Recently, Belgian underwater repairer Hydrex mobilised diver/technician teams to carry out stern tube seal replacement on a 150 m long cruise ship.
The repair was undertaken at Brest.
The ship was leaking oil, making on-site repairs necessary. Using a Hydrex flexible mobdock, the team was able to carry out operations on-site and underwater, saving the owner an expensive and time-consuming drydocking.
Once the Brest repair operation was approved, the preparations were handled swiftly and the lightweight equipment was mobilised almost immediately, Hydex said.
After arriving on-site, the diving team first set up a monitoring station next to the vessel. The operation started with a thorough underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly, and removal of the rope guard.
Divers then cleaned the assembly and installed the flexible mobdock, thus creating a dry underwater environment where they could work in drydock-like conditions.
The split ring was removed and brought to the surface to be cleaned. After cleaning the entire assembly, the divers removed the first seal and replaced it with a new one, which was then bonded. Next, they did the same for the other seals.
The successful operation was concluded with leakage tests, the removal of the flexible mobdock and the re-installation of the rope guard.
