Drydocks

A drydock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that

can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load

to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction,

maintenance, and repair of ships, boats, and other watercraft. Also, dry

docking is a word used to describe when a ship is transported to a service

yard for repairs or maintenance. The entire ship is transported to a dry dock

during dry docking so that the submerged areas of the hull can be cleaned or

inspected.

Dry docking is usually done every 12 to 24 months because there may be

machinery and systems that can't be halted while the ship is in operation;

these are also maintained, repaired, or replaced at the same time. The hull is

cleaned of marine plants, painted with anti-corrosive and anti-fouling paints,

hull inspection and repairs, shipside gratings cleaned and mended, and tanks,

rudder, and carrier ring cleaned and surveyed are the typical procedures.

So what happens during a drydock? Ships are frequently reported as being

put into dry docks and being out of service for several months at a time.
Cruise ships use this period to replace fixtures and fittings, repair the ship, or

even undergo extensive refurbishment.

A Dry Dock's principal purpose is to expose undersea components for

inspection, repair, and maintenance. The ship to be repaired is then

maneuvered into the lock and the gates are closed, draining all of the sea

water gathered in the vessel for better inspection and repairs.

The major purpose of a Dry Dock is to perform efficient repairs and

maintenance on parts that are constantly in touch with sea water and are not

visible unless the water is washed away. If the Classification Society

determines that Dry Docking is necessary despite SOLAS schedules, the

boats must be subjected to this process.

This is most often the case if the ship has been in an accident, has been

grounded in the past, or has been subjected to substandard maintenance. If

the ship is to be sold, an inspection is also performed while it is dry docked.

Dry docking is required to inspect and rectify mechanical flaws in the vessel

while it is still dry, for better results and efficient operation. Basically, clean,

scrub, and prepare the ship by de-scaling all rusted portions of the hull, and

then paint the ship's hull to restore its original speed and fuel consumption.
A surveyor inspects a ship in clear water with the hull visible on the outside

surface before it is removed for repairs. The surveyor examines and notes any

flaws, which are then repaired using Dry Docking.

Dry docking is a large and dangerous undertaking. Getting the ships onto the

dock, fixing them, and then putting them back poses a significant risk to the

employees' lives and the dock equipment. Dry Docks must follow a series of

safety requirements before beginning the docking process: Escape route, two

fixed gangways, independent of each other, safety plan of the vessel available

at gangways, suitable communication system and routine for alarm in

emergency situations, ship watch round regularly, contact with fire-brigade

ashore, water under pressure to the vessel’s fire-hose and sprinkler system,

hot work permit, fire watch at least during hot work plus two hours, portable

extinguishers and a connected fire-hose where hot work is performed,

secondary fire alarm system where necessary, debris contributing to fire load

sent ashore, fire-doors or WT-doors fully operational at all time, gas free

certificate.

Machinery Jobs in Dry Dock, main engine job, auxiliary engine jobs,

auxiliary and main boiler jobs, jump repairing and maintenance, bow thruster
jobs, winches and Windlass jobs, water tight doors maintenance, and

hydraulic system maintenance can be the jobs in dry dock.

Furthermore, a professional seafarer's first concern while working onboard

ship is the safety of himself and his coworkers. For all operations carried out

onboard ships, all shipping companies ensure that their staff follows personal

safety protocols and rules.

In a dry dock, ship Crew Members, chief engineer and chief officer are the

personnel /workers are involved. While dry-docking the ship, the duty of the

ship’s crew (under the guidance of chief engineer and chief officer) will be:

To keep the ship at minimum ballast condition, to keep the aft trim as

requested by the dockmaster, to ensure the vessel is moored by assisting dock

crew once the ship comes inside the dry dock, to keep a check on the stability

of the vessel while the water is lowered in the dock once the ship is sitting on

the blocks, the ship’s crew will pump out the ballast, to prepare the ship to

connect to the shore power once the dry dock water is pumped out, and

finally, de-ballast tanks using gravity remove the drain plugs from the bottom

of the ship for various tanks.

their hands the outcome of dry docking. Once a worker fails to perform his

duties then the rest will be complicated given the chaos it may bring. So, it is

vital for the workers to take charge well on their assigned works.

As for the dry-docking procedure, the process of dry docking a ship must be

precisely prepared. The dock master will develop a docking plan days before

a ship is to be dry docked, taking into account all of the ship's minute

elements, such as the hull construction, locations of the drain plugs, and echo

sounders beneath the ship, so that they are not damaged during docking.

Moreover, the procedure of dry docking a ship must be meticulously planned

in order to be completed smoothly.

Dry docking, though it appears to be a simple procedure, is a sophisticated

and costly technique that requires meticulous planning. The procedure is

essential for maintaining ships, submarines, and other vessels so that they can

operate at peak efficiency for longer periods of time.