Underwater Technologies Cost Savings Coming to Surface?


by Aldert van Nieuwkoop


Photo: courtesy IMQ


Institut maritime du Québec offers courses covering a range of subjects including professional diving and naval architecture. An area that perhaps often has


There is obviously a reason for


been given less attention than it deserves is the world of underwater repair and maintenance, particularly on ships. Those who operate vessels know


that the dreaded dry-docking cycle is between sometimes annually and mostly once every five years. Dry-docking a ship is expensive. The vessel has to be diverted to a shipyard, enter into a dry dock and undergo blasting, painting, tail shaft inspections and possible seal re- pairs, bow thruster inspections and possible repairs and the changing of anodes, and sometimes steel repairs and other mechanical works.


this relatively frequent cycle and, of course, this has primarily to do with the safety and seaworthiness of the vessel in question, as well as carrying out proper maintenance to prolong the life of the vessel. The problem, though, is that dry-docking is sub- ject to finding a floating or graven dry dock or ship lift that is suitable for the size and weight of the vessel in question. Over the years, the various dry


docks at shipyards that have been able to remain financially viable are primarily located in low-labour-cost countries, given the labour intensive work that generally comes with


shipyard repair, maintenance and conversion work. Areas with a high concentration of repair and main- tenance shipyards have established themselves. Tuzla in Turkey, Piraeus in Greece, Szczecin in Poland, and various locations in Asia have be- come the ‘go to’ yards to carry out reasonably priced repairs. This leaves a reduced choice of capable dry-docking facilities in perhaps higher-labour-cost countries. In the case of a vessel that is not able to economically divert to a lower-cost location for dry-docking, the owner/ operator can expect a hefty bill. Obviously, this is the nature of the business, and one can only hope


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