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Tides Marine SureSeals Stern Glands save Port of London Authority Money and Reduce Service Downtime |
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When you are responsible for safe navigation on 90 miles of one of the busiest stretches of river in the world, from Richmond in Surrey all the way to the sea, you have to ensure all your vessels are available, reliable and efficient. The Port of London Authority (PLA) fleet of pilot cutters, patrol craft and marine services ships work 24 / 7 to keep the river open and safe for ships visiting the busy port (last year, over 55 million tons of cargo moved through the Port of London)." That is why, when Ian Nuttall – Technical Sales Manager of Poole-based Tides Marine International - offered to supply a pair of new, low maintenance SureSeal shaft seals to the PLA for a 6-month trial, the PLA’s Marine Engineering Superintendent Andy Nailor gladly agreed. These American manufactured shaft seals feature a number of benefits over traditional shaft seal systems, including a drastic reduction in shaft wear, the elimination of stuffing box packing material and the associated requirement for frequent adjustment by qualified technical staff. As Andy explained: “We operate our vessels each for between 2,000 to 3,000 hours per year. Following the success of the Tides Marine SureSeal trial, we now fit these seals and, apart from a routine inspection during the regular 400-hour vessel service, the seals have required no further attention.” SureSeals are lubricated by raw water, just like a stuffing-box gland, but that is where the similarity ends. The housing is manufactured from a non-corroding, reinforced fibre, inside which is fitted an integral self-aligning PTFE bearing. The articulated hose, with stainless steel clamps, is matched to each housing and stern tube size. In a twin-shaft installation, a crossover lubrication line is fitted between the two seals, to ensure continuity of lubrication and increase vessel availability. The SureSeal system features a “spare” seal, which sits in front of the unit until required. When replacement is needed (say due to mechanical damage or eventual wear), the removable front cap can be separated, the old worn seal cut off, the new one slid into the housing and clamped back into place. This job takes just a few minutes and can be carried out afloat and from within the engine room, even when cramped, thus saving the cost and operational availability lost for a docking. SureSeals are fully certified by ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) for vessels up to 295 ft (90 metres) and models are available for commercial vessels to superyachts, fitting shafts from 25mm to 240mm diameter. The MCA have agreed their use on the PLA’s coded Pilot Boats and SCVs. The PLA, which operates over 30 vessels from its marine operations base on the Thames, at Gravesend, is replacing traditional shaft seals throughout its fleet with SureSeals on each craft as it comes due for refit. Latest to have SureSeals fitted is VERIFIER, the PLA’s “state of the art” estuary survey vessel, which has Caterpillar C32 1,100 hp engines on two shafts. Packed with smart electronics and with an impressive top speed of over 26 knots on the plane, VERIFIER is used for monitoring and recording the condition of the riverbed and provide3 soundings for PLA and Admiralty charts. Her multi-beam underwater scanning equipment is so effective that the vessel can chart a wide swath of depths, while travelling at 12 knots. Keeping VERIFIER hard at work is the job that SureSeals accomplish. Also enjoying improved vessel availability, from the installation of SureSeals, are the PLA’s Pilot Boats PATROL and BENFLEET. With over 13,000 cargo ship movements every year, it is crucial that the PLA’s pilots are able to board and land from effective and reliable boats. Whether the task is pilotage, river patrols or other aspects of providing for safety in the port, the PLA’s fleet is one of the busiest of marine authorities in the UK. Tides Marine are pleased to count them as one of their valued customers and look forward to providing the PLA and other port and commercial operators top quality products and reliable service, for many years to come. |
 For more information: Ian Nuttall Tides Marine International Ltd. (European division of Tides Marine US) Tel: +44 (0)1202 656773 Email: tmi@tidesmarine.com |
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