To save time and money for the owner of a 150-meter roro ship, our divers removed the bow thruster of the vessel during a stop in Algeciras. The thruster needed to be overhauled and by carrying out the operation underwater the ship could stay on the project and did not have to go to drydock.

After the team set up a monitoring station next to the vessel, the divers started the operation with a detailed inspection of the bow thruster and tunnel. In the meantime, initial preparations were made in the bow thruster engine room for the removal of the unit so that there would be no ingress of water once it was taken out.

The divers’ first action was to take off the external thruster tunnel grids to provide access for the team during removal of the unit. Next welding work inside the thruster tunnel was carried out.

The next step was to secure the gearbox with hoisting equipment. The team then disconnected the unit from the engine room and removed it from the thruster tunnel so that it could be taken ashore to be overhauled and reinstalled at a later date.

Conclusion

We assist shipowners with almost any problem they encounter with their vessels’ thrusters. A wide range of underwater repair or maintenance work can be carried out on all types of thrusters. An entire unit can be overhauled, propeller blades or seals can be replaced or repair work on a specific part of a thruster performed by our diver/technicians while the ship remains afloat.

By performing the operation in Algeciras on-site and underwater our divers made it possible for the owner to keep the vessel out of drydock. Our team worked in shifts around the clock to finish the operation as quickly as possible.