<h1>Dry Dockings</h1>
Dry docking is very important for ships, in dry docking, ships are maintained and repaired and this method is set up in an organized location, where submerged areas of the hull are studied and repaired. This operation serves as a protective strategy and also it is a legislative necessity in the maritime sector. The hull and all other submerged sections are neatly assessed so that the vessel can gain the momentum again and can have the long run with minimum consumption of fuel. Dry docking is required for examining and correcting engineering flaws in the ship in its natural and dry condition for better outcomes and successful operation. This dry docking can be done in many ways, but the most preferred ways for dry docking are graving dry dock which is also known as excavated dry dock and the other one is floating dry dock. It then depends on the type of the vessel and accordingly the preferred method for the specific vessel is utilized in order to dry dock the vessel.
Now, when SOLAS convention is considered, then for cargo ships, it is mandatory to have proper inspection and examination of hull and all other important sections of ship which are underwater and are not easily accessible to examine while sailing, this analysing should be carried out two times in span of five years and at the same time there must be an interim assessment every three years. Also, dry docking is required upon an unexpected grounding or mishap causing submerged destruction. Such dry docking should solely comprise the criteria for acceptable accomplishment of the remedies done for the submerged destruction. The process of dry docking explains each and every minute detail of all the sections of the vessel, there are some sections of the vessel which are not possible to assess when the vessel is on a voyage, but these sections and technologies can be examined when the vessel is at dry dock facility, so this proves to be a big advantage for vessel and all the members associated with that vessel. Similar to cargo ships, for cruise vessels also there is a dry-docking process after certain time frame, mostly during the dry-docking period of cruise vessels, these vessels get completely renovated from inside and therefore it also can take more time for dry docking of these vessels.
Dry docking is a rigorous operation that is often costly and also the time period required for dry docking is too much, at the same time it involves substantial research and organization, therefore it is suggested that it should be done by proper professionals in that sector, so that detail checking and examination is done in proper timeframe and no flaws are left out. Dry docking should be done with suitable safety precautions in mind, as it is a high-risk operation that puts both the employees' lives and the dock's equipment at danger.
References:
1.<a href="https://www.shmgroup.com/blog/dry-dock-history-types-advantages-and-innovation/
">Shmgroup.com</a>
2.<a href="https://www.marineinsight.com/guidelines/dry-dock-types-of-dry-docks-requirements-for-dry-dock/
">Marineinsight.com</a>
3.<a href="https://dieselship.com/marine-technical-articles/marine-engineering-knowledge-general/drydocking-of-ships/dry-docking-cargo-ships-complete-information/">Dieselship.com</a>
Shipyards and Service Providers for Dry Dockings on trusteddocks.com
Advertisement: