The Company endeavours to dry dock the vessels every 2½ – 3 years. During the vessel’s routine dry-docking, major work requiring shipyard facilities or outside the capabilities of the ship’s staff will be undertaken after the approval of the Office/Superintendent. At that time the work will include:
a) Routine dry-docking and repair items.
b) Major alterations, if any.
c) Outstanding Class recommendations, which may necessitate shipyard assistance to accomplish.
d) Repairs requested by the vessels.
Preparing Dry-dock Specifications
Dry-dock repair specifications should be prepared and submitted to the office at least six months before the scheduled docking and supplementary lists shall be submitted whenever necessary. These lists should be prepared separately by the Deck and Engine
Departments and shall be completed by the Chief Officer and Chief Engineer and countersigned by the Master after his verification. They shall cover all repairs pending as per the repairs lists and shall include repairs within the accommodation, galley, radio and navigation equipment, hull and machinery repairs etc. This is then to be vetted by the responsible Technical Superintendent.
While preparing the given/furnished: specification following considerations/details must be
a) Routine maintenance and overhaul items should not be included in the list but should be included in a separate list of items to be undertaken by the ship’s staff during the docking period.
b) For access to carry out repairs/renewals of any specific item, any additional work like removing pipe-work, rigging staging, local cleaning etc. if necessary then it must be mentioned clearly against the item.
c) When equipment must be taken ashore for repairs, this should be stated.
d) Whenever applicable, all items should be supported with suitable sketches for easy understanding and all pipe-work must specify the material, length, diameter of pipe, dimension of flanges etc.
e) For overhauling/renewal of valves, the type i.e. butterfly, gate or globe, dimension, material etc. must be specified.
f) If spares are required for carrying out the repairs, all details of same should be enclosed in a spares requisition form.
After scrutiny of same by the Superintendent a final repair specification will be prepared by the office, copy of which will be forwarded to the vessel for making necessary preparation.
Preparing for Repairs
Circumstances permitting, all practical preparations shall be made by the vessel’s personnel in readiness for (and prior to) the actual commencement of repairs. The above refers to preparations such as the cooling down of boilers, emptying fuel and water tanks, clearing spaces in which the work is to be effected, keeping cargo tanks gas free for hot work, trimming the vessel for dry-docking to the requirement of the yard, keeping all the repair items labeled for easy identification etc.
By being well prepared for the docking repairs not only reflects on good seamanship but also helps in keeping the repair time low which benefits the owners financially.
During the Dry-dock Period
The instructions outlined hereunder shall be complied with whenever the vessel is placed in dry-dock.
a) The vessel shall be upright and shall have a trim of not more than two metres by the stern or as requested by the dock Master.
b) All hatch covers and tween-deck covers shall be fitted in place.
c) All derricks and cranes shall be secured in a fore-and-aft position.
d) All guard rails shall be properly fitted in place.
e) Gangways shall be folded against ship’s sides and pilot ladder shall be stowed away.
f) All side ports shall be locked in closed position.
g) All toilet facilities shall be locked and the keys shall be kept on the Chief Officer’s key board.
h) All main valves on wash-water lines shall be kept shut during vessel’s stay in dock.
i) Anchor shall be safely secured prior to the vessel’s bow entering the dry-dock.
j) The Master shall maintain.
Satisfy him that adequate firefighting arrangements are
k) Appropriate notice to the effect that men are at work on the propeller and rudder shall be conspicuously posted near the main engine throttle/valves, the turning gear and the steering wheel immediately after the vessel has taken to the keel blocks. Where possible, physical barriers must be installed
or the relevant
Machinery immobilized.
l) The Master is to satisfy himself that he has adequate stability both for docking and undocking.
m) The Master shall bring to the notice of all concerned any regulations issued by the dry-dock authorities.
n) Master to ensure that the yard submits a dry dock keel block plan prior to the vessel entering drydock to ensure blocks are even and arranged correctly to avoid interaction between frame spaces, bottom plugs, echo sounder transmission, etc.
o) All areas that are not to be accessible to the yard workers and contractors are to be secured.
p) All precautions taken to prevent theft if ship’s equipment including tools, appliances, etc.
Immediately after the dock is dry, the Master and Chief Engineer, in company with the Chief Officer, shall thoroughly inspect the vessel’s underwater body. The Master shall pay special attention to any defects in the vessel’s hull i.e. shell plating, bilge keel, etc.
The Chief Engineer shall thoroughly inspect all sea-chest, the rudder and rudder bearings, the propeller(s) zinc anodes, stem tube sails and all other under water body fittings such as pilot tube, echo sounder probes, etc. He shall ensure that accurate measurements are taken of tail end shaft clearance/s.
Anchor cables shall be ranged and thoroughly inspected at every dry-docking.
During the vessel’s stay in dry-dock no fuel or water shall be pumped or drained, nor shall any weights be altered onboard the vessel, without the dock Master’s written approval. It is the Chief Officer’s duty to keep the dock Master informed and to make the necessary arrangements for any alteration of weights which may be required in connection with the repair work.
One hour before the dock is to be flooded the Chief Officer shall personally ascertain that all drain plugs are fitted tight in place and no tapes are left on the zinc anodes. The Chief Engineer shall ascertain that all sea valves are in place and properly set-up. An entry to this effect will be made in the vessel’s deck and engine logs. Stem tube seals should be fitted up and plugs secured and inspected for oil seal/leak upon completion of the job.
Every surveyor attending the vessel while in dry-dock shall be accompanied by the Superintendent, Master and/or Chief Engineer tanker at sea vacancies as applicable.
