Hydrex diver/technician team performed a successful propeller blade cropping operation on a 190-meter bulker at anchorage in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
An underwater inspection revealed that all five blades were bent severely, with three of the blades bent over more than 90°. Cropping was the only option.
By taking advantage of the in-house developed cold straightening technique, damaged blades can be straightened underwater. This allows a ship to return to commercial operations without the need to drydock.
After the equipment arrived at the vessel’s location the team started the underwater operation with a detailed survey of the affected propeller blades. The team then used the information acquired during the inspection to calculate and determine the correct measurements needed to crop the propeller blades. Next the divers cropped the blades. When the cropping was complete, the blades were polished to make sure that any remaining loss of efficiency would be minimal.