SGS Completes In-Water Thruster Install, Rudder Bushing Replacement

Subsea Global Solutions has executed a complex in-water thruster installation and rudder bushing replacement, eliminating the need for drydocking.

Initially planned for drydock, the repairs were expedited in water when drydocking availability did not align with the vessel’s operational needs. 

The project was executed in Portland, Oregon, with support from multiple Subsea Global Solutions locations, including Long Beach, Port Angeles, Miami, and Houston. The operation required round-the-clock shifts, with multiple teams working simultaneously on the cofferdam fabrication, thruster installation, and rudder bushing replacement.

A key repair component was the engineering and onsite fabrication of a custom reusable cofferdam to create a dry environment for the rudder bushing replacement. The massive cofferdam, weighing more than 51 metric tons and generating 300 metric tons of buoyant force, fully encapsulated the 43.5-metric-ton rudder, allowing for a precise and controlled repair.