Stern Tube Oil Leakage News

Thordon Bearings has developed a bespoke modeling tool capable of calculating the amount of operational oil prevented from leaking into the world’s oceans with each installation of a seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing. To be launched officially on April 22 to coincide with Earth Day 2016, the world’s largest environmental movement, now in its 46th year, the Oil Savings Calculator shows that more than 60 million liters of oil pollution has been saved to date. “In our opinion the only acceptable propeller shaft stern tube oil leakage is zero.” said Terry McGowan, President & CEO Thordon Bearings. “Thanks to those vessels that have already installed seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearings…

On May 26, 1998, then the largest cruise ship in the world, 109,000 GT Grand Princess, made her inaugural voyage with a 12 night cruise from Barcelona to Istanbul. Unlike contemporary cruise vessels at the time, she was fitted with seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings. Due to her size, risk studies completed by the technical team at Princess Cruises/P&O, in conjunction with the shipbuilder, Fincantieri, indicated that few drydocks could take a vessel of this size. Any unscheduled drydocking to repair a stern tube seal leaking oil could result in substantial financial losses…