Drydocking Inspection

A good place to start a Drydocking Inspection is at the head of the drydock,

working down the port side and up the starboard side.

1.0 Anchor & Anchor Chain Cable
Anchors and anchor chain cable if ranged should normally first be examined
as follows:
Anchor heads, flukes and shanks should be surface examined for
cracks. If any such defects are found they may be weldable, otherwise
renewal will probably be necessary. In such cases welding may be
attempted as a temporary measure pending availability of the new
equipment, which may take 3 to 6 months.
Anchor head crown pins and anchor shackle pins should be hammer-
tested, hardened-up if slack, or renewed if excessively worn or bent.
Swivels if fitted, should be closely examined so far as possible in way
of the threaded connection, as many have been lost in service due to
concealed wastage in this area. If in doubt the swivel should be
recommended to be removed. Consideration should be given to simply
eliminating any questionable swivels, they are normally not essential.
Patented type detachable connecting links should be opened out and
slack or corroded taper locking pins renewed their holes re-reamed and
new lead keeper plugs peened in.
"U" type connecting shackles should be examined for excessive neck
wear, slackness in the pins and for shearing of keeper pins. The pin
must be a snug fit all around in these shackles, otherwise the keeper
pin may shear when a strain is put on the chain.
Anchor chain cable should be surface examined, hammer-tested and
loose or missing studs replaced by welding at one end of the stud only,
at the end of the stud opposite the link butt weld. The rest of the chain
cable should be further examined for excessive wear and gauged if
necessary to ensure continued compliance with the Rules.
Verify that the number of shots of anchor chain as fitted port and
starboard, equal the total length required by the Classification Rule
Equipment Numeral.

2.0 Hull Plating
The stem plating or the stem bar should next be sighted. The first few
plates in the Keel, "A" and "B" strakes call for particular attention as they
are vulnerable to pounding damage and also to erosion and corrosion of
welded or riveted connections, particularly where chafed by the anchor
chains.
1
Eroded or corroded butts and seams should be cleaned or back chipped
to sound metal and rewelded. A minimum of reinforcing is desirable on
these welds to prevent entrapped air from the bow wave attacking the
weld again. The rewelded joints should be cleaned of all slag and
carefully primed and coated. Corroded or slightly leaking rivets may be
caulked or ring welded if condition is not widespread and the rivets are
not loose.
If it is impossible to weld eroded butts, seams and rivets at time of
inspection because tanks in way are not gas freed and condition does
not affect the structural integrity of the vessel, consideration may be
given to cleaning affected welds or rivets and epoxy coating same until
the next Drydocking Inspection.
Lapped seams and butts at the forward end of the vessel are relatively
rare, however if present they should be examined for wear corrosion
caused by a combination of wash effect and anchor chain rubbing. If
this is excessive it may call for plate edge build-up or plate renewals, or
as a preventative measure, the installation of chain chafing protection
strips.
The underwater bottom should be sighted frequently as the inspection
progresses towards the stern for hogging, sagging, grounding damage,
or distortion possibly indicative of structural weakness. A good way to
sight for deformation is to bend over and look through your legs upside
down at the bottom - any hills or valleys seem to stand out better from
this viewpoint. Optical keel sights or checking with a tight string may be
called for and it is useful to carry two small magnets and a length of
string for this purpose. The bottom and sideshell plating in the midship
area, particularly below and in line with deckhouse or hatch ends, calls
for close examination for the possible presence of transverse
deformation between frames. It is important to look carefully for signs of
deformation possibly attributable to structural weakness (e.g. wastage)
as differentiated from grounding or striking indents.
Unfair or set-in plating is common forward. A fair degree of deformation,
say up to 75 mm (3 in.) of the underwater bottom plating forward
ordinarily may be accepted without resulting in serious impairment of
structural strength provided the internal framing in way is not significantly
"tripped" or rendered ineffective. However for transversely framed ships,
severe or sharp transverse buckling of bottom plating within the
amidships half-length, can significantly affect longitudinal strength of the
hull girder. As might be expected, the greater the athwartship extent of
such buckling, the greater the impairment of hull strength. Any
appreciable buckle of sufficient athwartship extent so as to cross the
keel strake and centre vertical keel, or say two strakes including an inner
bottom girder, is serious. Such a buckle should be corrected by
replacement of plating and the buckled portion of affected girders. If
there is no evidence to indicate the buckle was caused by grounding or
other excessive local loading, or that it is associated with excessive
wastage, it may be an indication of need for providing additional internal
reinforcement, i.e. a design deficiency. Buckles of shorter athwartship
2
extent may also require correction, depending upon their depth and
sharpness, the number of buckles, and their respective locations.
Obviously several bottom buckles within the same frame space
transversely are more serious than the same number and of buckles
distributed in a random manner. Localized transverse bands of
accelerated corrosion or grooving may be found in association with
buckling. These are indicative of advanced localized stress, which
experience indicates may lead to cracking. In such cases, plating
replacement may be called for even though the deterioration may be
less than the allowable wastage. In such cases it may be feasible to
replace less than full length plates.
Any sharp or very deep indent should be scaled and examined for
excessive corrosion "grooving", thickness gauged and renewals or
partial renewals made if found necessary. If sharp indents or creases
are in line across several bottom or sideshell strakes, they should
generally be dealt with immediately. Smooth indents, say of less than
three inches in maximum depth, may require no action, particularly if
there are no signs of significant damage to the internal structure or of
accelerated corrosion at the bottom of the indent. Bottom or "docking"
plugs should be carefully examined not only for tightness but also for
excessive corrosion along the edge of the weld of the bossing to the
bottom plating.
Directly attached bilge keels or bilge keels landing bars should be
examined for fractures or corrosion grooving of the shell plating in way of
any discontinuities of their attachment. While most bilge keel are
attached via a landing bar, there are some vessels currently in service
with the bilge keels welded direct to the shell plating with no intervening
landing bar. No modifications are required to these installations,
however they should be examined and if fatigue fracturing or grooving of
shell plating in way of bilge keel discontinuities is encountered,
consideration should be given to modification by insertion of a
continuous landing bar under the full length of the bilge keel.
Fractured butt welds in the bilge keel should be chipped to sound metal
and rewelded and any slack rivets renewed. The decision on whether to
repair or crop and remove a damaged bilge keel should be left up to the
Owner. Our particular interest is to see that fractures in the bilge keel do
not propagate into the hull, and that no "notches" or "hard spots" are left
which might lead to cracking of the bilge strake.
Overboard discharge pipes, their shell reinforcement rings and external
shell plating beneath the outlets should be checked for excessive
corrosion. This is particularly applicable to evaporator drain, boiler blow-
down, and inert gas scrubber discharges. Sea chests should be
examined for fractures particularly in way of the corners, for aerated
water corrosion, and the condition of the strainers and their securing
devices.

3
3.0 Stern Frame & Rudder

A prerequisite for carrying out a Drydocking Inspection is adequate staging
and removal of the pintle aperture cover plates and rope guard so as to permit
access to the upper rudder stock, palm bolts, gudgeons, pintles, top of the
stern frame and stern bearing/seal assembly area. These items are of the
utmost importance and they cannot be checked from the drydock floor.
The stern frame should be closely examined for fractures and fissures,
particularly at the forward end of the skeg connection to plating. Local
eroded and corroded areas are often found in the rudder or horn just aft
of the propeller blade tips. If not too severe, they may be scaled and
filled with epoxy. If the condition appears to be progressing rapidly,
waster plates should be fitted over the affected area. The top of the
stern frame should also be examined for leakage in way of the core hole
closing plates and for any suspicious bulges at the top. Water entering
the hollow part of the stern frame, either from the after peak or through a
leaking closing plate, may freeze in cold weather causing the frame to
fracture or bulge. If water is present it should be drained out and the
void space pressure-filled with an inert non-freezing filler. Zinc protection
or Swedish iron plates, when fitted, should be in close metallic contact
with the shell and left unpainted. Care should be exercised where these
must unavoidably be welded to the stern or rudder castings so as to
avoid "welding notch" effects.
The practice of stress relieving stern frames after welding repairs has
been seen to be different throughout the world. It is argued that in
general to attempt stress relieving might do more harm than good since
the stern frame itself is locked in position in the ship and heating to 600
o

to 650
o
Centigrade might cause stresses of sufficient amount to
counteract the beneficial effects of stress relieving. However, it should
be emphasized that the desirability of preheating up to temperatures of
200
o
Centigrade the actual temperature of preheating depending upon
the type of actual material in use.
It is not intended to convey that stress relief of welding repairs to
castings is not beneficial if the casting itself can be stress relieved in a
furnace , but in the ordinary course of events rarely is a stern frame
removed to undertake electric welding repairs.
The rudder and rudder stock should be visually checked for fractures so
far as accessible, tightness of the palm bolts (or the covering cement
intact), condition of external rudder stops, presence of rudder lift
prevention arrangements, weardown of the carrier bearing, condition of
securing arrangement and clearance of the gudgeons and pintles. On
vessels fitted with clamp-type steadiment bearings, the clamp bolts
should be checked for tightness. Retaining screws or securing
arrangements for rudder gudgeon bushings call for close attention.
These frequently work loose and must be wired or heavily punched or
staked. A number of rudders have been lost due to pintle nuts backing
off allowing the pintle to come out. Pintles installed with the nut and
4
taper upwards are especially susceptible to this problem. Sometimes the
pintle simply unscrews out of the nut leaving the nut in place, because
the stopper arrangement did not include both nut-to-pintle and nut-to-
casting welding. Such welding on large vessels incidentally, needs to be
relatively heavy to survive the vibration and corrosion until the next
drydocking, 6 mm to 8 mm is suggested. For taper-up pintles also, a
stopper bar or plate (with a drain hole) welded below the pintle is
suggested as additional prevention against pintle (or bushing) dropping
out.
Spade-type rudders are especially prone to structural failure if there is
excessive clearance in the rudder stock bearing - anything over 4 mm
clearance usually calls for remedial action. Slightly more clearance is
permissible on the lower pintle of rudders fitted with both upper and
lower rudder bearings, normally up to 6 mm, assuming the next
drydocking in 2-1/2 years. Rudder carriers are usually oil or grease
lubricated metal bearings and maximum clearance of the radial or guide
bearing portion should be based on standards for this type bearing,
usually in the range of 3 mm to 4 mm.
Regarding bottom painting, it was once common practice to record the
vessel's position on the keel blocks and then either "fleet" (short) the
vessel so that unexposed keel or bottom plates in way of same, could
also be scraped and painted, or relocate it for the same purpose at next
drydocking. This is rarely done anymore but points up to a possible
corrosion area that may require special attention.

3.1 Rudder Pintle Clearances

For conventional-size ships (say over 61M) with lignum-vitae or
laminated-phenolic-resin gudgeon bushings and for the usual semi-
balanced or unbalanced rudder with two or more pintles one is justified
in recommending new bushings if the clearance exceeds 6 mm. More
than this will frequently lead to rudder pintle problems before the next
Drydocking Inspection is due. For small craft this maximum may be
reduced to say, 4.5 mm. For single pintle rudders the usual limit is 4.5
mm, and for the metallic guide bearing above, 1.5 to 3.0 mm. For the
rudder axle bearings of "SIMPLEX" type rudders, a 4.5 mm limit may
also be applied.

3.2 Rudder Carriers

Inspection of manual self-aligning roller bearing type rudder carrier --
requirements for inspection and/or measuring of possible radial and axial
(vertical) weardown:
a) Classification societies usually require that rudders, rudder
pintles and gudgeons together with their respective securing
5
arrangements be examined and placed in satisfactory condition.
The condition of the carrier and steadiment bearings and the
effectiveness of stuffing boxes are to be ascertained when the
rudder (rudder stock) is lifted. Therefore opening out of subject
carrier bearings would not normally be required for the
completion of a Special Survey. Unusual circumstances, like
obvious damage, hard running noise or sluggish rudder
movement detected during steering gear operational testing
would warrant opening out.
b) It appears that opening out of this type carrier bearing could be
carried out since the stock could be slightly lifted and secured,
allowing for the split distance piece, bearing cover and the
bearing housing to be removed. After washing out the roller
bearing the outer race of the bearing could be displaced up and
down circumferentially and the radial and axial (vertical)
weardown, as well as the condition of the inner and outer
raceways, rollers, and roller cage could be ascertained.
c) During normal drydocking surveys the vertical weardown could
be detected by using a depth gauge and/or template measuring
the distance from the stock shoulder (325/358 mm diameter) to
the base of the bearing housing, and/or the distance between
the top of the bearing housing and the underside of the tiller.
The results of subsequent measurements would be compared
for any indication of weardown. Excessive weardown in radial
direction could be detected only by visually observing relative
movement and measuring the clearance fwd/aft and
port/starboard at the gap between the distance piece and the
bearing cover while the stock is turned.
d) Additionally, damage to the bearing caused by vibration, such as
might result from hammering the rollers into the inner and outer
raceways of the bearing, could be detected by close listening
(perhaps with the aid of a stethoscope) when turning the stock/
rudder from hard over to hard over.

3.3 Conventional Rudders

Inspection Notes:
a) If the wood staves wear too thin, they may be able to fall out
through the space between the wood-retaining ring and the
pintle.
b) Older wood, which has lost most of its natural oil, if allowed to
dry out in drydock more than three or four days, will frequently
crack and fall out after returning to service. (Keep it wetted in
drydock).

6




7



8
c) Ensure that the pintle tapers are firmly seated in the gudgeons
with sufficient contact, say at least 65%, and particularly at the
bid end. Wastage can be built-up by properly-controlled welding
procedures. Alternatively, certain approved bedding compounds
may be acceptable, subject to approval of the Division
Headquarters office.
d) Rapid wear of gudgeon bushings is often due to operating in
rivers (sand) or distortion of the rudder. Rudder distortion can
result from unsymmetrical welding stresses which have been
only temporarily removed by surface heat straightening. Press
straightening or corrective offset machining of the pintle seating
may be required in such cases.
e) Always make sure that wood-retainer rings are properly secured
-preferably 6 to 8 mm intermittent welds, since screws - even
though centre-punched - usually work out quickly.
f) Make sure that pintle nuts and pintles are both solidly secured
from working loose under the severe pounding, vibration and
turning that pintles are normally subjected to (pintle-to-nut and
nut-to-casting). Safety bars or closing plate (with hole) across
bottom of recess are good additional protection to prevent the
pintle from dropping out when the pintle is mounted taper up.
Stopper welds ought to be 6 to 8 mm at least.
g) Pintle aperture access plates are sometimes lost due to
inadequate attachment welding or from panel vibration. A
stiffener may be helpful in the latter case. Attachment welding
should usually be at least 6 mm, however intermittent welding
may be acceptable.

3.4 Rudder & Rudder Posts/Horn Defects

3.4.1 Rudder Horns

The steel castings of stern frame horns have, in a number of cases,
been found fractured in the area of the bossing for the lower gudgeon,
see sketch. This critical area should be cleaned and examined at
close range when examining the vessel in drydock.
Any suspicious surface imperfections should be explored thoroughly
with magnetic particle, dye penetrant or ultrasonic method.
Suspicious areas may also be chipped out and ground smooth to
remove minor surface imperfections. Any findings and the necessary
repairs carried out should be reported upon in the report of the
drydocking for future reference.


9
3.4.2 Semi-balanced Rudders

Loose pintle nuts and excessive bearing clearances are often
encountered. Portable plates on the Rudder for access to the pintle
nuts should be removed at each Special Survey for complete
examination. These should also be checked during drydocking
inspections where both nut, locking devices and spacers, if fitted,
should be examined for efficiency. If repairs are carried out, these
should be recorded for future reference. The clearance between the
pintle and its bearing should be accurately determined, preferably
with the aid of a dial indicator, as this is felt to be the critical point. It is
difficult to state the acceptable clearance but, for general guidance,
and dependent to some extent on the bushing material used,
approximately 1% of the pintle diameter to a maximum of 1/4 in.
would be acceptable for a further three year service.
The vertical distance of the rudder proper should be determined in
relation to the stern frame horn. Should this clearance be found to be
less than 1/4 in., corrective measures to the carrier bearing should be
taken and the carrier bearing should be examined.


3.4.3 Vessels having a Rudder Post

Fractures have been found, upon examination at close range, in the
rudder post casting just above or below the gudgeons. Similar
fractures have been found in the rudder frame casting. In some
cases the fractures in the rudder post extend from or into the core
hole closing plates on after side of the rudder post.
During drydocking inspection the rudder frame casting and the rudder
post casting should be carefully examined at close range for possible
fractures. When conditions are suspect, the rudder post casting
should be test drilled about 6" above the welded joint to determine if
water has entered the rudder post.
Should water be found in the rudder post, the post should be tested to
locate the origin of the leakage. If repairs necessitate the removal of
the rudder, the pintle clearances as well as the rudder alignment
should be carefully checked.
Should water be found in the rudder or fractures found in the vicinity
of the rudder frame gudgeons, a portion of the rudder side plating
should be removed for examination of the cast rudder frame arms to
which the horizontal diaphragms are attached. Particular attention
should be directed to the casting at the mid-height of the rudder.


10
3.4.4 Tapered Rudder Stocks

There have been failures of the locking devices for rudder stock nuts
on designs using tapered fit attachment between rudder and rudder
stock. Such failures will permit the rudder stock nut to back off, so
that the interference at the taper fit between the stock and the rudder
is lost, damaging both the keys and tapers, which might lead to
serious rudder damage.
In order to try to prevent, insofar as practicable, this type of trouble on
vessels having this arrangement in lieu of the bolted palms, the
keeper and the nut should be carefully examined at regular intervals.
Should there be indications of failure of the keeper, or a loose fit, it
should be removed for inspection, and consideration should be given
to additional or possibly more substantial arrangements.

3.4.5 Rudder Pintles

Pintles are without a doubt the main known cause for loss of rudder.
In most cases the loss could be attributed to a lost pintle.
It is very important that the tightness of rudder pintles should be
examined each time a vessel is physically drydocked. Particularly it
should be confirmed that the locking arrangements are in place and
will effectively prevent the nut from becoming slack and thus avoiding
loss of the pintle and subsequent loss of the rudder.
In connection with pintle locking devices it is to be emphasized that
the arrangements should be such that the pintle cannot work free.
There could be instances when the pintle backed off and left the nut
securely held in place by a clip welded to the rudder frame casting. It
is essential that the nut be positively secured to preclude "turning" of
the pintle.
In view of these casualties, it is recommended that, when a pintle is
found loose or is withdrawn for any other reason, it be examined by
magnetic particle or other suitable method, particularly adjacent to the
sleeve and between the threads and the small end of the taper. In the
course of a drydock inspection the condition of the pintle bushings,
sleeves, nuts, and locking devices should be carefully examined as far
as is practicable. The discovery of a loose pintle would, for example,
justify its removal for further examination and verification of proper fit.
When replacing pintles ensure that the pintle tapers are firmly seated
in the gudgeons with sufficient contact, say at least 65%, and
particularly at the big end. Wastage can be built-up by properly
controlled welding procedures.


11
3.4.6 Rudder Pintle Clearances (General guidance)

In general initial clearances should be around 0.050" for a 6" pintle to
around 0.070" for a 14" pintle. For in service acceptable clearance
about 1/64" clearance per 1" of diameter of pintle up to 1/4 maximum
is generally considered reasonable for another two years of service.
.
Pintle diameter Acceptable for 2.5 - 3
years

inches m/m Inches m/m
6 152.4 3/32 = 0.0937 2.4
7 177.4 7/64 = 0.109 2.8
8 203.2 1/8 = 0.125 3.2
9 228.6 9/64 = 0.140 3.8
10 254 5.32 = 0.156 4.0
11 279.4 11/64 = 0.171 4.4
12 304.8 3/16 = 0.187 4.8
13 330.2 13/64 = 0.203 5.2
14 355.6 7/32 = 0.218 5.6

The above applies to semi-balanced or balanced rudder with lignum-
vitae or laminated-phenolic-resin gudgeon bushings.

3.4.7 Twisted Rudder Stocks (General guidance)

A. When a rudder stock is twisted the extent of the repair will depend
on the following parameter:
< = angle of twist in degrees
L = length of stock over which the twist appears uniform
d = diameter of twisted portion of stock
B. When < is less than or equal to L/d the stock may be accepted for
further service without any form of heat treatment provided it is
established by visual and magnetic particle examination that the
stock is free from surface cracks or other significant defects.
C. When < is greater than L/d but less than or equal to 5L/d the stock
is to be removed and given a stress relieving heat treatment. A
suitable temperature range for this treatment is 600 to 650C with a
soaking period of not less than 1 hour per 25 mm of diameter.
D. When < is greater than 5L/d the stock is to be removed and given
either a full annealing or normalizing heat treatment. A suitable
temperature range for either of these treatments is 860 to 900C
then a soaking period of not less than 30 minutes per 25 mm of
diameter. For full annealing the stock is to be cooled slowly in the
furnace, while for normalizing it is to be cooled in air.
12
E. The furnace used for the heat treatments required by (C) and (D)
should be large enough to take the entire stock and should be
properly equipped with means for temperature measurement and
control.
F. Where necessary a new keyway is to be cut and weld repairs are
to be carried out in accordance with an approved procedure and,
where possible, should be completed prior to the heat treatment
required by (C) and (D). In this respect either full annealing or
normalizing is acceptable as a post weld stress relief heat
treatment.
G. On completion of heat treatment the surfaces of the portion of the
stock affected by twisting are to be suitably cleaned and examined
by magnetic particle methods.
H. Subject to satisfactory results from magnetic particle examination
and to compliance with the above requirement for heat treatment,
repair of the rudder stock may be regarded as permanent.

3.4.8 The Repair of Forged or Cast Steel Rudder Stocks and
Pintles by Welding

The following notes are intended for the general guidance when it is
proposed to carry out any form of weld repair to rudder stocks or
pintles. These notes do not apply to the weld cladding of rudder stocks
or pintles in way of the bearings as an alternative to the fitting of shrunk
on liners.
Size and location of defects
Repairs, except those of an emergency nature, should only be
attempted when the depth and location of the defective area is such as
to provide adequate access for welding and inspection.
Facilities for repair
The welders employed for the repairs are to be experienced and
competent to carry out this type of work. Whenever possible, the
rudder stock should be removed from the ship and the repairs carried
out in a properly equipped workshop under controlled conditions.
Removal of defects and preparation for welding
Complete removal of all defective material is essential for a successful
repair. However, the material removed should be the minimum
consistent with this and the excavation should be shaped so as to allow
good access for welding. The complete removal of all defective
material is to be verified by magnetic particle examination before
welding is commenced.


13
Welding consumables
These should be of an approved low hydrogen type depositing weld
metal with mechanical properties similar to that of the forging.

Pre-heating
Because of the relatively large mass and the consequent chilling effect,
it is recommended that in all cases an adequate area around the repair
should be pre-heated to about 100
o
C. This pre-heat should be
maintained until the repair is completed. Pre-heating temperature in
excess of 100
o
C may be required.
Welding
As far as practicable, all welding should be done in the downhand
position.
Inspection after welding
The surplus weld metal should be removed by machining or grinding
and the surface of the repair area smoothed to a satisfactory profile.
The area should then be checked for freedom from cracks and other
defects by magnetic particle examination. Where extensive repairs
have been carried out, ultrasonic examination may also be required for
verification.
Heat treatment:
a. A stress relieving heat treatment is to be carried out after
completion of the repairs. A suitable temperature range is 600 to
650
o
C with a soaking period of 1 hour per 25 mm thickness of the
repaired section.
b. Rudder stocks and pintles should be treated in a furnace properly
equipped with means for temperature measurement and control.
In general, the furnace should be large enough to take the entire
rudder stock. If welding is confined to a small area, the post weld
heat treatment may be restricted to a suitable local area.

Final inspection
After heat treatment and final machining or grinding has been
completed the repaired area should be re-examined by a magnetic
particle method.

3.4.9 Simplex Type Rudders

Inspection points:
o Fractures at sharp change of section on underside or rudder
axle palm (top), also at top of taper on lower end of rudder axle.
14
o Rudder load being carried by conical-faced "emergency" bearing
on lower end of rudder (to shoe piece). (Actually, there should
be a slight clearance [1 to 3 mm] at this bearing under
drydocking conditions with after peak tank empty).
o Excessive wastage or rudder axle adjacent to the bronze
sleeves. This normally should be dealt with by cleaning, wire
brushing, painting or epoxy coating. Weld build-up of the axle
forging is not recommended, unless the excessive wastage
extends over at least 25% the area surface, and then only with
proper approved procedure and heat treatment.
o Excessive wastage on rudder axle lower-end taper or of the axle
between the bottom taper and the lower bronze sleeve. The
latter should be protected with paint or epoxy coating. The taper
may need to be re-machined however, to ensure tightness of the
axle in the seating.
o Insufficient locking arrangements or slack nut on rudder axle
lower end securing.
o Loose or fractured palm bolts at upper end.
o "Notches" or stress raisers at top or bottom of rudder axle.
These should be smoothed out as possible.
o Excessive clearances of rudder axle in rudder bearings (4.5 mm
maximum recommended).
o Gudgeon retaining rings (for the lignum-vitae staves) not
properly secured.
o With axle tight in lower taper (in shoe piece), palm at upper end
of axle should bolt up without any "springing" or forcing to line-
up holes.
.












15

Simplex Type Rudder

3.5 Bilge Keel Surveys

In the past bilge keels were sometimes thought of as unimportant
appendages from a structural point of view. However recent experience
has shown that poor design, fabrication or repair of bilge keels can have
catastrophic results. In one case a weld defect in a bilge keel formed a
notch and was responsible for the initiation of a brittle fracture which sped
16
rapidly across the bottom of the hull and partly up each side culminating
some hours later in the ship breaking in two.
o Bilge keels, where fitted, are to be attached to the shell by a
landing bar (doubler). The bilge keel and landing bar are to be
continuous throughout their respective lengths with full penetration
welds at the butt joints and continuous attachment fillet welding.
Scallops and cut-outs are no longer recommended for new
construction. Where desired, a drilled hole at least 25 mm (1 in.)
in diameter may be provided in the bilge keel butt weld as close as
practicable to the doubler.
o The class and grade of material for bilge keels and landing bars to
which they are attached are to be required as per classification
rule requirements. The thickness of the landing bar should be
about the same thickness as the shell plating to which it is
attached.
o The ends of the landing bars are to be rounded or tapered. The
ends of the bilge keels are to be tapered down smoothly and
should terminate in line with a floor or transverse. Shell plating
butt welds in way of the landing bar and landing bar butts in way of
the bilge keel are to be chipped or ground flush prior to installing
the bilge keel and landing bar.
o Proper weld sequence is to be followed in bilge keel installations.
When attaching the backing bar a root of at least 6 mm should be
used to allow sound weld penetration into the shell plating. Butts
in landing bars and bilge keels should be staggered (offset) from
each other and from the shell butts by at least 150 mm. Butts in
the bilge keels and landing bars are to be welded before the
adjacent fillet welds are made. Initially, fillet welds should be
carried no closer than 300 mm to butt welds, i.e., fillet welds
should not be carried across unwelded butts. Butts should be
welded first and then fillet welds completed. Where possible, weld
from amidships forward and aft or towards free ends. Butt welding
in bilge keels and especially their respective landing bars are
considered critical. Care should be taken to insure sound welds
and representative butt welds should be non-destructive tested.
o Where rolled sections such as bulb angles are used for bilge keels
special care should be exercised in the alignment between
sections and to ensure full penetration in way of the bulb. After
welding, joints should be ground smooth.
o During drydocking inspections, bilge keels, landing bars and
attachment welding should be cleaned and carefully examined for
fractures. There are, of course many vessels currently in service
with the bilge keels welded directly to the shell with no intervening
landing bar. Unless there is a problem with fractures, no
modifications are considered necessary to these existing
installations. However if fractures are found, particularly at the
fillet welding wrap-around at scallops and ends, consideration
17
should be given to modifications by insertion of a landing bar
under the full length of the bilge keel or alternatively, to help
prevent fractures at the ends, a rounded pad plate of about the
same thickness as the local shell plating should be fitted under the
bilge keel terminations at each end. Damaged bilge keels must
be smoothly cropped or properly repaired if there is distortion,
fractures or notches that could affect or progress into the shell
plating. In particular, notches or fractures in the outer edge of the
bilge keel should be ground smooth or gouged out and rewelded
as necessary. For repairs to bilge keels due consideration must
be given to above noted remarks regarding proper welding
procedures.

3.6 Drydock Propeller Inspection

3.6.1 General Precautions
o No repair of a propeller can be performed in place in drydock as
satisfactorily or as safely as it can be done under controlled
conditions in a propeller repair shop.
o Only very minor straightening and no welding should be done while
the ship is in the water or the propeller is still on the shaft in
drydock.
o Welding repairs should never be made to the propeller unless the
work is done by qualified personnel under informed supervision.
o Many repair yards are not equipped with either qualified personnel
or proper equipment necessary for satisfactory propeller repair.
o Welding on the hub or near the blade root should not be attempted
in the drydock even with the propeller removed from the shaft
because of the difficulty of obtaining sufficient sustained heat for
proper stress relief. Also, heat in the hub area, if improperly
applied, can distort the bore and spoil the propeller fit on the shaft
taper.
o Frequently, on the first few minor repairs made on the propeller, the
cost can be held down by simply trimming back the blade edges to
sound metal as they become ragged and torn. This obviously can
be done only a few times before the vessel's performance suffers.
Excessive edge trimming leads to poor manoeuvring ability, lower
backing power, increased fuel consumption and cavitation erosion.
It can also lead to propeller imbalance. When the diameter is
trimmed, the power absorption and fuel consumption of the
propeller suffer even more sharply. The more trimming done, the
more costly will be the eventual repair to restore the blades to
design size.
o It is recommended that records of all repairs for each propeller are
maintained carefully. It is particularly important to record each
18
blade edge trimming and diameter reduction and their later
restoration. It also will be of value to note each straightening, weld
repair, stress relief or other heating and the procedures followed.
Records of minor repairs made "in-place" are especially useful
when evaluating later major damage.
o The necessity for stress relief when required cannot be over-
emphasized. Not applying proper stress relief treatment to a repair
presents a greater danger to the propeller than that presented by a
poor weld. The poor weld merely offers the possibility of failure to
the repair but the lack of proper stress relief can result in cracks
forming in any part of the heat-affected zone. Such cracks can be
expected to grow rapidly and can lead to condemnation of the
propeller.

3.6.2 Propeller Wear
The bronze propeller is an expensive and scientifically designed ship
part which requires considerable care and attention. The propeller in
use suffers wear like any other moving part and its life, aside from
direct physical damage, is determined by its rate of wastage - a
corrosive and erosive process. As far as corrosion alone is concerned,
bronze propellers in still or moving sea water may lose 0.05 to 0.10 mm
(0.002 - 0.004 in.) of surface metal every year. The wastage by
corrosion over the blade tip area of a clean undamaged propeller
working at its designed revolutions may increase by 4 to 5 times if the
blade surfaces are rough. However, wastage by erosion may be much
greater than wastage by corrosion. Highly loaded manganese bronze
propeller blades have shown wastage up to 1.27 mm (0.050 in.) a year.
These high erosion losses have lead to the development of the
improved, more resistant alloys. The newer propeller alloys, though
more costly, are stronger and much more resistant to wastage.
Since propeller efficiency is largely dependent on drag, propeller
surfaces should be polished smooth. The effect on drag of roughness
on the suction face of the blade is considerably larger than the effect of
a corresponding degree of roughness on the pressure face.
Consequently it is extremely important that the suction faces be very
smooth - not merely painted, as is sometimes done. Since the propeller
material itself is much more resistant to the scrubbing action of sea
water than is any paint, the right way of getting a smooth surface for
highest efficiency is by machine polishing.
Whereas elimination of surface roughness pays measurable dividends
in fuel oil savings, care must be exercised to avoid introducing humps
and hollows. For this reason only cup wheels should be used when
grinding with stones (wheel type polishers which grind with the rim
should be prohibited). Final polishing may be done with discs. During
all polishing the machine should be kept moving to avoid making local
low spots.

19
3.6.3 Protection For New Ships
The life of a propeller as well as the life of the propeller shaft liner can
be affected by local galvanic conditions while the ship is still berthed in
the Builder's yard. When immersed in salt water, the highly polished
propeller can become the cathode in the hull-propeller electrolytic cell
unless there is counteracting cathodic protection. One effect of lack of
counteracting cathodic protection is the formation of a thin hard film of
calcium and magnesium carbonates ("cathodic chalking") which in
subsequent service may wear away unevenly and cause increased
wastage. Should such a film be deposited, it, along with any other
fouling, should be removed by light polishing.

3.6.4 Propeller Protection During Drydocking
When painting is being done in the area of the propeller, special care
should be taken to protect the propeller from paint drippings. A ridge of
paint on a propeller disturbs normal water flow over the blade and
greatly accelerates erosion wear in that area. For the same reason, if
the vessel's name is painted onto the blade surface, it should be
removed before reinstalling the propeller.

3.6.5 Physical Damage
Physical damage to propeller blades should receive prompt attention.
For example, a bent leading edge creates a condition of disturbed flow
for a considerable distance on the blade surface which can cause
serious cavitation erosion damage. While minor damage may be too
slight to have any observable effect on the performance of the vessel,
quite small edge deformation (nicks, bends, etc.), particularly at the
leading edge, can result in an important increase in the normal rate of
erosion wastage of the blade surface.
o Propeller damage requiring repair falls into either or both of the
following general classes:
o Physical damage in the form of breaks, tears or bends in the
blades resulting from impact with foreign bodies in the water or
from unsatisfactory repairs.
o Propeller damage in the form of wear, as the result of erosion
and/or corrosion. Wear damage is usually the result of one or
more of the following:
Normal scrubbing action of the water.
Local cavitation caused by physical damage.
Cavitation due to design characteristics.
Hull obstructions in the slip-stream ahead of the propeller,
such as poorly placed anodes or lifting eyes. These may
cause local water turbulence and result in cavitation
damage.
20
Electro-chemical attack resulting in wastage and/or
dezincification of the blade surface. (Dezincification
sometimes occurs on manganese and nickel manganese
bronze propellers, producing a copper colour surface).
Attack by chemicals contained in harbour water.
Abrasive action of sand or other bottom solids when
operating in shallow water.

Water temperature may also be a significant factor influencing
the rate of erosion, particularly for highly-loaded propellers.

3.6.6 In-Place Repairs

All but very minor repairs to propellers while on the shaft (afloat or in
drydock) present many practical problems. Proper access to the work
areas is difficult and, when afloat, control of heating and cooling rates is
impossible. Therefore, propellers extensively repaired "in-place" can be
expected to give trouble later on in service. No "in-place" repair in
drydock should be attempted which requires heat unless all prescribed
precautions are taken. It is much better and safer to do the job off the
ship in a qualified shop.
1. "In-place" straightening should be limited to areas within 100 mm
(4 in.) of the edge and to thickness no greater than 32 mm (1 in.).
2. Corrosion roughness can be repaired by grinding and polishing in-
place, taking care not to introduce local humps and hollows in the
blade surface.
3. Occasionally surface cracks which appear to end are found to
continue beneath the blade surface. When a crack-arresting hole
is drilled at the visible end of the crack, a dye-penetrant
examination of the drilled hole should be made to determine
whether the crack extends sub-surface beyond the drilled hole. If
the crack does not extend beyond the hole, the hole may be
plugged and the plug peened over until permanent repair can be
made.
4. Propeller repairs in the shop are always made in the flat or
horizontal position. This is never possible with an 'in-place" repair.
However, the propeller should be turned to obtain a position
nearest to the horizontal so that the repairer can work to best
advantage. It may be necessary to turn the propeller several times
before a job is finished. Proper positioning of the propeller is
essential for quality repair work.
5. Torches used in preheating or post-heating repaired areas should
be of the soft flame type, such as city gas, Hauck oil torches, or
similar torches with large flame and low heat. Propane or oxy-
acetylene torches or other sources of high, concentrated heat
should not be used due to the risk of thermal gradient cracking. It
21
is essential that the low-heat flame be kept moving and the
temperatures carefully controlled, taking care not to overheat any
area and avoiding steep temperature gradients. This should be
followed by slow cooling under insulating blankets.
6. Although good weather favours the quality of drydock repairs, it is
unnecessary to postpone a minor propeller repair on drydock
during inclement weather providing the stern section can be
protected by canvas screening. Proper protection is particularly
important during the winter months when cold winds can seriously
affect the heating procedure, causing the temperature of the
material to fall into a range where the material becomes brittle
and cracks are almost certain to occur.

3.6.7 Propeller Removal

It is of utmost importance that proper care be taken when removing the
propeller from the shaft. Propellers of manganese bronze or nickel
manganese bronze compositions are quite susceptible to stress-
corrosion cracking. Cases are on record of manganese and nickel
manganese bronze propeller hubs having cracked because of improper
application of heat used to facilitate removal of the propeller from the
shaft. Stress-corrosion cracking of this type is easily caused by high
temperature locally applied flames, of which oxy-acetylene and oxy-
propane are most dangerous.
If it is necessary to apply heat when removing a manganese or nickel
manganese bronze propeller from the shaft, it is important to use a
constantly moving low-heat flame in order to avoid setting up excessive
stress.
(Note: As an alternate, the use of solidified CO
2
("dry ice") held in place
by layers of packing around the exposed shaft, fore and aft of, and
insulated from the hub, is a safe and sometimes effective way of
loosening a propeller).
Heating temperatures should be evenly distributed and checked with
"Tempilsticks" or a surface contact pyrometer, taking care not to
exceed 200C (392F) at any time during the heating operation.
Uniform heating and cooling in way of the hub is essential to avoid
major bore distortion. When carried out carefully under controlled
conditions stress-corrosion cracking will rarely occur.
Since stress relief treatment is troublesome, time consuming and
difficult to control, it should be obvious that when removing a propeller
from the shaft every possible effort should be made to distribute the
heat evenly and not exceed the maximum temperature of 200C, so that
the need for post-heat treatment may be avoided.

22
3.6.8 Blade Edge Damage

Blade edge damage usually takes the form of cracks, bends, or breaks
and may include the loss of a small section of the blade.
Minor bends or tears can sometimes be repaired without removing the
propeller from the shaft.
Very slight distortions along the blade edge can usually be straightened
cold by hammering carefully. After straightening however, the area
worked should be dye-penetrant examined for cracks which may have
resulted from the hammering.
A bend which may appear to the eye to be confined to the edge
actually may extend a considerable distance into the blade. If there is
any question as to the extent of the bend, the plan should be examined
and blade checked with a pitchometer and/or gages. When this is not
possible, a straightedge may be applied to the surface radially and
compared either with the drawing or with the undamaged blades to
assist in estimating the extent of the bend. Bends extending more than
100 mm (4 in.) in from the blade edge should be considered to be a
shop job.
Cracks require careful scrutiny to ascertain their extent and it must be
decided if an in-place repair will suffice or if a shop job is necessary.
Cracks are dangerous and are potential fatigue nuclei for a major break
and possible loss of that section of the blade should that area receive a
heavy blow. The permanent repair of cracks requires complete
removal of the crack, followed by welding using the prescribed welding
procedure for the particular metal.
Edge damage which is impossible to repair with the propeller in-place,
but not requiring shop repair, requires proper positioning of the blade
on the drydock floor.
When large areas of the blade edges or tips have been broken off, it is
necessary to "burn-on" or weld-on a cast piece to replace the lost
section.
This procedure requires equipment and melting facilities not usually
available at ship repair yards, therefore it is recommended that this type
of repair be done by a propeller manufacturer.

3.6.9 Inspection of cycloidal propellers and controllable pitch
propellers

All propellers are normally externally examined at each Drydocking.
During Special Survey, the examination should include at least a
functional test and oil leakage check. At Special Survey No. 2 and
alternate Special Surveys thereafter, the machinery and blade
assembly may be required to be dismantled, cam lobe and gear teeth
23
condition checked, clearances measured, and the seal rings examined.
Any worn or deteriorated parts should be repaired or renewed as
necessary.
Controllable pitch propellers are also to be examined externally at each
drydocking, however the blade pitching mechanism is usually
examined during the Tailshaft inspection. All such examinations should
include at least functional test and leakage inspection. One or more
blades may be required to be removed if leakage, damage, or
malfunction is found or suspected, in order to check the seals, seal
surfaces, and internal moving parts.

3.7 Work on Ships Salt Water System


The importance of careful inspection of rubber or other non-metallic
expansion joints in seawater piping systems cannot be over-emphasized
since any failure of these joints can result in very rapid flooding of the
entire machinery space.

3.7.1 Aging Deterioration
Since the principal materials in these expansion joints are usually
rubber and cotton fibers, aging deterioration is inevitable. This
deterioration may manifest itself as a loss of external surface resilience,
then cracking; or alternatively, the arch of the bellows may become
softened indicating loss of adhesion between the fabric plies. The
outer cover should be visually examined for evidence of cracks.
Shallow cracks in the cover which do not expose the reinforcing fabric
of the expansion joint are not considered serious enough to warrant
replacement of the joint, however cracks that expose the reinforcing
fabric should be examined closely to determine the condition of the
fabric. If the reinforcing fabric is torn, cut or otherwise degraded the
expansion joint should be replaced prior to the vessel sailing or suitable
temporary repairs carried out to enable vessel to proceed to a repair
port.
If the reinforcing fabric is merely exposed, and does not show signs of
being degraded the expansion joint should be replaced at the earliest
opportunity. Also examine areas in grooves where salts or other
residues accumulate and also surfaces partially hidden from view such
as under the rim of the bolting ring and on the underside of the
expansion joint.
Failure may initiate either inside or outside the joint, depending on the
service conditions. Remarks noted above for the outer cover apply
equally to the inside tube.
24
Except as noted above, repairs to non-metallic expansion joints are not
advisable and should be confined to minor repairs on blemishes on the
outer cover surface.


3.7.2 Misalignment of the Circulating Piping System

Misalignment or offset of the circulating piping system will materially
reduce the life of the expansion joint. The maximum lateral
misalignment allowable is generally 1/2" for all sizes of joints and
should be checked if misalignment is suspected. Piping supports for
the circulating system should be checked and renewed if found
damaged or wasted. The weight of the piping should not be carried by
the expansion joint.

3.7.3 Examination at Drydocking
The non-metallic expansion pieces in the sea water circulating systems
be examined at each drydocking inspection. In addition when vessel is
placed on drydock non-metallic expansion pieces in the main sea water
circulating systems are to be cleaned and examined both externally and
internally.
Expansion Piece Details

TUBE A single piece,
leakproof tube made of
synthetic or natural rubber as
service dictates. This is a
seamless tube that extends
through the bore to the
outside edges of both flanges.
Its purpose is to maintain the
fluid tight integrity of the
expansion joint and thereby
protect the carcass from
penetration or saturation of
the material being handled.
CARCASS
a. Fabric Reinforcement
The fabric reinforcement is the flexible and supporting member
between the tube and cover. Fabrics of high strength synthetic
fibers are used depending on pressure and temperature
requirements. All fabric plies are impregnated with rubber or
synthetic compounds to permit flexibility between the fabric plies
to reduce service strain.
b. Metal Reinforcement
25
26
Copper coated steel wire or solid endless rings imbedded in the
carcass are used as strengthening members of the joint. This
adds to the strength of the joint, permitting the rated working
pressure required and supplies the rigidity to the joint for vacuum
service. A hard rubber filler between the rings prevents the
reinforcing ring from moving when the joint is pressurized.
COVER
The exterior surface of the joint is firmed from natural or synthetic
rubber, depending on service requirements. The primary function of
the cover is to protect the carcass from outside damage or abuse.
INTEGRAL FLANGES
Construction of resilient rubber, and smooth finished, the full-faced
flanges form a tight seal against the pipe flange without the need of
gaskets.