Last month one of our diver/technician teams carried out an underwater stern tube seal repair on a tanker berthed in Antwerp. The ship was suffering from an oil leak, making an on-site repair necessary. Using a Hydrex flexible mobdock the team was able to carry out the entire operation on-site and underwater, saving the owner an expensive and time-consuming trip to drydock.

We have developed a flexible mobdock repair method that enables  the underwater replacement of all types and sizes of shaft seals. It allows ship owners to keep their vessel sailing, saving precious time and money.

Damaged stern tube seals will cause oil leaks or an ingress of water. By replacing the seals as soon as possible we can keep the down time low. Because seal repairs can be performed during cargo operations the ship can keep its schedule.

It is not always straightforward to replace seals. There can be quite a bit of variation in the size of the stern tube itself and for instance the liners can be worn down and show ruts. However, all this is routinely handled by our experienced teams.

All our offices are equipped with the latest facilities, lightweight equipment and tools. This allows for a timely arrival of our teams on any location around the world with everything they need to successfully complete the job.

Below you can find a short summary of a recent stern tube seal repair.

The same high quality, close to home or faraway
Despite the vessel’s location close to our headquarters in Antwerp our well stocked fast response center nevertheless saved the owner a costly and unwelcome trip to drydock.

Once the operation was approved all preparations were handled swiftly and the lightweight equipment was mobilized almost immediately. Our team was on-site and ready to start the seal replacement when the vessel arrived in Antwerp.

The operation started with a thorough underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly. It was revealed that a rope and a fishing net were entangled around it. Both were removed by our divers and the flexible mobdock was installed to allow for work in dry conditions.

During the operation our divers removed the three damaged seals and replaced them with new ones. Working together with the OEM allowed us to provide our customer with original spare parts which guarantees the best quality material. A technician of the seal manufacturer was also present during the operation.

Conclusion
Taking advantage of the Hydrex flexible mobdock technique the team was able to carry out the entire repair on-site and underwater. Because all the required material is ready to be transported at all times, no time is lost making preparations.

By organizing everything from start to finish the owner did not have to worry about making any arrangements for the repair. After the seals had been successfully replaced he could sail his vessel to her next stop free of oil leaks.