Long distance overhaul down under
A Royston engineer works on an engine of the Southern Supporter.
A major overhaul of the engines of the P&O Southern Supporter meant an eight man team of diesel specialists working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The project required the team from Royston’s Australian operation to service and rebuild the ship’s three Cat 3516 engines. This included a complete strip-down of the engines, replacing the main bearings, overhauling the cylinder heads, upgrading liners with spacer plate modifications, all within a three week window while the vessel was docked in Henderson Fremantle, Western Australia.
Undertaken as part of the ship’s 60,000 hour Lloyds certification overhaul, the work also included camshaft grinding on one of the engines and the overhaul of all ancillary components.
The Southern Supporter has an Ice Class 1A rating and is well known in the Southern Ocean where it has been operating extensively since it was launched in 1993. The 74m vessel is equipped with an A-frame and crane which enables it to perform a wide variety of survey, maintenance and supply tasks.
Engine performance and reliability are critical for a ship that has been used to take equipment and personnel into Antarctica. The vessel has also previously been involved in some highly publicised long distance boat chases of craft believed to be fishing illegally in Australian waters.
The P&O Southern Supporter was originally designed for deep sea trawling. It has three cargo holds and it can reach a speed of 12 knots when fully loaded. The vessel also now sports a helideck, and is fitted with the latest survey and navigational equipment. It also offers a high standard of accommodation and related scientific and technical facilities, workshops and spaces.
It isn’t just the Southern Supporter that has found it worthwhile to have a degree of flexibility. While Royston is headquartered in the UK, its workshop facilities at the Australian Marine Complex in Perth means the company’s operations manager can quickly assemble teams capable of working efficiently on engines of any make or age. Royston Australia has also developed strategic relationships with other companies in the region, meaning the company’s technicians can support any diesel engine, anywhere in the world.
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