The Chronicles of the SubSea Solutions Alliance: July

The Subsea Solutions Alliance was very busy in July meeting the needs of the industry by performing multiple high value repairs in various ports around the world. The summary below illustrates just some of the major projects performed.

• 1 Tunnel Thruster installation occurred in Europe
• 2 Tunnel Thrusters were repaired in the Caribbean
• 1 Azimuthing Thruster repair on an offshore installation was performed in West Africa
• 4 Azimuthing retractable thruster overhauls on semi-submerisible were performed in the USA
• 1 Azimuthing thruster repair on an offshore installation was performed on the West Coast of the USA
• 1 monoblock propeller repair with cold static load straightening was performed in Central Europe
• 1 monoblock propeller repair with sectional reduction was performed in Central Europe
• 1 monoblock propeller repair with sectional reduction was performed in the Southeastern USA
• 1 Podded propeller repair with sectional reduction were performed in Central Europe
• 1 monoblock propeller repair with sectional reduction was performed in West Africa
• 3 aft stern seals were repaired with a flexible hyperbaric cofferdam on the West Coast of the USA
• 1 aft stern seal was repaired with a flexible hyperbaric cofferdam in Africa
• 1 aft stern seal was repaired with a flexible hyperbaric cofferdam on the Gulf coast of the USA
• 1 permanent weld repair was performed to a Rudder with a hyperbaric cofferdam in the Caribbean

Overhaul required.... Dry Dock required...REALLY?

Finding a suitable dry dock for your installation in a location where the vessel operates sometimes can be a daunting challenge.  In many areas of the world there are no suitable dry docks for a Semi-Submersible vessel.  With the closest suitable dry docks thousands of Kilometers away, the client evaluated many different methods to create a dry environment around the azimuthing thrusters for their overhaul onboard.  The customer also wanted to avoid the excessive costs of floating crane barges and also wanted to develop a method of repair for emergency interventions if required.  After consultation with Subsea Solutions Alliance and discussions with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), it was determined that an in-water overhaul was feasible and could be performed at the customer's requested location.  The recommended process of repair would not require any special ballasting of the vessel, no special vessels for lifting the semi-submersible out of the water and would not require a large atmospheric cofferdam.  The engineering project commenced.

Critical drawings and detailed information was compiled by the client and the OEM and provided to the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance.  The engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance conducted a feasibility analysis and performed preliminary engineering to verify to the client and the regulatory bodies that the solution was feasible, safe, environmentally friendly and will meet the quality assurance requirements as outlined by the OEM.  Detailed engineering commenced.

During the detailed engineering phase, the customer realized the significant benefits of the solution being developed by the Subsea Solutions Alliance.  The client realized that the specialized hyperbaric cofferdam being designed by the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance could be designed for easy storage onboard the semi-submersible or in a local warehouse for emergency or other maintenance repairs to the azimuthing thrusters.  The customer also wanted to design the hyperbaric cofferdam to be operated in areas where there maybe draft restrictions.  So the cofferdam was designed with a specialized "skirt" to allow operation in areas of shallow water depth.  With these new design criterions, the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance enhanced the hyperbaric cofferdam design to make it a "build up" design with sections of a proper size and material so that two people can easily manage the section. 

The design incorporated staging for personnel and incorporated lighting, hydraulics, pneumatic connections for tools for the upcoming azimuthing thruster overhaul and was also fitted with atmospheric control and atmospheric monitoring systems.  In addition, the hyperbaric cofferdam was design reviewed by state certified professional engineers and built to a very tight tolerance in order to minimize deviations.  By maintaining this very tight tolerance, the as-built sections would assemble easily each and every time it was used.  Incorporating properly sized and located pad eyes and by performing a finite element analysis on the hyperbaric cofferdam, the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance engineered this specialized cofferdam for minimal deflection and even load distribution; thus making it safe and robust for the cyclical loading in which it may encounter through its lifetime.  Once engineering was completed, the entire aluminum structure was fabricated by the Subsea Solutions Alliance, a complete assembly manual, and storage / maintenance manual was developed ALL in accordance with the owners request,

As with all new solutions, demonstrated performance relieves everyone's concern.  The entire hyperbaric cofferdam was shipped in a conventional short shipping container from its point of manufacture at the Subsea Solutions Alliance's Long Beach California facility to the location of the repair.  Within a couple of days of shipment the entire hyperbaric cofferdam was assembled and ready for launch.  Once waterborne, the hyperbaric cofferdam was quickly installed and dewatered.  The overhaul commenced.  The overhaul included underwater propeller removal (for topside inspection and maintenance), replacement of the propeller shaft seal, inspection of the lower gear box gear set, replacement of all anodes, replacement of the other critical gaskets and re-installation of the propeller in a dry environment.  The team also performed critical NDT measurements and tests on thruster gears, bearings and the propeller shaft, a KEY to performing the overhaul in accordance with the classification requirements.  The azimuthing thruster overhaul incorporated ALL of the OEM required inspection and maintenance repairs as outlined by the OEM's maintenance guide for a 5-year class certified overhaul.  The entire process was performed together with the OEM's servicen engineers and critical steps were witnessed by the attending classification society surveyor.  Over the following weeks, all four (4) azimuthing thrusters were overhauled completely underwater utilizing the specialized hyperbaric cofferdam and the highly trained diver / technicians from the Subsea Solutions Alliance.  Attention to detail and a highly skilled work force allowed the Subsea Solutions Alliance to complete the required thruster overhauls on time, on budget and without any safety or environmental incidents. 

It's incredible what one little phone call can do.  It can change the entire outlook of a project.  1 year ago, the customer was not sure how the azimuthing thruster overhauls would be achieved.  Now he sits back realizing that his thrusters are overhauled, backed by a full OEM warranty, certified by the classification society for at least 5 more years of continuous operation and the entire project was performed on time and without an incident.  Making challenging problems, look easy is what the Subsea Solutions Alliance is all about.  By combining all of its resources from concept, design and then to performance, the Subsea Solutions Alliance demonstrates yet again why it remains a leader in underwater ship and equipment repair.

Offshore Installations- Not Pitch, No Problem!

Emergencies happen in even the remotest locations.  While operating off the West Coast of Africa, pitch control was lost on a retractable azimuthing thruster.  After the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) performed a full evaluation it was determined that there was an internal defect within the lower unit of the azimuthing thruster.  This required immediate attention considering the critical mission of the vessel and it's location.  As the vessel's owner had worked with the Subsea Solutions Alliance on other vessels with thruster incidents, he was fully aware of the capabilities of the Diver / Technicians of the Subsea Solutions Alliance.  As the member companies of the Subsea Solutions Alliance are the preferred supplier of underwater services to the Original Equipment Manufacturer, the vessel's owner engaged both the OEM and the Subsea Solutions Alliance to develop a suitable repair to this damaged thruster.

Meetings commenced at the OEM's facilities in Europe to determine an approved method of repair to this retractable azimuthing thruster as a repair of this type was never performed before.  A repair procedure was developed, timeline created and critical spare parts were packaged and shipped to the repair location in West Africa.  Concurrently, the Subsea Solutions Alliance office out of The Netherlands packaged the necessary dive support gear and critical tools for the execution of this repair.  Upon arrival of the gear and critical spare parts, trained diver / technicians from the Subsea Solutions Alliance's office in The Netherlands and OEM service support was mobilized to the site. 

Within a day of mobilization a dry environment was created inside the retraction column of the azimuthing thruster so that a repair to the unit could be executed.  The propeller blades were removed from the propeller hub and the lower gearbox was methodically disassembled in accordance with the OEM repair procedure and under the supervision of the OEM.  The propeller hub was completely disassembled and it was found that a "sliding block" had failed and was jamming into the "crank ring".  After consultation with the attending OEM service engineer, the diver / technicians removed the damaged sliding block and crank ring from the propeller hub.  Upon inspection it was determined that these critical components were the root cause of the pitch control problem and were replaced.  Reassembly of the azimuthing thruster immediately commenced, tests were performed and the team in accordance with the time line completed the repair.

With the vessel back to work the client credited the repair to the dedication and professionalism of the diver / technicians from the Subsea Solutions Alliance.  Experience DOES make a difference and by maintaining a fully employed workforce, the member companies of the Subsea Solutions Alliance are able to continually train and develop it's diver / technicians to become the standard to be measured against!  We look forward to applying their skills to your installation!

Weld Seams are not sealing

While performing a condition survey on a vessel in the Caribbean, it was found that some weld seams had eroded away and the bottom plating of the rudder blade was dramatically corroded.  The rudder blade bottom plating showed deep corrosion in the way of the starboard leading weld seam.  The weld seam was eroded 100% all the way through across its entire length of approximately 1.5 meters.  This left the weld seam between the rudder and bottom plate completely exposed.  As this survey was being performed under the watchful eyes of the classification societies surveyor, a repair was required.  Based on the findings the client sought a PERMANENT repair solution.  Considering the location of the damage and the requirements of the specific classification society, in order to execute a permanent repair, welding on the rudder blade would need to be performed in a dry environment.   Wet welding could only be used to tack weld the new bottom plate into place and to install rigging aids for the subsequent cofferdam that was designed.  The engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance was called into action.

Preparatory work to the affected area of the rudder began with removing the affected weld seam on the bottom plate by hydro-gouging.  An internal inspection of the rudder was performed to assure the client and the attending surveyor that no further corrosion or damage occurred.  No additional damage was found on the internal framing.  While preparatory work was taking place, the rudder was fully templated so that a engineered hyperbaric cofferdam could be fabricated.  Once constructed and the preparatory work was completed, the hyperbaric cofferdam was installed into position and de-watered to create a dry environment.  Next, Class certified steel was procured and a new bottom plate for the rudder was fabricated on site.  Welding then commenced in accordance with the class PRE-APPROVED repair procedure developed and submitted by the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance.  Welding and heat treatment of the weld seam was performed in accordance with the pre-approved procedure; witnessed and certified by the attending classification society surveyor and the client.  Once all of the welding was completed and the welds and the heat affected zones cooled down to ambient temperature, the required non-destructive testing was performed in accordance with the pre-approved procedure.  The affected area was coated with corrosion protection and the job was completed.

From simple video surveys to complex in water repairs, the Subsea Solutions Alliance can provide the entire portfolio.  Utilizing the same team that performed the survey provided financial value as well as continuity through the performance of this repair.  Multi-skilled diver / technicians, certified in all facets of underwater ship repair, supported by an in-house engineering department enables the Subsea Solutions Alliance to deliver the entire repair; all in house!  Let us know what we can do for you.

Making the Impossible- POSSIBLE- The "Diving Dutchman"
William Winters, Trident B.V.

William Winters-Trident BV- Terneuzen, Holland
Providing customer service is what Trident BV is all about.  Day or night, 365 days a year the operations department at Trident BV is always available and always supporting their colleagues and clients.  Over the years I have witnessed first hand the dedication and commitment to excellence that Trident BV and its employees deliver to our clientele.  I now have the distinct pleasure to introduce to you the "Diving Dutchman", William Winters, the Manager of Operations at Trident BV. 

William gained his passion for diving at an early age.  "I got heavy into sports diving with a friend and with my dad living in Bali, my friend and I spent our summers in Bali providing support work to tourists trying out the diving scene."  As William grew together with his close friend, they caught the passion for commercial diving, but the training was expensive. William's parents saw no future in commercial diving and they suggested a nice "desk job" for the sports oriented teenager.  We all know how parents can be, so William went to study economics for about 5 months until his loan for dive school was approved and the rest is history.  At this point in William's life, he defied his parents better judgment quit the wonderful school of economics and went to commercial dive school with his childhood friend.  BOTH FRIENDS HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK.  "My friend went into the salvage diving business and I went into shipping.  We both succeed today and don't regret our decision one bit!"  

From his humble beginnings William began his career at Trident BV 12 years ago as a "learner diver".  "I wanted to learn everything there was to know about diving in the shortest amount of time.  My family thought I was completely crazy, but WOW ARE THEY WRONG.  At the time, Trident was really small and my supervisors took my desire seriously and pushed me every day.  Trident remained extremely busy so I was given the opportunity to learn all of these complex methods of repair in a short period of time.  This crash course probably cost me a few years of my life as I got in a LOT more diving than I ever bargained for; but hey I really learned a lot!  As the company grew so did I.  I moved up the responsibility chain with big jumps as the company grew and here we are today."

While William was growing from a diver into a supervisor, he became certified in seal bonding from both Blohm and Voss and Wartsila, became a certified welder in all positions, has trained in underwater tunnel and azimuthing thruster repair with Wartsila and Rolls Royce and has attained the highest level of certification in propeller repair from Subsea Propeller Inc.  As the Operations Manager at Trident BV today, William puts all of these skills and his experience to the test by managing all of the jobs, quoting the work, and supporting the clientele from the planning of the jobs all the way through billing.  "I still get in the water every once in a while.  There are those days when there is no one left in the shop except me and Adrie (Adrie Huijbregts- Managing Director of Trident BV) and well Adrie is more than willing to send me on my way yet again!  I love the challenge, enjoy working with our clientele all around the world and take pride in seeing the stern light of vessels as they sail away repaired with happy clients enjoying the success of the job."

William was born and raised in Antwerp Belgium.  He always had a passion for sports and science.  "I really wanted to be a professional basketball player, but I am a little short for the game of giants!  Anyway, have you heard of any NBA players coming from Belgium; not very likely".   William now lives in the small Dutch town of Terneuzen, 5 minutes away from the Workshop.  "As we were always busy with work at Trident, I decided to ditch the traffic jams to and from Antwerp every day and move to Terneuzen with my family.  My son was 6 months old at the time."  Today, William enjoys his off time with his 8-year-old son and fiancée.  Continuing his passion for sports, William is a dedicated coach for his son's soccer club and trains daily in the Gym.  "Diving puts you in the best possible condition.  It's great to maintain this conditioning.  That's the only way I keep up with these divers today."

William's parting words to me were of course related to customer service.  "The customer is KING that's my motto.  Making challenging projects a success and as smooth and as cost-effective for the client from start to finish is what I want to deliver.  Every day is different and presents new challenges, especially in the shipping industry.  That's what drives me to work each and every day".  So the next time you talk or meet the "Diving Dutchman", thank him for listening to his heart and following his dream of becoming a commercial diver.  I surely do as it his through his passion to deliver excellence that inspires me and his colleagues throughout the world.