DRY DOCKING

BY
CAPT. SUHIDMAN
 ASPECT OF STABILITY
THREE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRY DOCK
STABILITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT FOR GETTING A SHIP SAFELY INTO A DRY DOCK. THE THREE IMPORTANT PARAMETERS WHICH MUST BE ENSURED
BEFORE ENTERING THE DRY DOCK ARE:

1) ADEQUATE INITIAL G.M:

• WHEN THE SHIP TOUCHES THE BLOCKS, THERE IS A REACTION AT THE POINT OF CONTACT WHICH RAISES THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY “G” AND REDUCES THE
METACENTRIC HEIGHT “G.M” SO THAT ADEQUATE INITIAL METACENTRIC HEIGHT IS REQUIRED TO COMPENSATE THE SAME.
2) VESSEL TO BE UPRIGHT:
• WHILE ENTERING THE DOCK THE VESSEL NEEDS TO BE UPRIGHT WHICH MEANS THERE SHOULD BE NO PORT OR STARBOARD LIST WHEN THE SHIP TOUCHES THE
BLOCKS, THE POINT OF CONTACT WILL BE OUTSIDE THE CENTRE LINE OF VESSEL, WHICH MAY FORCE THE VESSEL TO TIP OVER.
3) SMALL OR MODERATE TRIM AFT:
• THE SLIGHT TRIM ALLOWS THE ACCENTING OF STERN AND BOW IN TANDEM RATHER THAN SIMULTANEOUSLY AS IT WILL REDUCE THE LOAD AND PRESSURE ON
HULL AND THE KEEL OF VESSEL.

SAMPAI KEMUDIAN KAPAL AKAN SEARAH DUDUK DI ATAS BLOK-BLOK PENAHAN, SAAT PROSES KAPAL AKAN DUDUK DI ATAS BALOK PENAHAN TERSEBUT AKAN
MENJADI KEADAAN YANG CRITICAL KARENA AKAN TERJADI PERHITUNGAN/PERUBAHAN STABILITAS.
SAAT BERAT KAPAL BAGIAN BELAKANG MULAI SENTUH DAN DUDUK DI BLOK DAN ADA SEDIKIT AIR, REAKSI KE ARAH DEPAN KAPAL DARI PADA BLOK ADALAH BERAT
YANG NEGATIVE, MENGHASILKAN BERKURANGNYA STABILITAS KAPAL.. HAL TERSEBUT MENJADI PENTING UNTUK MEMPERTAHANKAN STABILITAS KAPAL SAMPAI
KAPAL SELURUHNYA DUDUK DIATAS BLOK.
 ASPECT OF STABILITY
SO WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE CRITICAL PERIOD AND WHY?

WHEN THE SHIP’S STERN JUST TOUCHES THE KEEL BLOCKS, PART OF THE SHIP’S
WEIGHT IS BEING BORNE BY THE KEEL BLOCKS. THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE
STERN AND THE KEEL BLOCK CREATES A NORMAL REACTION OR UPTHRUST. THE
MAGNITUDE OF THIS UPWARD NORMAL REACTION INCREASES AS THE WATER
LEVEL IN THE DRY DOCK REDUCES. IT IS THIS UPTHRUST THAT CREATES A VIRTUAL
REDUCTION IN THE METACENTRIC HEIGHT OF THE SHIP. HENCE IT IS VERY
CRUCIAL TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT POSITIVE METACENTRIC HEIGHT BEFORE
DOCKING, LACKING WHICH, THE SHIP MAY HEEL OVER TO EITHER SIDE, OR EVEN
SLIP OFF THE KEEL BLOCKS AND CAPSIZE.
 ASPECT OF STABILITY
THE PURPOSE, HENCE, IS

TO CALCULATE THE METACENTRIC HEIGHT OF THE SHIP AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF

THE DOCKING PROCESS, AND ENSURE THAT IT DOES NOT FALL BELOW THE SAFE
LIMIT. FOLLOW THE FIGURE UNDERNEATH, WHICH SHOWS A SHIP THAT HAS
JUST TOUCHED THE KEEL BLOCK BY ITS STERN. THE LOCATION OF THE CENTER
OF FLOATATION (F) IS KNOWN FROM THE HYDROSTATIC CURVES AT THE GIVEN
DISPLACEMENT. SINCE THE LOCATION OF THE STERN IS A KNOWN POINT, ITS
DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER OF FLOATATION (L) CAN BE CALCULATED
INSTANTLY.
THE MOMENT TO CHANGE TRIM BY 1 CM (MCTC) IS A HYDROSTATIC PARAMETER THAT IS
OBTAINED FROM THE HYDROSTATIC CURVES. SO, FOR A KNOWN VALUE OF TRIM, THE
FOLLOWING EQUATION IS OBTAINED:

UP THRUST AT STERN (P)= MCTC x Trim

L (D)
 ASPEK STABILITAS

CONSIDER A VESSEL TRIMMED 25 CM BY THE STERN AND HAVING A MOMENT TO CHANGE TRIM
1 CM (M.C.T.C) OF 25000 TONNES-CM. THE AFTER KEEL KNUCKLEIS 50 M FROM THE TIPPING
CENTRE OR CENTRE OF FLOATATION.

THE MOMENT CAUSING THE INITIAL TRIMS = 25 X 25000 TONNES-CM.

THE MOMENT DESTROYING THIS TRIMS IS FORCE = P X 5000 TONNES.
THERE ARE EQUAL >>>>> 25 X 25000 = P X 5000 (50 X 100 UNTUK EQUAL TO CM)
P = 125 T DI SETIAP KEEL DUDUK DI BLOK
ASPECT OF STABILITY
 ASPECT OF STABILITY

THE ABOVE FIGURE SHOWS THE TRANSVERSE VIEW OF A SHIP IN THE CRITICAL
PERIOD, WHICH HAS BEEN INCLINED BY AN EXTERNAL FORCE TO AN ANGLE
THETA (Ɵ). THE WEIGHT OF THE SHIP (W) ACTS VERTICALLY DOWN THROUGH
THE CENTER OF GRAVITY (G). THE UPWARD REACTION FORCE (P) ACTS
VERTICALLY UPWARDS THROUGH THE KEEL OF THE SHIP. THIS IS A NORMAL
REACTION FORCE, AND IS EQUAL TO THE PORTION OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SHIP
BEING BORNE BY THE KEEL BLOCKS. FOR EQUILIBRIUM, THE REMAINING PORTION
OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SHIP (W-P) WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THE BUOYANCY,
WHICH WILL ACT THROUGH THE INITIAL METACENTRIC HEIGHT OF THE SHIP (M).
WHAT WE HAVE NOW, ARE THREE VERTICAL PARALLEL FORCES ACTING ON THE SHIP:

1. WEIGHT (W) ACTING DOWNWARD.

2. KEEL BLOCK UPTHRUST (P) ACTING UPWARD.
3. BUOYANCY (W-P) ACTING UPWARD.

THE UPTHRUST FORCE (P) CAN BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE AN EFFECT SIMILAR TO THAT OF
REMOVAL OF A WEIGHT FROM THE SHIP. THIS HAS THE VIRTUAL EFFECT OF RISING THE CENTER
OF GRAVITY OF THE SHIP FROM THE POINT ‘G’ TO ‘G1’. THE METACENTRIC HEIGHT THEREFORE
REDUCES FROM GM TO G1M, AS SHOWN IN THE DIAGRAM BELOW:
ASPECT OF STABILITY
• THE VIRTUAL REDUCTION IN METACENTRIC HEIGHT AT ANY STAGE OF THE
DOCKING PROCESS CAN BE CALCULATED BY THE FOLLOWING EXPRESSION:

P x KG
VIRTUAL LOSS OF METACENTRIC HEIGHT = W-P

• THIS CALCULATION MUST BE CARRIED OUT FOR THE CONDITION WHEN THE
SHIP HAS JUST TOUCHED THE KEEL BLOCKS THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH. IT IS AT
THIS POINT THAT THE KEEL BLOCK UPTHRUST IS MAXIMUM, AND THE RISK OF
TIPPING OVER OR SLIPPING FROM KEEL BLOCKS IS MOST LIKELY IF THE
METACENTRIC HEIGHT IS TOO LOW OR NEGATIVE.
• DOCKING PLANS:

A DOCKING PLAN IS A DOCUMENT THAT IS PREPARED FOR EVERY SHIP DURING

ITS PRELIMINARY DESIGN PHASE. ALL THE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BRING A
SHIP TO A DRY DOCK ARE INCLUDED IN ITS DOCKING PLAN. WHILE MOST OF
THE INFORMATION IS CONDENSED INTO DRAWINGS, ONE MUST ALSO REFER TO
THE TEXTUAL REFERENCES AND NOTES PROVIDED, BECAUSE THEY ALSO INFORM
US ABOUT THE TYPE OF DRY DOCK THAT IS BEING USED, AND TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS OF DRY DOCK THAT SHOULD BE MET BEFORE THE SHIP IS
DOCKED.
THE CONTENTS OF A TYPICAL DOCKING PLAN ARE DISCUSSED BELOW:

• TABLE OF HYDROSTATICS AND HYDROSTATIC CURVES:

1. THE FIRST FEW HYDROSTATICS THAT MUST BE CHECKED BEFORE A SHIP ENTERS A DRY DOCK ARE:
2. FORWARD DRAFT.
3. AFT DRAFT.
4. LONGITUDINAL CENTER OF BUOYANCY.
5. MOMENT TO CHANGE TRIM BY 1CM.
6. CENTER OF GRAVITY.
7. LONGITUDINAL CENTER OF FLOATATION.
8. TRANSVERSE METACENTER.
SINCE IT IS NOT PREFERRED TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION IN AN EASILY OBTAINABLE MANNER,
A TABULAR FORM OF HYDROSTATIC DATA IS MORE PREFERABLE THAN THE CURVES. IN CASE OF
INTERMEDIATE VALUES, INTERPOLATION METHODS ARE USED, AND THEN TALLIED WITH THE
CURVES.

• DOCKING DRAWING – ELEVATION VIEW:

1. THE ELEVATION VIEW OF THE DOCKING DRAWING GIVES THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
2. LOCATION OF THE LONGITUDINAL REFERENCE POINT (LRP), I.E. THE POINT FROM WHICH ALL
THE LONGITUDINAL DIMENSIONS ARE MEASURED.
3. LOCATION OF AFT PERPENDICULAR AND FORWARD PERPENDICULAR.
4. LOCATION OF THE END OF SKEG.
5. FRAME SPACING.
6. LONGITUDINAL CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR REMOVAL OF SHAFT.
7. LONGITUDINAL CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR REMOVAL OF RUDDER.
8. LOCATION OF DRAFT MARKS ALONG THE SHIP.
9. LOCATION OF THE FIRST AND LAST KEEL BLOCKS.

• DOCKING DRAWING – PLAN VIEW:

THE PLAN VIEW WOULD SHOW THE LOCATION OF THE KEEL BLOCKS ALONG THE CENTERLINE OF THE
SHIP. MOST LARGE SHIPS WITH WIDE BEAM ARE ALSO PLACED ON A SERIES OF SIDE BLOCKS, AND
THE LAYOUT OF THE SAME IS LAID OUT IN THE PLAN VIEW. THE POSITION OF EVERY HULL OPENING
AND HULL PROTRUSIONS (BOTH, ABOVE AND BELOW THE WATERLINE) ARE ALSO MARKED IN THIS
DRAWING, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE DOCK BLOCKS.
• CROSS SECTION AT PROPELLERS:

SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE SHOULD BE ENSURED BETWEEN THE PROPELLER TIP AND THE
DOCK FLOOR. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE ADEQUATE LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE
CLEARANCES FOR ENABLING REMOVAL OF THE PROPELLER. IT IS DUE TO THIS REASON,
THE CROSS SECTIONAL VIEW OF THE PROPELLER (USUALLY LOOKING FORWARD) IS
PROVIDED IN THE DOCK PLANS. THE CENTERLINE OF THE SHIP, CENTERLINE OF THE
PROPELLER DISC, DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SHIP’S CENTERLINE AND THE PROPELLER
CENTERLINE, AND KEEL LINE OF THE AMIDSHIP IS ALSO SHOWN IN THE SAME DIAGRAM,
AS ILLUSTRATED BELOW.
• KEEL PROFILE:
THE KEEL PROFILE SHOWS THE ELEVATION OF THE KEEL LINE ALONG THE SHIP’S LENGTH. THIS
PROFILE IS USED TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF THE KEEL BLOCKS AT EACH LONGITUDINAL
POSITION, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE LOAD DISTRIBUTION CURVE OF THE SHIP.

• BILGE KEEL CLEARANCES:

THE BILGE KEEL EXTENDS AS AN APPENDAGE FROM THE SIDES OF THE HULL. THE DISTANCE FROM
THE BILGE KEEL TO THE SHIP’S CENTERLINE MUST BE SPECIFIED IN THE DOCKING PLAN. THE
HEIGHT OF THE BILGE KEEL FROM THE SHIP’S KEEL IS USED TO ENSURE THERE IS SUFFICIENT
VERTICAL CLEARANCE AVAILABLE DURING DOCKING AND UNDOCKING.
• LOAD DISTRIBUTION AND BLOCK PRESSURE:

SINCE THE KEEL BLOCKS BEAR THE WEIGHT OF THE SHIP, THE LOAD DISTRIBUTION
CURVE FOR THE KEEL BLOCKS IS DERIVED FROM THE WEIGHT CURVE OF THE
SHIP, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF A COMBINATION OF DISTRIBUTED AND
CONCENTRATED WEIGHTS. THE WEIGHT OF THE HULL GIRDER AND
SUPERSTRUCTURE ARE DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE SHIP’S LENGTH. BUT WEIGHTS
LIKE THAT OF MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT, TRANSVERSE BULKHEADS, FUEL OIL, FRESH
WATER ARE CONSIDERED AS CONCENTRATED WEIGHTS.
THE FIGURE ABOVE SHOWS THE NATURE OF THE WEIGHT CURVE FOR A SHIP
(SHOWN IN BLUE). IN CASE OF DRY DOCKING, THE BUOYANCY CURVE BECOMES
NON-EXISTENT. HOWEVER, THERE IS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE THAT IS MADE IN
THE WEIGHT CURVE. IF YOU NOTICE CAREFULLY, WHEN A SHIP IS AFLOAT, IT IS
SUPPORTED BY BUOYANCY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH. BUT A SHIP ON A DRY
DOCK IS NOT SUPPORTED BY KEEL BLOCKS THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH. THIS IS
BECAUSE OF THE SHAPE OF THE SHIP’S HULL. NOTICE IN THE FIGURE BELOW,
THAT A SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF THE SHIP FORWARD AND AFT ARE NOT
SUPPORTED BY THE KEEL BLOCKS DIRECTLY, DUE TO THE OVERHANGS AT THE
BOW AND STERN.
• THOUGH THE WEIGHT OF THE OVERHANG REGIONS IS NOT DIRECTLY EXERTED ON THE KEEL
BLOCKS, THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE SHIP IS SUPPORTED BY THE TOTAL AREA OF THE KEEL
BLOCKS. TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS EFFECT, THE WEIGHT CURVE OF THE SHIP IS
ACCORDINGLY CHANGED SO AS TO TRANSFER THE WEIGHTS OF THE OVERHANG REGIONS
ONTO THE REGION SUPPORTED BY THE BLOCKS (ALSO CALLED KEEL BEARING LENGTH).
• THE MAXIMUM PRESSURE THAT CAN BE EXERTED ON THE BLOCKS IS A FUNCTION OF THE
MATERIAL USED FOR THE BLOCKS. THIS VALUE BEING A CONSTANT, THE MINIMUM BLOCK AREA
REQUIRED FOR EACH BLOCK IS CALCULATED. IF YOU OBSERVE THE NATURE OF THE WEIGHT
CURVE, IT IS USUALLY HIGH AT THE MID SHIP REGION AND DECREASES AT THE FORWARD AND
AFT. IT IS DUE TO THIS REASON THAT THE WEIGHT BEARING AREA OF THE KEEL BLOCKS
INCREASE AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THE MID SHIP. THE PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE KEEL BLOCKS
IS CALLED THE BLOCK PRESSURE, AND THE AVERAGE BLOCK PRESSURE IS THE TOTAL WEIGHT
OF THE SHIP DIVIDED BY THE TOTAL BEARING AREA.
NOW, DOCKING PLANS ARE CREATED FOR EVERY SHIP TAKING INTO
CONSIDERATION THE DRY DOCK WHERE IT IS LIKELY TO BE DRY DOCKED DURING
MOST OF ITS MAJOR REPAIR AND REFITS. BUT THERE MAY ARISE SITUATIONS
WHERE A VESSEL IS TO BE DRY DOCKED AT A DIFFERENT DOCK, WHERE THE
DOCKING PLAN IS TO BE MODIFIED TO SUIT THE DRY DOCK. THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF CONDITIONS THAT MUST BE MET IN ORDER TO PREVENT ANY
STRUCTURAL FAILURE IN SUCH CASES:
• THE NUMBER OF BLOCKS MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL DOCKING
PLAN, BUT THE TOTAL BEARING AREA MUST BE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE
BLOCK PRESSURE BELOW THE MATERIAL SAFE LIMITS. THIS ENSURES THAT THE
HULL DOES NOT HAVE EXCESSIVE LOADS THAT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO
ITSELF.
• THE FLOOR OF THE DOCK HAS ITS OWN STRENGTH LIMITS, WHICH DEPENDS ON THE
MATERIAL OF THE DOCK FLOOR. THIS MAKES THE LOAD ON THE DOCK FLOOR PER UNIT
LENGTH A LIMITING PARAMETER TOO. NOW, IF ANY BLOCK IS REMOVED OR REPOSITIONED
FROM THE ORIGINAL PLAN, THE LOAD ON THE DOCK FLOOR PER UNIT LENGTH MUST BE
RECALCULATED AND CHECKED FOR THE GIVEN FACTOR OF SAFETY.
• THE DOCK FLOOR IS STRENGTHENED UNDERNEATH BY TRANSVERSE FRAMES THAT RUN ALONG
THE BREADTH OF THE DOCK. WHEN KEEL BLOCKS OR SIDE BLOCKS ARE REPOSITIONED FROM
THE ORIGINAL DOCK PLAN, IT SHOULD BE ENSURED THAT THE NEW POSITION OF THE BLOCK
IS SUCH THAT IT COMES UNDER A STRENGTH BEARING MEMBER OF THE SHIP (BULKHEAD,
LONGITUDINAL GIRDER, ETC.) AND ALSO SITS ON TOP OF A DOCK FLOOR TRANSVERSE. THIS
IS TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A PROPER STRESS FLOW FROM THE SHIP’S HULL TO THE KEEL
BLOCKS, AND FINALLY TO THE DOCK FLOOR.
IT MUST BE CHECKED THAT THE NEW POSITIONS OF THE KEEL BLOCKS DO NOT INTERFERE WITH ANY
UNDERWATER OPENING OR PROTRUSION. THE HEIGHTS OF THE NEW BLOCKS SHOULD BE
CALCULATED BY INTERPOLATING THE VALUES OF THE TWO CLOSEST VALUES FROM THE ORIGINAL
DOCKING PLAN.
• IT IS EVIDENT FROM THE ARTICLE, THAT THE CALCULATIONS AND ANALYSES THAT GO INTO
CREATING DOCKING PLANS AND EXECUTING THE PROCESS REQUIRE EQUAL ATTENTION FROM
ASPECTS OF STABILITY, AS WELL AS THE STRENGTH OF THE SHIP. MOST OF THE FAILURES IN DRY
DOCKING OR UNDOCKING OF SHIPS HAVE BEEN DUE TO
• IMPROPER EVALUATION OF LOADING OF THE SHIP.
• IMPROPER LOADING OF THE SHIP DURING DOCKING (CONCENTRATED WEIGHTS LIKE FUEL OIL,
LUBE OIL, FRESH WATER, BALLAST WATER, ETC. SHOULD NOT BE STORED IN OVERHANG REGIONS
DURING DRY DOCKING).
• IMPROPER STABILITY ASSESSMENT OF THE SHIP DURING THE CRITICAL PERIOD.
WHILE THESE ARE THE PRIMARY REASONS, THERE ARE A SERIES OF MANY WHICH
CAN ONLY BE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL IN COURSES THAT ARE DESIGNED
SPECIFICALLY FOR DOCK MASTERS. TODAY, DOCK MASTERS USE SOFTWARE TO
PRE-DETERMINE THE DOCKING PLANS OF SHIPS, AND THE RESULTS ARE THEN
TALLIED WITH THE EXISTING DOCKING PLAN. EVEN THEN, THIS PROCEDURE
REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL ONES IN THE SHIP-BUILDING AND SHIP
REPAIR INDUSTRIES, OWING TO ITS DEMAND FOR EXTREMELY LOW MARGIN FOR
ERROR.
 GENERAL PROCEDURE
SEBELUM KAPAL AKAN MASUK KE DRY DOCK, HAL – HAL INI HARUS MENJADI DAFTAR PEKERJAAN YANG
PENTING, YAITU :
DRAFT
MARK/LL,TANKS,
CATHODIC,ANCH DRAUGHT & TRIMS
FIRE,PHONE,ELECTRICITY,HOT OR & REPAIRS,
WATER,WATCHMAN CABLES,PAINTING DAMAGE

DRY DOCKING STRUCTURAL

PLUG, SHORE LIST FEATURES
FACILITY,
DISCHARGES
CARGO
CLEANING,FLAME
CLEANING,
CLEANLINESS MOVEABLE WEIGHT
INSPECTING
THE DOCK DERRICK/GANG
WAY & ANCHOR
 DOCKING METHODE
TYPES OF DRY DOCK PROCEDURES
THERE ARE MAINLY TWO TYPES OF DRY DOCK PROCEDURE:
1) GRAVING DOCK:
• THIS TYPE IS NORMALLY CONSTRUCTED ON A LAND NEAR THE COASTAL WATER WITH A
RECTANGULAR SOLID CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION WITH BLOCKS, WALLS AND GATES. VESSEL IS
SHIFTED INSIDE THE DOCK AND RESTED IN THE BLOCKS. AFTER THE SHIP IS IN REQUIRED POSITION,
GATE IS CLOSED AND WATER IS REMOVED.
2) FLOATING DOCK:
• A FLOATING DOCK IS A “U” STRUCTURE USED IN SALVAGE, TO CARRY SHIP, WHICH HAS MET WITH
AN ACCIDENT, FROM MID SEA AND WHICH IS DAMAGED AND UNABLE TO SAIL FURTHER TO GO TO
A COASTAL DOCK. SEVERAL “U” TYPE FLOATING DOCKS CAN BE JOINED TO CARRY A LARGE
VESSEL.