Dry Dock

The term dry docking refers to a regular process which is used for the maintenance and repair of merchant marine vessels. In much the same way as a car is regularly taken to the garage to be serviced, a ship is dry docked in an area called a ‘lock’. The main purpose of dry docking is to clean, inspect and repair the parts of a ship which are typically in contact with the sea and so usually submerged and therefore unseen on a day-to-day basis. Dry docking is used to complete a range of maritime maintenance services, such as: hull cleaning, inspection, repairs and examining important components of the ship, such as locking devices, sea suction valves, tail shaft bearings, and the anchor chain.