Industrial History: Drydocks and Graving Yards

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Drydocks and Graving Yards

Historically, drydocks were concrete bays that had a gate at one end. A ship would float in, the gate would be closed and the bay would be pumped dry. They were called graving yards because originally that is where old wooden boats would be taken apart for the lumber.

DeBruler-Sturgeon Bay

This is the first photo I have seen of water rushing into a graving dock.

Interlake Steamship Company posted
Our M/V Stewart J. Cort is back in the water again as the dry dock is flooded at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding this evening.
Mychel Mazza: What does M/V stand for????? Interlake Steamship Company: Mychel Mazza motor vessel! [As opposed to SS, which means steamship. (other prefixes)] James Torgeson shared
The former Bethlehem Steel Great Lakes flagship and the first 1000' lake freighter, the Stewart J. Cort, is floated from a drydock [in Sturgeon Bay] after needed work and USCG inspection. She's now owned by MassMutual, but sails for the Interlake Steamship Company. (Note that the wide angle lens used for the photograph has distorted the ship's proportions!) Shaun Connelly: I see that ship all the time at Cliffs burns harbor. James Torgeson: Shaun Connelly That's her only destination, and the one she was built to serve!

DeBruler-Newport News

For smaller boats, floating drydocks were developed. The drydock ballast tanks are flooded so that a boat can float into it. Then the water is pumped out of the ballast tanks so that it floats and raises the boat out of the water.

DeBruler-Chicago Drydock

And floating drydocks grew to handle ships.

Marine Video posted
USS ABSD-6 🚢
The advanced base sectional dock used as a floating dry dock by the US Navy, repairing USS South Dakota at Apra Harbor at Guam. South Dakota was in need of drydock repairs after an accidental explosion on 6 May 1945 while She was rearming from USS Wrangell.
Donald Soper: She wasn’t docked because of the explosion. “The battleship’s orders directed her to sail to Guam for inspection and repairs of her shafts and strut bearings to determine the cause of excessive vibration at high speeds, especially when she made 23 knots and used 10° or more left rudder”. The vibration was severe enough to disable radar and optical tracking systems in the superstructure. For details about the explosion and vibration issues, see
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/south-dakota-ii--bb-57--chapter-3-19451969.html

This is in Oct 2023 because the museum ship is being refurbished.

Steven Proto posted
Battleship Texas in dry dock.

Or sometimes you can tip the ship to expose what needs to be worked on. I have seen a photo of a Great Lakes freighter tilted so that they could do emergency repairs to the bow thruster. But that photo got uploaded to the city in which it took place. And I now can't remember where that was. But here is another photo.

Stu Mac posted
The VLCC S/R LONG BEACH, 211k DWT. Tipped aft using internal ballasting, in San Francisco Bay. USCG/Class approved and safely performed so that a fwd, in-hull transducer box could be worked on from a workboat. Sure beat having to go to a large drydock!
Nyall Gonsalves: What would cause ‘damage’ to in hull transducer box? Are they under or on the side of these tankers?
Stu Mac: Nyall Gonsalves , Located on bottom. Can’t recall if it was water ingress or problems with the transducer electronics. This procedure was/is performed on numerous ships. Sometimes also tipped down by the head so that the prop, rudder, shaft seals, etc could be maintained or repaired.
Charles Brown: How is that not gonna bend the keel though?
Stu Mac: Charles Brown , Stresses all pre-calculated by computer and with experience and managed safely with ballasting, while also monitoring weather, tides, currents, etc. Actually far less overall static longitudinal stress than some of what she or other ships might encounter in very dynamic fashion during severe storms at sea.
Bruce Harsch: Odd not to to see a Bulbous bow.

Roger Stutler posted two photos with the comment: "M/V bilson in drydock."

1, cropped

2, cropped

Seth Jarett posted
Harvey, LA

Dave Gust posted
Newt Marine Service based out of Dubuque, IA is looking for an experienced marine mechanic to help service and maintain our fleet of tow boats. Check out www.newtmarine.com or message me for more details. *I'm not a recruiter, I work for Newt Marine.

[Lost the reference]
"Newt Marine offers an extensive line of dry docking and ship repair services. We have two drydocks, with 60 feet between the wing-walls and a capacity of over 600 gross TN, we can handle most vessels."

Large floating drydocks made it easier for the Navy to project its power across the Pacific Ocean.

MilitaryPhotoDepot posted
USS Wisconsin BB-64 taken in AFDB-1, at Apra Harbor, Guam, 5 April 1952. NHHC Image
David Dryer: Iowa Class Battleships [Then that drydock can hold the biggest battleships that the US built.]
Frederick Selstrom: The drydocks came apart to fit through the Panama canal .
[Several comments imply this was AFDM-8.]

Alexandre Salgueiro posted
USS MISSOURI (BB-63) undergoing modernisation in the 80’s.
Brandon Hopkins: I've seen other sources that claim that this is when she was being maintained in 2009-2010 in Pearl Harbor. Note the guys in Hawaiian shirts, also how low the black line is painted since it's not got its full displacement as a museum ship and doesn't sit as low in the water. The cranes also match some video i've seen.
Either way, it's always amazing how big they look when they're in drydock.
Greg Moyer: My home from 86-89 as a BT. This picture was taken in Hawaii when she became a museum. I think 09 or 2010