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Marine Vessel Maintenance: How to Ensure Your Vessel is Ready for the Seas

By Ajoy Gonsalves

EHS Industry

January 19, 2022

Marine vessels are used primarily for the transportation of people and goods. The need to maintain these ships is important because they can be very expensive to replace if damaged by accidents or natural disasters. Marine vessel maintenance, the act of maintaining marine vessels, help protect them so that they may continue to serve society in the future.

There are many different types of marine vessel maintenance which includes preventative measures such as regular checkups, repairs when needed, and training crew members on proper operation techniques that we are going to cover in this blog.

What is vessel maintenance?

A vessel is a general term for any watercraft--a ship, boat, or anything that could float. The maintenance work refers to all activities related to caring for your vessel. This could include fixing problems with the engine, pump systems, electrical system; cleaning; updating navigational technology, and performing day-to-day tasks like removing debris or clearing out lockers as maintenance tasks.

Ship maintenance is an important part of vessel operations where the main parts of vessels that need to be maintained are the engine, electrical system, among others, using maintenance programs. Maintenance programs are set up to keep your vessel in proper operating condition at all times, while not getting in the way of routine operations.

What do I need to know?

Anyone planning a boating trip should know basic vessel maintenance, at the very least how to empty water from your boat's drain plugs and change your engine's oil. But understanding more about vessel maintenance will help you be a better captain. Knowing the difference between an impeller and a propeller, for example, will help you talk about your boat with other boaters.

Periodic maintenance is a part of the life cycle that all ships (or vehicles) go through. The owner's manual or manufacturer provides a schedule to follow. These schedules can vary from one car to another, but the manufacturer's schedule will provide the best results.

Usually, workers are following a maintenance schedule in order to identify problems early in the life of a vehicle. This allows for parts that are worn out or defective to be replaced before they cause bigger issues. This is why following a schedule is important to the life of a vehicle and will save time and money over the long run.

A scheduled maintenance system helps the driver or inspector to keep track of the many maintenance tasks that a ship requires. Some watercraft requires more frequent fluid changes, such as oil and brake fluid, whereas a much larger ship might require less frequent, but more difficult inspections. It is important to keep up with the maintenance schedule whenever possible.

The Fleet Managers

The fleet managers will be overseeing everything: they make sure that everyone has the tools and equipment they need and that schedules and deadlines are met. They also step in if an emergency happens or some kind of mistake occurs.

The fleet managers for ship maintenance need to be on top of everything while still being able to delegate tasks when necessary. The fleet manager is usually a job given for people who have years of experience in the field because they know every aspect of maintaining the ship.

They need to be aware that their decisions can affect business or even result in injuries, so fleet managers for ship maintenance are expected to act professionally at all times.

What are the 4 types of maintenance?

Four general types of maintenance philosophies can be identified: corrective, preventive, risk-based, and condition-based maintenance.

Predictive maintenance: This is when mechanics have the ability to proactively assess the health of a machine before it has an issue. Predictive maintenance is a part of the life cycle that all ships (or vehicles) go through.

Corrective maintenance:  This type of maintenance is very simple. It occurs when something goes wrong and the mechanic has to fix it.

Risk-based maintenance: Risk-based maintenance focuses on high-value assets while considering the probability of failure across the equipment's remaining service life.

Condition-based maintenance:  Condition-based maintenance is a systematic process of measuring, monitoring and analyzing equipment condition data over time. The resulting condition assessment enables the prediction of components remaining

How many types of vessel maintenance are there?

There are three types of maintenance, which are preventive, predictive, and corrective.

Preventive maintenance: The owner's manual or manufacturer provides a schedule to follow. These schedules can vary from one car to another, but the manufacturer's schedule will provide the best results.

Predictive maintenance:  This is when mechanics have the ability to proactively assess the health of a machine before it has an issue. Predictive maintenance is a part of the life cycle that all ships (or vehicles) go through.

Corrective maintenance:  This type of maintenance is very simple. It occurs when something goes wrong and the mechanic has to fix it.

How do you maintain ship?

To maintain a ship, follow the procedures outlined in the "ship's book." This will tell you what needs to be inspected on your ships at regular intervals. When it comes time for inspection of your mechanical equipment, look over the ship's book for what needs to be done and get it done. If you need any help, ask a higher-ranking officer or go to a mechanic for assistance.

Maintenance is necessary to keep a ship running well and looking good. It can be done as part of an inspection or as scheduled maintenance. Inspections happen regularly but scheduled maintenance should happen according to the ship's book, which details how often certain things need to be inspected and/or maintained. These include routine inspections (to check for damage), lube oil change intervals, and major overhauls (when all equipment is taken apart and reassembled).

The cost of maintenance varies from ship to ship. Ships cost lots of money to maintain but their costs can go even more when you have an equipment failure at sea and need unexpected repairs. Keep up your ship maintenance up to date so these unplanned repairs won't be costly by the end of the day.

Conclusion

Vessel maintenance is the practice of ensuring that a boat, ship or other watercraft remains in good working order. In this article, we’ve provided you with some tips on how to get started with vessel maintenance and discussed why it's important for your business. If you want even more information about what vessel maintenance entails, be sure to check out our website!

We also have an exclusive offer for new customers willing to keep vessels clean and protect surfaces from corrosion while reducing slip hazards when used as directed. To learn more about Vessel Maintenance click here. [LINK]