Dry Dock Barge Maintenance

If you've ever found yourself wondering how repairs are done on large vessels such as our Charlotte Bridge, here's your answer!
Vessels that operate beyond 20 miles offshore of the U.S. are required to have a Certificate of Inspection issued by the Coast Guard and renewed every 5 years. In order to maintain this certification, all vessels must undergo inspection within that 5 year period. Most times, this involves a process called dry-docking.
Dry-docking is a process of inspection that involves physically removing the vessel from the water for inspection. In this case, our Charlotte barge can be seen coming in to a submersible dock that is sunken deep enough in the water to allow vessels to float easily onto it. Once the vessel is on the dry dock, water is pumped out and the dry dock floats upward carrying the vessel with it. The vessel is strategically placed on blocks that prevent the hull from buckling while in dry dock.
From here, the vessel is inspected for necessary repairs and re-painted to protect the hull from the elements and subsequently released back into service.