UMC International was recently contracted to carry out an extensive repair and maintenance program of work on HMS Gloucester. Due to the vessel having just completed a maintenance period (FTSP) the program did not allow for a docking – so the work had to be tackled afloat.
Because the ship was shortly being deployed for an extended period at sea, UMC marine engineers and dedicated dive teams had their work cut out for them to complete within a five week period.
UMC Engineering Director Dave Richards said, “UMC has a relationship spanning some 35 years with the contractor BAE and an in-depth knowledge of MoD vessels – so we were well placed to complete this work on time and to budget.”
First on the agenda was to complete three insert repairs to the port and starboard bilge rails, which meant removal and replacement of both hull plating and the bilge rail tips. Specially fabricated man-entry cofferdams had to be purpose-designed and manufactured at UMC’s facilities in Southampton. These modular-constructed cofferdam systems enable work to be carried out in a dry environment and offer access to any area of the hull by specially designed interface sections.
Dave Richards continued, “The cofferdams performed excellently and we received an on-site from an RN Commander who, whilst at five meters below the surface, commented on the complete lack of any leakage.”
The Five Week Program also included a rudder packing replacement, inspections of the stabilizer, and propellers and an MPI inspection of bilge keels. UMC divers also carried out various readings and measurements and a propeller polish using their own purpose-designed super polishing two-pass system of coarse and fine abrasive pads that can polish a propeller to better than new finish and outperforms other methods in use.
As a result of their success, BAE have invested in UMC’s modular cofferdams for future repairs.
UMC’s Design and Consultancy division provides project management services and turnkey solutions for the afloat inspection repair replacement and installation of a wide range of underwater hull and platform mounted marine equipment including: stabilisers, rudders, propellers, thrusters, stern seals, ICCP anodes and reference cells, hull plate and transducers fitted to commercial, naval and offshore vessels and platforms.
