Miss a drydocking interval in Greece or anywhere else and the consequences are immediate: class suspension, insurance voidance, and a vessel that cannot trade until the survey is completed. Classification societies allow no flexibility on this. + That is precisely why IGMAR Shipyards operates as a highly specialized entity. We combine 50 years of inherited maritime expertise with the agility of a modern, dedicated repair division to guarantee absolute compliance and precision.

What Drydocking Involves

Dry-docking brings the vessel out of the water to allow inspection and maintenance of the underwater hull, propulsion system, and components that cannot be accessed afloat. The core elements of a standard dry-docking include:

• Underwater hull cleaning: removal of marine growth, biofouling, and old coatings using hydro-blasting or grit blasting

• Hull inspection: thickness gauging using ultrasonic measurement, visual assessment of steel condition, and documentation of any wastage or defects

• Antifouling application: primer coats and antifouling paint applied to the cleaned hull according to the paint system specification

• Propeller and shaft work: inspection, polishing, and where required, repair or replacement of propeller blades, shaft seals, and stern tube bearings

• Anode replacement: sacrificial zinc or aluminium anodes replaced to maintain cathodic protection

• Sea chest inspection and maintenance: cleaning, inspection, and repair of sea chest gratings and valves

• Class survey completion: all mandatory inspections completed in the presence of the classification society surveyor

Additional work is routinely identified once the hull is accessible. Steel renewal, valve repairs, and mechanical overhaul are common additions that cannot be fully scoped until the vessel is out of the water.

Classification Intervals and Survey Requirements

Classification societies including Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, DNV, and the American Bureau of Shipping impose specific intervals on dry-docking inspections. The standard requirement is a bottom survey every two and a half years, with a full special survey every five years. Special surveys are more comprehensive, covering internal tank inspections, machinery surveys, and structural assessments in addition to the hull work.

Failure to meet the required interval results in class suspension, which immediately voids the vessel's insurance cover and renders it ineligible for commercial operation.

IGMAR Shipyards Drydocking Infrastructure

IGMAR Shipyards operates dry-docking facilities at the Salamina yard, positioned within the Piraeus repair cluster with direct access from the main shipping lanes of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. For fleet managers, this translates to zero route deviation and zero wasted transit days.

Infrastructure includes:

• 5,000-tonne floating dock, 100m in length and 28.6m beam

• 820-tonne Mobile Boat Hauler for vessels up to 80m in length

• 300-tonne Mobile Boat Trolley for internal yard transfers

• Kamag Technology boat trailers for vessels up to 100m and 2,500 tonnes

• Capacity for more than 30 vessels hauled ashore simultaneously

High-power water jetting equipment rated between 400 and 3,000 bar covers hull cleaning and surface preparation. Sand blasting and aqua blasting are available depending on coating system requirements.

In-House Technical Support

Dry-docking requires more than lifting infrastructure. IGMAR Shipyards maintains an in-house technical department staffed by naval architects, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and a safety chemist. This team oversees the repair specification, supervises all work, coordinates directly with the class surveyor, and provides the documentation required for insurance, flag state, and certification purposes.

Planning Your Dry-Docking

Effective planning begins three to six months before the class-required date. The key steps are:

• Confirm the class due date and survey scope with the classification society

• Compile the preliminary repair list from superintendents' inspection reports and known defects

• Contact the yard to confirm availability and discuss facility fit for vessel dimensions

• Agree the work specification and schedule including expected duration and critical path items

• Coordinate arrival with the pilot station and port authority

Owners and technical managers who plan early control the schedule, manage the scope of additional work found during docking, and return the vessel to service without unplanned delays.