One of our diver/technician teams carried out an underwater stern tube seal repair on a 300-meter container vessel berthed in Antwerp. The ship was suffering from an oil leak, making an immediate 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.

Once the operation was confirmed all preparations were handled swiftly and the lightweight equipment was mobilized immediately from our headquarters in Antwerp. After arriving on-site, the diving team first set up a monitoring station next to the vessel. The operation then started with the removal of the rope guard and a thorough underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly.

After the inspection the divers cleaned the assembly and installed the flexible mobdock. By doing this they created a dry underwater environment so that they could work in drydock-like conditions.

The split ring was then 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 bonded. The procedure was repeated with the other seals.

A successful operation was concluded with leakage tests, the removal of the flexible mobdock and the reinstallation of the rope guard.

Conclusion

Working together with the OEM allowed Hydrex to provide the customer with original spare parts which guarantees the best quality material. A technician of the seal manufacturer was also present during the operation.

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.