New crankshaft for

F A Vinnen & Co?s 29,181g, 2,480 TEU container vessel Merkur Star is under repair at MAN B&W Service Center Hamburg, where a new crankshaft is being fitted.

The ship, which is powered by a MAN B&W 6S70MC diesel, developed engine trouble in the Atlantic north-west of the Azores. A cracked piston crown was leaking system oil into cylinder no3, which caused the cooling alarm to go off. The engineers stopped the engine for inspection, and on re-starting it hydraulic shock due to leaked oil caused the crankshaft to slip by 300mm between cylinders 3 and 4.

The 1995-built Merkur Star managed to limp to the Azores on cylinders 1, 2 and 3, where it was inspected by a MAN B&W engineer. It was then escorted to Hamburg for repairs, arriving at the end of October. Re-shrinking the crankshaft was considered, but due to the size of engine and the level of damage it was decided to fit a new one. The new shaft arrived in Hamburg on February 9, and the ship should be back in service by mid-March.