SubSea Solutions Newsletter "The Chronicles"

Rapid Cost-Effective Worldwide Underwater Repair Solutions

A letter from Rick Schilling, Subsea Solutions Alliance:

It is hard to believe that December is already upon us. The member companies of the Subsea Solutions Alliance remain consistently busy performing significant repairs on vessels throughout the world. The diver / technicians traveled the globe tackling jobs all the way from the Canadian Arctic and Greenland to the exotic ports of the Far East these past 2 months. This newsletter will highlight some of our unique projects including some that utilized class approved underwater wet welding procedures with certified diver / technicians performing emergency permanent and temporary weld repairs. Performing certified welding in such an extreme environment like the Canadian Arctic far offshore posed significant challenges for the Diver / Technicians of the Subsea Solutions Alliance but focus and drive toward delivering excellence inspired the team to successfully complete the challenge. In addition to the challenges of extreme environments, the Subsea Solutions Alliance has been technically challenged with exchanging a rudder and rudder stock while a fully loaded vessel was afloat. Yes, the impossible is indeed possible and the result is a permanent OEM and class approved repair performed in less time than going in and out of the dry dock. Challenged by difficult repair projects in remote locations, the Subsea Solutions Alliance continues to develop unique methods of repair to keep vessels in the water and in service. We keep our customer's business afloat!

The Subsea Solutions Alliance was very busy in October and November 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 lower unit exchange was performed in the Caribbean

2 Tunnel Thrusters were repaired dry in-water in the Far East

1 Azimuthing demountable thruster was exchanged in Europe

1 Ship shaft aft stern seal was overhauled / repaired hyperbarically in Europe

1 Ship shaft aft stern seal was overhauled / repaired wet in Mexico

1 Temporary wet weld repair to shell plating was performed in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland

1 Temporary weld repair to shell plating was performed on the East Coast of the USA

1 Permanent wet weld repair was performed in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska

1 Permanent wet weld repair was performed in a FPSO in the Far East

1 Ship shell plate permanent weld insert was performed in Europe

1 Ship shell plate permanent weld insert was performed on the USA West Coast

1 Rudder blade and stock was extracted and re-installed with new unit in Europe.

2 Rudders were repaired in Europe

1 FPSO had extensive underwater work performed including 2-tunnel thrusters exchanged and the main propeller repaired in the Far East.

2- Propellers were repaired with section reduction techniques - one in the Caribbean and 1 in the Great Lakes, Canadian side.

1 Salvage job was performed in Europe.

These months have afforded the Subsea Solutions Alliance the opportunity to continue to pave new ways into underwater ship repair. We look forward to continuing to work together with all of our valued clients around the world and we thank you for your continued patronage and support.

In This Issue- SSA Highlights

Fully Loaded and Flap-less, Pier Side Rudder blade and stock exchange
Permanent OEM and Class approved repairs

Taking vessels out of service in today's volatile market is not possible. Considering that critical repairs are still required on vessels,unique methods of repair need to be adopted. When one of The Subsea Solutions Alliance Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners needed to perform critical repairs on board a fully loaded bulk carrier, a unique repair solution was required. An internal defect was found on the rudder stock requiring the stock to be exchanged. As the vessel was fully loaded dry docking options did not exist.

Together with our OEM partner a detailed repair procedure was developed by the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance. The repair procedure incorporated the classification requirements for installation of the rudder stock. The procedure included the removal of the existing rudder stock, verification of the condition of the neck bushing and preparation of the vessel for pier side installation of the rudder stock and blade.

Once new parts arrived on site the Subsea Solutions Alliance diver / technicians went to work. Working hand in hand with our OEM partners, the new rudder stock was installed into a new rudder blade. The Rudder Stock Cone coupling was properly installed with oil injection into the hydraulic propeller nut installed. Once the installation was completed the diver / welders secured the rudder stock nut access plate with Rudder blade and stock-2 Rudder blade and rudder stock ready for installation class approved permanent welds. A pressure test was conducted and the rudder blade with stock was found to be water tight.

Installation of the rudder complete with the rudder stock already installed was then performed by the Subsea Solutions Alliance. A detailed rigging plan was developed by the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance so that the alignment could be safely and easily managed by the OEM service engineers managing the job from inboard the vessel. Once the rudder system was properly aligned into the vessel's steering gear, the system was completely raised within the vessel's hull for final securing to the steering gear system. This required that the rudder stock be secured to the steering gear using specialized tension rings. These tension rings expand properly when secured into place and formed a permanent securing device complying to the OEM and classification requirements for installation and securing of a rudder.

Upon completion of the job our OEM partner concluded that using the installation method developed by the Subsea Solutions Alliance dramatically reduced the installation time for the rudder stock and blade. By having no restrictions on draft BELOW the vessel this allowed the diver / technicians to install the rudder blade TOGETHER with the rudder stock. This method of installation saved considerable time and minimized risks typically associated with this type of repair. By significantly reducing the amount of rigging, minimizing the requirements for overhead crane support and eliminating the need for scaffolding underneath the vessel, the Subsea Solutions Alliance once again demonstrated that thinking in the water as opposed to out of the water can save vessel owners and operators money, reduce project risk and allow the OEM to closely control and monitor this critical installation process through the Subsea Solutions Alliance.

Help my Hull while in Water
Underwater weld repairs- Permanent and Temporary

Underwater welding is an exact science that requires the right equipment, qualified personnel and welding electrodes. It's a fact that many companies can strike an arc underwater or install a cofferdam over a damaged section of vessel, but not every company measures up to the same standard of excellence expected by today's sophisticated clients. The member companies of the Subsea Solutions Alliance continue to set the standard for underwater welding by maintaining a permanent staff of over 150 diver / technicians certified in ALL POSITIONS to the American Welding Societies / ANSI standard D3.6 M: 1999- Class "A" for wet welding. In addition to maintaining approved wet welding procedures and diver / technicians certified to these stringent standards, the Subsea Solutions Alliance has developed dry welding procedures certified by ALL major classification societies for single sided permanent shell plate repairs and fractures. Working together with Oceanwide Ship Repair Inc. of Long Beach California, the Subsea Solutions Alliance can now provide a permanent approved single sided ceramic backing plate weld procedure for insert shell plate repairs as well as hull plate fractures in accordance with the stringent American Bureau of Shipping rules and regulations. The member companies of the Subsea Solutions Alliance remain the only global underwater ship repair company with pre-approved procedures and diver / welders on staff certified to meet these stringent requirements.

Putting these repair procedures to the test was the na me of the Zaandam Cofferdamgame this past month when a permanent insert repair in accordance with the American Bureau of Shipping was required on a cruise vessel operating on the US West Coast. Picking up where another diving contractor had left off required the engineering department of the Subsea Solutions Alliance to re-engineer the cofferdam prepared by the initial dive contractor so that it would properly seal the affected area while at the same time withstand forces exerted by the sea-water when pumped dry. The Subsea Solutions Alliance in Long Beach California, re-manufactured the cofferdam with full buoyancy control so that it could be quickly installed with 2 diver / welder technicians easily without the need of lift bags.

During a normally scheduled scheduled port stay two diver / welder technicians installed the cofferdam and de-watered the affected area. Once pumped dry the affected plate was removed and a single side weld with a ceramic backing plate was utilized to re-install an already prepared shell plate insert. Under the watchful eye of the attending surveyor from the American Bureau Shipping the repair was completed and the vessel continued on it's cruise to its next port of call. Without the already approved single sided weld procedure in place this repair could not have been executed as efficiently as it was by the Subsea Solutions Alliance.

After the launching, a newbuild FPSO in Korea sustained some bottom plating damage and ripped off some very large zinc anodes . In order to execute a class approved permanent repair, the newest Subsea Solutions Alliance office in Busan Korea was called to support this work. With approved wet weld procedures in place and equipment locally situated in Busan, Korea, the team was mobilized to the work site. Re-installation of the anodes and repair to the bottom plating was performed under the watchful eyes of the attending class surveyor and customer representatives. By maintaining local resources in Korea combined with approved wet weld procedures to the highest standards, the Subsea Solutions Alliance was able to allow the FPSO to remain afloat and topside outfitting to continue while critical repairs were completed to it's shell plating.

While performing a routine inspection of a US Coast Guard cutter, a crack in its skeg was found. As the vessel was scheduled for a routine dry dock in the coming months it was decided that a class approved temporary repair would be performed utilizing USCG and Class approved underwater wet welding procedures. Mobilizing certified diver / welder technicians from the Subsea Solutions Alliance office in Miami Florida the skeg repair ensued. The temporary repair included drill stopping the 9 foot (2.8 meters) crack. The crack was then covered with doubler plates, and the skeg plating was reinforced with external framing. A wet shielded metal arc welding process in accordance the Subsea Solutions Alliance's class approved wet welding procedure was employed to execute the repair. Lap Joint and T-Joint multi-layer fillet welds were employed. Once all welding processes were completed all metallic surfaces were covered with a in-water curing epoxy approved for use on US military watercraft.

Value adding underwater repair solutions available throughout the world on a moment's notice, maintaining approved procedures, equipment deployed throughout the world and a certified staff of underwater diver / welders, the Subsea Solutions Alliance remains available to support your needs when required. Let us know your challenges and we will find ways to overcome them!.

One stop Shop- You float we Fix!
Tunnel thruster Exchanges and Propeller repairs on an FPSO while at anchor

Taking a FPSO out of service is not only a complex operation but costly process risking the commodity price for oil in a geographic area. However, mother nature's fury always prevails so after a typhoon passed through a FPSO's location the operator took the opportunity to perform some critical equipment repairs while at anchorage in a sheltered harbor. Working together with our Original Equipment Manufacturer Partner, Rolls Royce Marine, two tunnel thrusters were exchanged with recently OEM FPSO Rubicon- SSA preparing to dive
Subsea Solutions Alliance Diver / Technician Preparing for equipment repair overhauled units and the main propeller was repaired using cold static load straightening combined with sectional reduction techniques. All of the work was performed during a short 10 day period of time. Working around the clock with two dive teams working independently of each other both tunnel thrusters were exchanged utilizing Rolls Royce's patented sled solution. By utilizing this solution the tunnel thruster lower units could be exchanged completely wet with the propeller blades installed. This saved two shifts of work per tunnel thruster.

By providing highly skilled personnel cross trained in many different facets of underwater equipment repair, the Subsea Solutions Alliance was able to provide a complete OEM and class approved repair on essential equipment on site over a short period of time while the FPSO waited for the weather to clear. By maintaining equipment certified for this specific type of work on Offshore installations readily available to dispatch around the world, the diver / technicians of the Subsea Solutions Alliance were able to set up two complete working stations only requiring 480 / 460 volt power at 100 amps from the vessel. Working independently in conformance with our customer's time, quality and budgetary expectations is what defines us as the Subsea Solutions Alliance. We look forward to supporting your needs!

The Subsea Solutions Alliance (SSA) consists of underwater ship repair specialists including: All-Sea Enterprises Ltd, Miami Diver Inc, Parker Diving Inc and Trident BV. With a dedicated staff of over 150 divers globally, SSA has revolutionized the methods of repair for ship equipment underwater. Through a common shared system of dive equipment, specialty tools, and dive personnel the SSA is able to mobilize quickly anywhere throughout the world with diver / factory trained service technicians for most OEM equipment. From the replacement of aft propeller shaft seals to the exchange of thrusters to straightening large bends in propellers, SSA has become the OEM's choice for all types of complex repairs. With class approved techniques and a highly trained staff in both underwater ship repair and propulsion equipment maintenance, SSA is the clear choice for vessels operating in sensitive environments and on critical trade routes.

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