Hydrex diver/technician team carried out underwater stern tube seal repairs on a 200-meter roro vessel in Port Kembla, Australia.
The ship was suffering from an oil leak, making an on-site repair necessary. Taking advantage of the Hydrex flexible mobdock technique the team was able to carry out the entire operation on-site and underwater.
The Hydrex diving team first set up a monitoring station. The operation then started with a thorough underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly.
After the inspection, the team detached the vessel’s rope guard. Next, the divers installed the flexible mobdock around the stern tube seal assembly creating a dry underwater environment so that they could work in drydock-like conditions. The split ring was then disconnected and brought to the surface to be cleaned. After cleaning the entire assembly, the team removed the damaged seals one by one and replaced them with new ones.
All parts of the stern tube seal assembly were then reinstalled and secured. Leakage tests were carried out with positive results, after which the divers removed the flexible mobdock. The operation ended with the reinstallation of the rope guard.