Last month one of our diver/technician teams carried out an underwater stern tube seal repair on a container ship berthed in Algeciras. 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.

Once the operation was approved all preparations were handled swiftly and the lightweight equipment was mobilized almost immediately from our fast response center.

The operation started with a thorough underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly and removal of the rope guard. This revealed that a rope had become entangled around the stern tube seal assembly and had caused the oil leak.

Our divers removed the rope during the inspection. They then 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 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. They then did the same for the other seals.

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

Working in drydock like conditions on-site

Taking advantage of the Hydrex flexible mobdock technique, the entire operation could be completed with the ship afloat and carrying out normal operations. Because all the required equipment is ready to be transported at all times, no time was lost making preparations.

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

All our offices are equipped with the latest facilities, lightweight equipment and tools. This allowed for a timely arrival of our team in Algeciras with everything they needed to successfully complete the job.