Emergency container ship repairs on a 132-tonne rudder

The thrust bearing that supported the rudder and rudder stock of the container ship failed, meaning that the 132-tonne rudder had to undergo emergency repairs before the ship could get moving again. Time was critical as every day meant increased costs for the charterer.

Halliday Engineering was able to move very quickly, designing and fabricating a custom lifting frame and procuring specialist rigging equipment, so that the repairs could be carried out while the vessel was still in the water and cargo was being offloaded and loaded.

The design work and much of the fabrication for the lifting frame was undertaken in Halliday’s workshop. Halliday’s welders and fabricators then worked with certified riggers around the clock at Port Botany Container Terminal to safely lift and repair the rudder. Find out more about key aspects of the repairs carried out on the container ship below.

This very large job was completed within two weeks. “Prior to commencing works, we weren’t entirely sure of the extent of the damage or the required repairs. We were able to get moving promptly, ascertaining the damage and developing a repair methodology — to be agreed upon with the Ships Superintendent, Owners and Classification Society. We then called upon our range of skilled resources to successfully complete the repairs,” said Jack Bottrell, Project Engineer.