Simplex completes afloat repairs to sterntube and propeller

An interesting dual repair afloat on a 15,000 dwt chemical tanker was recently completed in a US East Coast port by Simplex Americas LLC (the only Blohm & Voss Industries authorised sterntube service station in North America).

Simplex was originally contracted to perform a routine sterntube seal replacement. This was done by ballasting and trimming the hull to bring the seal clear of the water by more than 0.5m. The on-site Simplex service engineer dismantled the seal housing and cut and removed the damaged rings. Using the Blohm & Voss proprietary seal bonding process, the damaged rings were then replaced with new rings, utilising factory supplied tools and heaters, along with a specially formulated adhesive.

While the vessel was still trimmed by the bow, Simplex Americas hired its partner diving company, Randive Inc, to assist with the repair of a severely bent blade on a five bladed 4,000 mm diameter KALBC3 propeller. Utilising the same staging used for the seal repairs, Randive engineers cropped and dressed the severely bent (60 deg) blade. Detailed calculations were then made in order to determine the amount to be trimmed on the two opposing blades for proper balance.

• In March 2008, Nakashima Propeller Co Ltd of Okayama, Japan, appointed Simplex Americas as its official exclusive service station in the Americas for all aspects of service and repair, including underwater work. MP