At Hydrex we are available at all times. We know how important it is to have a resource you can rely on at all times. Therefore, our teams are ready to mobilize on an immediate basis. In recent weeks we carried out a wide range of underwater repairs across Europe.

These operations include a ropeguard installation, a rudder repair and transducer replacement in Antwerp, an insert repair, several scrubber overboard pipe replacements, a seal repair and a thruster operation in Rotterdam,  a rudder crack repair in Zeebrugge, a scrubber repair in Flushing,  an insert repair in Dunkirk, two echosounder replacements in Eemshaven, a blanking in Saint Nazaire, a stern tube gasket repair and a bow thruster installation in Algeciras and a bilge keel removal in Frederikshavn.

In this article you can read about some of these operations. Please contact us if want further information on the repairs described or any other kind of underwater service you require.  

Bow thruster and stern tube repair in Algeciras

We were contacted by the owner of a 300-meter container vessel to carry out two operations simultaneously. Both repairs would be performed during the ship’s stay in Algeciras, Spain.

The bow thruster unit of the ship was reinstalled by our divers. It had been removed during a visit to a shipyard. Instead of having to wait for the thruster to be overhauled, the vessel could already leave the yard and sail to Spain. The repaired unit was then sent to Algeciras directly where our team installed it underwater using our flexible habitat.

The reverse procedure is also possible. We can remove the unit while the ship is still afloat so it can already be brought to the manufacturer for the overhaul. When the vessel enters drydock the overhauled unit is ready for reinstallation without any delay.

During the same stop, our diver/technicians also removed the leaking stern tube gasket of the vessel and replaced it with a new one.

Both repairs were performed underwater without any unnecessary delay for the owner. Not only did the thruster installation allow him to leave drydock earlier, but the gasket replacement saved him the hassle of scheduling in a new visit right after leaving.

Bilge keel removal in Frederikshavn

Both the port side and starboard side bilgekeels of a 249-meter oil tanker had gotten severely deformed. The owner of the ship asked us to remove the affected parts while the vessel was at anchorage in Frederikshavn, Denmark.

One of our teams traveled to its location with one of our vans loaded with all the needed material. We have a fast-response center stocked with a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment and a large fleet consisting of trucks, vans and dive support vessels. This allows us to mobilize immediately to operations like this.

Both bilge keels consisted of six sections that needed to be removed. This was done very quickly by our divers to make sure that the ship suffered no unnecessary delay.

Ropeguard installation in Antwerp

During an inspection of the stern tube seal assembly earlier this year, our divers discovered that the ropeguard of a 214-meter roro vessel was missing. The owner asked us to install a new one during the ship’s next stop in Antwerp.

After arriving on-site our team performed a preliminary underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly. At the same time, the new ropeguard was prepared by one of our technicians for installation. It was then lowered into the water, positioned and secured by our diver/welders.

Scrubber overboard blanking in Rotterdam

Our diver/technicians installed blanks on the five scrubber overboards of a container ship while the vessel was in Rotterdam. This allowed the crew to have internal repair work carried out while the vessel was sailing.

When the ship returned to Rotterdam we once again mobilized a team to its location. Our men removed the blanks. This operation prevented a costly trip to drydock for the owner.

Conclusion

This article illustrates the continuing need for underwater operations across Europe.

We offer maintenance services and repairs on all parts of the underwater ship’s propulsion systems and the hull. Operations are class approved and carried out at lay-by berth or alongside while commercial activities continue. All this is done with qualified and experienced diver/ technicians, state-of-the-art equipment and advanced techniques.

Please feel free to contact us if you would like to have more information on any of our services or if you want to find out how we can assist you and your vessel.

+32 3 213 53 00
hydrex@hydrex.be