but with:

  • staining, rust spots, difficult corners;

• Brazilian receiver might load with a few remarks;

• at the next port, a stricter inspector re-opens the entire discussion:

  • re-inspection, re-cleaning, delays, disputes about responsibility.

With Seachios integrated from the start

• We are informed early about:

  • previous cargo;

  • Brazilian load;

  • next port abroad;

• we dimension the work to anticipate the stricter bar;

• we use Brazilian anchorage time to deliver:

  • deep cleaning;

  • robust documentation;

• we hand over a vessel whose holds are not just “Brazil-clean”, but voyage-ready for the full sequence.

The difference isn’t academic – it translates into days saved, claims avoided and reputations protected.

8. Key takeaways for Owners and Operators

• Brazil is not just a place to load cargo.
  It is also the ideal window to perform serious, professional cargo hold cleaning using competitive, specialised shore teams.

• Seachios offers a consistent quality standard, but we know that inspection cultures vary.
  Informing us about your next ports – especially US/Canada or other strict regimes – allows us to design the operation to meet the right bar from the start.

• Cleaning has technical limits.
  We remove dirt, contamination and loose scale; we cannot “wash away” structural or coating defects.
  Being transparent about this protects you when facing surveyors and receivers.

• A structured shore-based model reduces risk for your fleet.
  Instead of improvising with overworked crew and limited tools, you gain:

  • predictable outcomes;

  • better control of time and costs;

  • stronger evidence in case of disputes.

9. Turning Brazilian calls into a strategic advantage

In a world where every day of off-hire matters and every failed inspection can damage a relationship, the way you handle cargo hold cleaning is no longer a detail – it’s a strategic lever.

By partnering with Seachios® Marine Services during your calls to Brazil, you transform:

• idle anchorage time into productive work,

• uncertain crew-only efforts into professional projects,

• local cleaning into global voyage compliance.

If you would like to structure your next calls to Brazil with this model in mind, our operations team is ready to review your trade patterns and propose a practical framework for your fleet.