Alleviating COVID-19 driven drydock conundrums

In many cases, restrictions are likely to continue for some time, affecting countries including China, which is the reigning favourite destination for repair and maintenance work.

This comes at a difficult time for those vessel owners and operators with ships due for class surveys, which may be essential for their return to service. The Ro-Ro sector, for example, is looking for a quick bounce back from stagnation as demand for travel by vehicle returns. In the cruise and passenger markets meanwhile – the hardest hit by the virus, with some cruise lines selling off ships to alleviate pressures – have a steep road ahead of them in reclaiming their considerable losses as global restrictions ease and customers return onboard.

Meeting strict class requirements is essential for idle vessels to return swiftly to operation, but limited drydock capacity may drive vessels hundreds of miles from their normal sailing routes in search of space. Compounded with limitations and social distancing measures on class surveys to protect both surveyors and crews, the situation risks lengthy delays to essential repairs and maintenance work, during which time the vessel must remain out of service.

The argument is clear for a more innovative, flexible, and yet equally reliable approach to repairs and maintenance. Onboard riding squads can meet this brief in many respects – conducting repairs while ships are in operation to cut back the need for extended lay-up in drydock, helping vessels get back into service quickly to capture reviving demand.

The deployment of riding squads, that can conduct class approved repairs and maintenance (up to and including steel work), while the vessel is operational at sea allows for this fresh thinking now, and beyond COVID-19. In the particular case of cruise and ro-ro vessels, these repairs can be isolated and conducted away from passengers with no risk of disturbing their experience onboard, or sacrificing crucial cargo space for ro-ros.

SPS Technology has been utilising riding squads across a range of repair and maintenance projects within the cruise and ro-ro sectors to the benefit of its customers. Work undertaken by riding squads which would normally require drydocking includes SPS repairs for decks, bulkheads, side shell protection, and machinery space upgrades.