Shipping

Colombo Dockyard repairs super luxury yacht Lauren L

Titan Fleet Management, France a specialist yacht management company places confidence in Colombo for their repair requirements on super luxury yacht Lauren L. This seven star category 90 meter long yacht called in for repairs on the 1st of February 2012.

The luxury yacht called in for her 10 year class survey repairs coupled with hull surface preparation and coating to meet a yacht finish. Colombo Dockyard was selected after few rounds of negations and site visit by Nick Sevier, Fleet Manager from Titan Fleet Management and Duncan McGregor, Refit -Repair/ Project Management Consultant from of Eclipse Marine, Thailand to ascertain yards capability to handle the project. The Colombo shipyard was the best option for the owners/ managers given the full service facilities available in Colombo, coupled with yachts last operating area in Maldives. Colombo was strategically placed to handle the vessel comfortably.

The speciality of this project was the approach required differed from a routine commercial vessel, with more focus on teams working on board giving attention to minute details on the work. The Vessel arrived at the yard on the 31st January and shifted into drydocks for her main scope of repairs. The repairs were on schedule within 40 days.

During this drydocking call the work package covered repairs in all sectors;

Propeller tail shaft withdrawn and seals changed with new chrome liners. Oil samples from Stabilizer, BT, AT CPP were laboratory tested and operational testing was carried out as per GL. Calibrations on rudder flap mechanism, anchor cables, certification on all FFA and LSA equipments, life boat falls, crane falls, gangways, five yearly inspection of life boats, servicing of sprinkler system, CO2 system and met the acceptance of GL. All keel coolers were fully overhauled and boxed back. Repairs on stainless steel 316L pipes were carried out. Engine room new Sea Water suction strainers fabricated and galvanized. Top overhauling was carried out supplying all required spares on both Auxiliary engines and rectified Main Engine fuel Injection problems with Original Equipment Manufacturers.

The Managers were impressed with the yard's approach and capability to handle the following scope, which had been a long overdue scope they had been trying to rectify:

Engine Room FW hydrophore piping system was modified to a much user friendly and easy maintenance. Added to that the whole new pipe system was galvanized to compromise with quality, durability and cost effectiveness. Introduced new air handling unit connecting existing system with modified chill water lines and ducting was improved. Rectified Stern tube inner surface crack and proven to GL classification society by carrying out ultrasonic crack detection testing. Sound and heat proofing of owners cabin and AC room carried out. Installed new wooden deck on swimming platform on aft of the yacht. Fabricated new high quality stainless steel cabinets, racks, shelves, customised equipment holders with complete understanding with the user's requirement, owner's interest and compatibility in various locations inside the yacht. Fabricated new tender chocks (Cradles), platform and two customized ladders with Aluminium as per the requirement.

Addition to that yard completed comparatively large scale jobs such as under water bottom damaged areas steel renewal with internal and webs of water ballast tanks, mechanical chipping and painting of all fresh water and ballast tanks, and chipping, inspection, steel renewal and painting of three sewage tanks.

Both anchors removed and blasted and galvanized. Both anchor lips and c hampered SS plated polished with compound. Windlass and brake pads renewed. ER valves O/H and presented to GL and identified pipes fabricated new. Engine Room 2 Nos Hydrophore tanks cleaned chipped and painted. 3 Nos sewage tanks cleaned and steel renewal attended and GL inspected. Stabilizer, BT, AT CPP oil sample laboratory tested and operation test carried out As per GL.

Passenger yacht Lauren L accommodated in Colombo Dockyard’s Dock No. 03 during her major lay-up repair call.

To successfully complete the project on schedule and smoothly, the yard had taken special initiatives of educating the yard team of the project at hand and the owner's special requirements via the yard TV (In-house TV channel).

Specialised scaffolding arrangement covering the entire vessel had to be erected for workers to access the hull surface at a comfortable working reach. The coating work areas were protected /covered using specialised shrink wrap (Dr. Shrink) which enabled the final yacht finish. (Paint AWLGrip).

The owner's interests were looked after by a team comprising of Nick Sevier, Fleet Manager, Christophe Niekrasz, Technical Department, Antonio Dias, Interior Manager (Titan Fleet Management) and Duncan McGregor. The yard team was headed by Senior Ship Manager Dhammika Dissanayake who was well supported by all production departments to re-deliver the vessel on schedule. Invoicing and specialized service arrangements were handled by Estimating and Invoicing Engineer G A Amila Rukshan. The Lauren L sailed to her next charter starting point in Seychelles.

The owners were pleasantly surprised with the excellent facilities at their disposal coupled with the quality workmanship, professional approach to meet the owners requirements were highly appreciated.

High net-worth luxury yacht repair sector prospects look promising, with many of the yacht operators terminating their cruises close to Maldives in the Indian Ocean, reverting to repair- maintenance soon after a charter.

The repairs were carried out meeting the Class Germanischer Lloyd classification society requirements. Mclearence Shipping Ltd., handled the local husbanding work smoothly.

Platform Supply Vessel Greatship Roopa launched

Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) launched the first of a series three Multipurpose Platform Supply Vessels (MPSVs) for Greatship Global Offshore Services Pte Limited of Singapore, at the auspicious time of 1035 am on March 5.

The ceremonial launching was done by Owner's Representative Executive Director P.R. Naware in the presence of New Building Offshore Logistics General Manager V K Chandrasekaran, Senior General Manager (Technical and Operations) K.S.S. Kowshik, Classification Society Surveyors' Project Manager Jeewaka Gunadheera, Lloyds Register Srinath Herat, Indian Register of Shipping D V D Prasadrao.

CDPLC Chairman Akihiko Nakauchi, MD/CEO, CDPLC Mangala Yapa and a host of senior managers and the project management team led by Special Projects Manager R.D.J. Sumanasiri participated at the event. This vessel was designed by Seatech Solutions International (S) Pte Ltd of Singapore and it incorporates an oil recovery arrangement and has the capability to operate as advanced PSV, as well as, light construction support vessel, complying to SPS Code 2008, Clean Design requirements.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery within the 2nd quarter of 2012.

The main role of this vessel is to support offshore oil and gas fields around the clock and the vessel will have an endurance of 35 days and a cruising range of about 9,200 nautical miles. Designed for operation worldwide with an outstanding speed of 13.8 knots, the vessel could get to the desired location as quickly as possible, minimizing downtime. The vessel is scheduled for operation in un-restricted waters.

Twin controllable pitch propellers, twin high lift rudders and transverse bow and stern thrusters provide good maneuverability and station keeping ability. The vessel shall be controlled from twin maneuvering consoles fitted in the wheelhouse, forward and aft stations with 'joy-stick' controls. The vessel shall also be equipped with advanced dynamic positioning (DP AA) system which assures safe and more efficient operations while working in close proximity to oil platforms/ rigs, even under the harsh weather conditions.

The vessel shall be equipped with a fully automated bridge layout with alarm monitoring systems for periodic single man bridge operation, and will be classed with 'NAV1' notation. The vessel is to be fitted with automated installations enabling machinery spaces to remain periodically unattended in all sailing conditions including maneuverings, qualifying it to be assigned with 'UMS' notation.

The vessel is also designed to have an enhanced accommodation area for 50 persons. These accommodation areas will be well-appointed and aesthetically designed with special attention made to noise and vibration and crew comfort on board the vessel, thereby meeting compliance to 'CAC3' notation of the classification society. The vessel will be classed with 'In Water Survey' denoting the vessel could be operated without being dry-docked for 5 years. Due to this, surveying the underwater parts of the vessel could be carried out while the vessel is still afloat instead of having to dry dock for examination of the under water areas. This would be a huge saving for the Owner. In addition, the vessel shall also be equipped with Tail Shaft Monitoring system (SCM) which is also an advantage for the Owner in his quest for monitoring of temperature and condition in the tail shafts.