Stockyards

This term 'stockyard' refers to areas in a shipyard that hold all manner of parts, pieces, or equipment that may be hard to house, store, or handle because they are large or used infrequently. Items like propellers, large shafts, or even sections of hull that have been removed during previous repairs will be placed in the stockyard. Old deck lockers, ladders, hatches, and other manufactured pieces that may have been replaced can also find their way into this area.

Mechanical equipment such as motors, pumps, and compressors can end up in these areas and may be working or simply cannibalized for parts. Often the owner of a class or type of vessel will patronize a particular shipyard and when things break, the stockyard can prove to be an invaluable source of parts to get a ship back to sea.

Maintenance equipment, hoses, and old shoring/timber/beams from around the dock are often stored in this area.

Items in the stockyard can be laid down (if there is a suitable hard surface) or they can be stored on racks, hooks, or in the case of hoses and lines, they can be coiled up on pallets or strung out on the ground to retain their shape and integrity. Stockyards are usually open to the weather, but can have some small outbuildings or sheds to provide weather protection.

Laydown Area

The stockyard can also be used as a "laydown area", where items taken off a ship in refit or under repair can be stored until they are returned to the vessel. Some examples might be: fitted equipment such as weather deck lockers, ventilation trunking, mechanical components, and ladders. This area of the yard can be accessed by truck and crane to handle the parts. There may also be sheds or outbuildings that can be used for reassembling.

Containers

Another use for the stockyard or laydown area is to house large metal storage containers that range from 20 to 40 feet in length, these are referred to as sea-containers. Storage containers can be used for random or specialized storage and locked and secured. If they are fitted with utility plugs, some can even be used for temporary workshops out in the field. On rare occasions, some turbine engines and other environmentally sensitive mechanical pieces can be sent to the shipyard in aluminum "coffins" and they are pressurized with nitrogen to keep moisture out. These containers work well for this type of specialized sensitive gear and once secured, they give the shipyard and the customer a sense of confidence that their equipment will not be damaged.