Submarine services
Design and support of key systems for Collins Class submarines
Tomi Maru returns
The 69 metre factory fishing trawler Tomi Maru 87 returned to Babcock NZ in June to undergo a 3 week dry-docking and maintenance period.
Tomi Maru 87 has been coming to the Devonport Dockyard for approximately twenty years for a mix of dry-docking and engine and machinery overhaul projects, initially owned by Kanai Fisheries Japan, since 2015 Tomi Maru 87 has been owned and by Timaru company Aurora Fisheries and operating as a New Zealand flagged vessel.
During this dry-dock period, Babcock provided machinery repair and maintenance services as well as stripping the topsides hull to bare steel to renew paint coatings. Whilst the vessel often looks worse for wear on arrival, the 31 year old vessel is testament to her builders Niigata Engineering and its owners and management as she continues to be a reliable workhorse in a very tough environment. Mechanical works this visit included; servicing the 2,200Kw Niigata main engine and the Yanmar auxiliary generator engines; overhaul of various valves, pumps, motors, coolers and separators. Removal of the vessels rudder and tail shaft for survey, with the shaft delivered to specialist machining subcontractor A.I.E. in Kawarau for bearing surface repairs. Other preservation works completed included the underwater hull antifoul, forecastle deck and superstructure areas such as bridge front and mid-ships and stern gantries. Babcock Survey Unit completed ultrasonic hull thickness measurements of underwater hull plating.
Tomi Maru 87
We are certified to AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 standard and work with allied marine engineering and specialist contractors in dry-docking repairs, conversions, alongside voyage maintenance and repair, NDT and ultrasonic thickness gauging, general engineering, engineering design and naval architecture
Tomi Maru 87 propeller shaft removal
Babcock problem solving during the project included;
The vessels propeller shaft required to be removed for survey but the vessel was unable to drain aft diesel fuel tanks to enable lifting eye plates to be welded to the hull. To save the customer time and money Babcock hired two small mobile cranes and lift them into the dry-dock. This allowed safe removal and replacement of the vessels propeller shaft and rudder.
On the removal of the tail shaft it was apparent there was a requirement to machine the shaft in way of the inner shaft seal. With the shaft being too large for Auckland machine shops, Babcock contacted Allied Industrial Engineering in Kawarau who made space available for the machining of the shaft. AIE work around the clock to have the shaft returned without delay. This allowed Babcock’s Marine Fitters to fit and rebuild the CPP hub in record time and not delay the project.
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