Now afloat and refurbished!

Port life boat of Allcargo Laxmi being maneuvered

Starboard lifeboat of Allcargo Laxmi being maneuvered

Barring few final touches we are now nearing the completion of dry-docking. Yesterday the dock was flooded and we were set afloat along with two supply vessels. And what about the barge which was in our company? Well, it is just a dumb barge with no engines or machinery. But it is quite a big barge and is in the dock for considerable steel renewal and it will be quite some time before it gets completed. So, when the dock was being flooded the barge was allowed to stay and sink. Now the barge will give company to SCI tanker Palnimlay- next vessel in line to enter dry-dock.

Lifeboats of Allcargo Laxmi undergoing five yearly tests

                       We had chance to maneuver both the lifeboats in water with ship staff, while carrying out the five-yearly mandatory tests. As usual the hull has been painted and all other repairs have been carried out.

Letters of old name lying on dry dock gangway

The letters representing the old name of the vessel on the bows and stern were sliced off and the new name Allcargo Laxmi was planted by bead welding and painting. Previously, the name was just stenciled over the old projecting letters and did not present a very imposing look. But now, the name looks sovereign and prominent.

Letters representing old name have been taken off

                       The vessel has also been bedecked with company’s name on ship’s sides amidships. Starboard side of the funnel, which was earlier blank, has also been decorated with company’s logo.  

Freshly painted name Allcargo Laxmi within bead welding on bows

Company's name Allcargo painted prominently on sides amidships

Funnel of Allcargo Laxmi adorned with company's logo

Allcargo Laxmi all set to be afloat

Low and dry, sitting on blocks

Allcargo Laxmi sitting on blocks at Colombo dry-dock

By late evening, on the day of entering the dry-dock, the water had been pumped out and our vessel Allcargo Laxmi was sitting on blocks in the company of three other vessels. The dock is quite big and four rounds each of up and down are a good work out for me at this age. I try to take one in the morning and two to three later in the day.

Anchor chain being ranged in dry-dock

Marine growth has been scraped off, thickness measurements are almost complete and sand blasting will commence soon. Preparations are also being made to unship the rudder as the propeller shaft has to be taken out for survey and inspection. On most ships the shaft can be drawn within the vessel making the removing of rudder unnecessary. But in our case the design is such as will require the shaft to be taken outward thus necessitating the removal of rudder as well.

Four vessels in the dry-dock. One supply vessel and barge in the foreground and another supply vessel and Allcargo Laxmi in the background

Anchor chains has been removed from the bitter end and have been ranged for calibration and inspection. There is lot of hustle and bustle in the dry-dock as hundreds of people from yard workshops are attending four vessels at the same time in the same dry-dock.
It is quite interesting to know as to how the areas coming near the edge of a block are inspected and how a block is removed or shifted.

Allcargo Laxmi enters dry-dock at Colombo

The dock dried up after sailing of APJ Jad and the blocks being arranged

Two days back, APJ Jad an Indian flag vessel had sailed out of Colombo dry-dock after completion of her docking surveys and repairs. We were waiting for her to sail out for us to enter the dry-dock. While waiting the repair work went on as we waited on yard berth.

Water being pumped in to flood the dry-dock

The yard is quite big and we are altogether four vessels in the same dry-dock. One is our own vessel Allcargo Laxmi, two are supply vessels and one is barge. The barge and one supply vessel had entered yesterday itself and the other supply vessel entered this morning followed by Allcargo Laxmi.

Allcargo Laxmi entering the dry-dock. Supply vessel seen next to her

Flooding takes place in about two hours, while it took about seven hours to pump the dock dry. Almost a day was consumed for arranging the distribution of blocks for sitting of the four vessels.

Hinged gate of the dry-dock being pulled to close the dock

Colombo dry-dock is quite busy and we were told that they are booked till 2020.