Seaspan Introduces New Remote-Controlled Vehicle

Seaspan has introduced Dockboy, its new remote-controlled, ultra-high pressure (UHP) cleaning tool.

Dockboy provides high-efficiency hull cleaning that removes ocean build up like barnacles, anti-fouling paint, and coatings off in one go, leaving a consistently paint-ready surface.

Dockboy will be a key tool for large ship maintenance projects at Vancouver Drydock and Victoria Shipyards. Fully containerized, the tool will travel between the two shipyards so both yards can utilize its high efficiency cleaning.

While crawlers have some ergonomic and efficiency advantages over blasting, they struggle to stay connected when going over divots or handrail pockets on the side of ships.

“Dockboy is a great engineering control. We’re creating space between the operator and the UHP source. We’re positioning our people more ergonomically, eliminating heavy strain, vibrations and kickback from UHP blasting that really wears on the body,” explains Chris Welsford, Senior Safety Manager, Vancouver Drydock. “It’s also a lot quieter, which is a win for our operators.”

“The purchase of Dockboy marks a significant investment in the future of our commercial ship repair business,” said Barry Kas, Director of Operations at Vancouver Drydock. “We’re upskilling our workforce and bringing the maintenance in-house. We’ve been training and working with the painters and mechanics to develop work procedures. In late 2025, we used Dockboy on our first commercial project, and it was great to see the team in action.”

The investment also marks another major step forward for Vancouver Drydock’s modernization which have included a third dry dock, the opening of a new Operations Centre, improvements to the guardhouse, and an additional parking lot to accommodate the company’s growing workforce.