Hull

Ship hull repair — tasks for ship repair yards and contractors

The hull is the foundation of any vessel. Its condition determines seaworthiness, crew and cargo safety, and the vessel's class. Hull repair requires high qualification of welders, NDT inspectors and underwater specialists. The Steel Water task board publishes tasks for all types of hull work — from local repair to full shell plating restoration after an accident.

Tasks are posted by shipowners, shipping companies, technical managers, shipyards, ship repair yards and insurance companies. Contractors are ship repair yards, hull shops, mobile repair teams, underwater welding specialists and independent NDT inspectors.

Types of hull work on the task board

• Shell plating repair — plate replacement, crack welding, dent straightening, geometry restoration
• Hull framing repair — replacement of frames, stringers, floors, web frames
• Underwater part repair — underwater welding, cofferdam installation, dry dock repair
• Bow and stern repair — stem, sternpost, ice strengthening
• Watertight bulkhead repair — tightness restoration, opening repair, seal replacement
• Deck and double bottom repair — deck plating replacement, framing repair, anticorrosion protection
• Anchor and steering arrangement repair — hawse pipes, anchor recesses, rudder trunk, stern tube
• Superstructure and deckhouse repair — deck structures, railings, ladders, portholes, doors

What to specify in a hull task

• Vessel — name, type, IMO, flag, class, deadweight, length, beam, draught
• Extent of damage — location (underwater part, above water, deck, end), area, depth
• Documents — defect list, hull drawings, class extract, NDT report
• Working conditions — afloat, in dock, on slipway, at anchorage, underwater, with time limits
• Materials — steel grade, thickness, welding requirements, heat treatment needs
• Class requirements — coordination with classification society, scope of survey
• Timeline — when required, allowed vessel downtime
• Additional — need for NDT, hydraulic tests, cofferdam, crane, floating crane

What matters for hull contractors

Hull work is an operation where welder qualification, material quality and class confirmation are critical. When responding to a task, specify: availability of certified welders (class, category, approvals), experience with marine steels and underwater welding, availability of equipment (cofferdams, cranes, welding stations, NDT), ability to perform work in dock or afloat, work timeline, readiness to coordinate with classification society, warranty on completed work. If the task is urgent — confirm readiness to depart within hours.

Safety and documents

All hull work is carried out per a work execution plan (WEP), with a hot work permit, with control of gas-air environment (especially in enclosed spaces and tanks). After repair, non-destructive testing (VT, UT, RT, PT), hydraulic or pneumatic tightness tests, residual thickness measurements are performed. Results are documented by reports and acts, submitted to the classification society. If you have experience with such work — mention it in your response.

Post hull tasks for free — find a contractor with the required equipment and qualification. Or respond if you have a hull shop, welders, NDT inspectors and experience. All active tasks — in the Hull section.

Currently on the task board there are 0 tasks.