Container Ship Repair Demonstrates Gibdock Skills

One of the biggest jobs carried out by Gibdock in recent months involved what John Taylor, Operations Director, calls “a good old-fashioned ship repair.” The 133m long, 420 teu capacity Xpress Monte Rosa - originally built in Germany in 2004 and formerly trading as Palmira - arrived at Gibdock in late December 2014 and departed in early March. The nine week program of repairs and upgrades significantly enhanced the condition of the vessel prior to a charter with Maersk Line within the Mediterranean feeder trades, where it is currently deployed.

The scope of work included an extensive amount of steel repairs. During the container ship’s lengthy stay in the yard, Gibdock renewed a large damaged area on the bulbous bow, restored tank top areas and repaired seven ballast tanks. Cell guides in all three cargo holds were also repaired, and areas of the main deck and bulkheads renewed. In addition, the Gibdock ship repair team renewed ballast and fuel tank ventilation channels and installed 42m of new ventilation pipes.

Drydock repairs included hull blasting and painting; tail shaft repairs, with the propeller hub being removed and transferred to the manufacturer’s workshop; rudder removal, to enable access; and the repair and renewal of the vessel’s sea valves and anchor chains. 

Gibdock also fabricated and installed new fuel lines to enable the conversion of the vessel to low sulfur marine gas oil, repaired hydraulic ballast valves and overhauled the hydraulic hatch cover system. The team further completed pipework in the engine room, inspected and pressure tested the CO2 system, renewed the ballast tank sounding pipes, repaired anchor winch brakes and accommodation ladders and fabricated and installed a new protective cage around the forward mast.

Taylor says: “This was perhaps not the most technically complex job we have carried out, but it allowed us to showcase our traditional ship repair skills. The vessel left the yard looking as good as new, and we were very pleased to have been entrusted with this job, which we won against some stiff competition.”