Norwegian owner and operator of Very Large Gac Carriers (VLGC) Avance Gas has revealed plans to drydock another newbuilding, namely the Hull 1077 named Chinook.
The vessel is due for delivery from Jiangnan Shipyard on 21st of September, 2015 and will be drydocked in Singapore upon delivery as a precautionary measure.
“After reviewing available documentation related to the stern tube bearings for the ship, Avance Gas is of the opinion that sufficient precautions have not been taken to assure that the ship is in acceptable condition. The seller and the builder have not agreed to Avance Gas’ request to carry out visual inspection of stern tube bearings prior to delivery, as the ship has been approved by class in accordance with the shipbuilding contract, ” Avance Gas explained.
The drydocking, which is estimated to cost approx. $400,000, is aimed at ruling out the possibility of defects to the stern tube bearings. As a result, Avance Gas said that the ship would be 10-20 days delayed in entering commercial service.
The company added that it has received sufficient documentation that hull 1078 ( Pampero ) is in acceptable condition and that she is expected to be delivered in late October 2015, as previously reported.
The announement comes in the wake of two previous newbuildings that had to be repaired earlier this year. Namely, VLGCs Breeze and Monsoon had to complete their warranty repairs related to defective stern tube bearings.