Stern tube seal repairs close to home and far away
In this article you can find a short summary of a selection of recent seal repairs Hydrex has performed.
Leaking seal assembly fixed underwater in Antwerp
One of the company’s diver/technician teams carried out an underwater stern tube seal repair on a 300-meter container vessel berthed in Antwerp. The ship was leaking oil, making an immediate repair necessary. Using a 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 quickly and the lightweight equipment was mobilized immediately from the Hydrex 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. The split ring was then removed and brought to the surface to be cleaned. Next the divers removed the first seal and replaced it with a new one which was bonded. This was done in cooperation with the supervising OEM technician. 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.
Stern tube seal repairs in Australia
Hydrex mobilized a team to a 180-meter ro-ro vessel in Port Burnie, Tasmania to carry out stern tube seal replacements.
Despite the remote location of the ro-ro vessel, the technical department was able to make all practical logistic arrangements and organize a mobilization of the equipment very swiftly. In the recent past the company has carried out several operations in Australia, including repairs on this ro-ro ship’s sister vessel.
Double repair on pipe laying vessel in Rotterdam
Hydrex diver replaced the seals of both stern tube assemblies of a pipe laying vessel berthed in Rotterdam.
A team traveled to the vessel’s location on one of our workboats. These workboats are fully equipped as dive support stations with hydraulic cranes, winches, nautical and communication equipment, and a dive control room. They are stationed in Rotterdam and Antwerp which allows for a fast mobilization throughout both ports.
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 was able to sail his vessel to its next stop free of oil leaks.
