A significant stern tube bearing replacement involving no-swell Vesconite Hilube bearings was completed in 2019 at Colombo Dockyard, Sri Lanka’s leading ship repair and shipbuilding facility.
The Vesconite Hilube bearings were included as part of an extensive repair project, which was carried out on the MT Dawn Haridwar, a vessel owned by Arya Tankers.
The oil-products tanker initially arrived for routine inspection at the Dockyard with no reported propulsion faults. However, serious issues were discovered once the ship was docked, according to Coldock Buzz, Volume 12, August 2019, a publication of Colombo Dockyard: View publication here. These included significant failure of the propeller, shaft seals, rudder, and both sides of the bilge keels, which prompted an urgent and comprehensive repair programme.
A key upgrade was the replacement of all three stern tube bearings, originally made from synthetic resin-bonded fabric, with Vesconite Hilube, a self-lubricating, high-performance bearing material known for its wear resistance, load capacity, and dimensional stability in submerged conditions. The shaft line was also realigned as part of the upgrade.
While addressing the propulsion challenges, the shipyard’s team also undertook extensive repair work on the propeller, which had sustained continuous damage, including visible cracks. Additional repairs included the seal housing, which was found to be in contact with the shaft liner.
Despite the unexpected scope of the repair, Colombo Dockyard rose to the occasion. The yard had already committed Dock No. 04 to a sequence of scheduled dockings, but, recognising the urgency of the situation, it completed the full repair across two docking slots without disrupting its planned schedule.
The MT Dawn Haridwar, an Indian-flagged oil-products tanker measuring 171.2 metres in length with a beam of 27.44 metres, should be benefiting from enhanced reliability thanks to the installation of Vesconite Hilube stern tube bearings. The vessel joins a growing number of ships in Southeast Asia fitted with Vesconite Bearings’ low-maintenance, high-performance marine bearings.
