Ship Repair Introduction
Overview
Ship repair and ship building are two very different activities. In this section we will look at what makes them different, while keeping in mind that both draw on the same pool of skilled workers.
Most working vessels are drydocked for repair or refit every five years. But in the intervening years, when a ship is in operation, repairs and maintenance are an essential part of operating a vessel safely.
The type of activity done between each refit is referred to as “running repair” work. Most of the time it is scheduled and performed during pre-determined periods while the ship is alongside the dock and available for work. Other times, the repairs might be the result of a collision or catastrophic failure and as such are unscheduled. On rare occasions, workers can be landed onboard the vessel to perform work while the ship is sailing to another port, but that only occurs if the type of repair can be done at sea. The costs for this type of repair work can be high.
The nature and complexity of repair work can change dramatically if a vessel suffers catastrophic damage and needs to be accurately diagnosed and fixed within particular constraints of time and money. Issues such as procuring dock space, finding materials, and worker overtime all contribute to high costs, but necessary if an owner wants to maintain a critical sailing schedule.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module you will be able to:
- Describe the similarities and differences between shipbuilding and ship repair
- Describe the infrastructure of a ship repair yard
- Describe the different kinds of running repairs
- Describe what is done during a refit process