Stern tube leakage

Leaking stern tube? Keep sailing until dry-dock.

Oil escaping to sea through the aft seal, or seawater getting into the stern tube oil, both need action before they become a pollution case or a bearing failure. ABCON PTFE-based additives can often stop the leak on board, so the vessel keeps trading until its scheduled dry-dock.

Signs to act on

  • Oil sheen astern
  • Header tank level falling (oil out)
  • Header tank level rising (water in)
  • Milky, emulsified oil in samples
  • Water content rising in oil analysis

What we do

  • Confirm the leak path from tank levels and oil samples
  • Select the ABCON product for the oil and the leak
  • Deploy on board, the same day when needed
  • Plan the permanent seal repair for the dock

Also works in

  • Thrusters
  • Hydraulic systems
  • Controllable-pitch propellers
  • Gearboxes

Additives are a temporary measure. They buy time; worn seals and grooved liners are renewed in dry dock. In US waters, oil-to-sea interfaces are expected to use environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs), so tell us which oil is in the system.

In practice

What we overhaul and repair.

In our Tuzla workshop, in dry dock or on board, depending on the machinery and the vessel's schedule.

Main engines

Unit and engine overhauls

Pistons, liners, rings and exhaust valves, with liner wear and crankshaft deflection measured and recorded.

Generators

Generator engine overhauls

Top and major overhauls at the running hours set by the maker's maintenance schedule.

Deck machinery

Mooring and towing winches

Brakes, gears, bearings and drums overhauled in the workshop or on deck, with a brake test after the work.

Dry dock

Propellers and thrusters

Propeller polishing, thruster seals and bearings, and stern gear work during the dock stay.

Diagnosis

Troubleshooting

Vibration, high temperatures and falling performance traced to the cause before parts are ordered.

Wear parts

Bearings and pins

DEVA® maintenance-free bearings and Bondura expandable pins for joints that keep wearing out.

From the workshop and dry dock.

Photographs taken by our own engineers on recent jobs in the Tuzla and Yalova shipyard regions.

Ortech engineer and ship's crew overhauling a main engine
Main engine overhaul, side by side with the crew
Mooring winch overhaul in the workshop
Mooring winch overhaul in the workshop
Towing winch overhaul on deck
Towing winch rebuild on deck
Propeller polishing in dry dock
Propeller polishing during a dry-dock stay

More from the field on the Projects page →

Deliverables

What an overhaul leaves behind.

  • 01
    Measurements
    Clearances, wear and deflections, before and after.
  • 02
    Parts record
    Genuine OEM parts, with references.
  • 03
    Photographs
    Of the condition found and the work done.
  • 04
    Class-aligned documentation
    Ready for the surveyor.
Capacity

A team sized to the job.

One engineer for a fault-finding visit. A full team on site within a week for a dry-dock or a retrofit. Whatever the size, every job runs the same way.

  1. 01

    Scope

    Written down and agreed before the work starts.

  2. 02

    Measure

    Findings recorded, not assumed.

  3. 03

    Report

    Progress to the owner every day.

  4. 04

    Close out

    Documentation handed over with the job.

How to engage us

Project or Fleet Care

An overhaul or a breakdown is quoted per project. Fleets of three or more vessels can add quarterly preventive maintenance inspections and priority 24/7 emergency response.

Request a quote

What to send for a fast, firm quote.

The more of this we have, the fewer questions we need to ask before we can price the work. Send what you have; we'll ask for the rest.

Email us with this checklist → Use the enquiry form

The email button opens your mail program with these headings already filled in.

Questions

Common questions.

Can a stern tube leak be stopped without dry-docking?

Often, yes. ABCON PTFE-based additives can stop oil leaks and water ingress so the vessel keeps sailing until its scheduled dry-dock. It is a temporary measure: the permanent repair is planned for the dock.

How quickly can you deploy a stop-leak treatment?

The same day when needed, on board, at Turkish ports or in transit through the region.

Does it matter which stern tube oil we use?

Yes. Tell us whether the system runs on mineral oil or an environmentally acceptable lubricant (EAL), so the treatment is matched to the oil.

What machinery do you overhaul?

Main engines and generator engines, mooring and towing winches, propellers and thrusters, with troubleshooting before and after.

Where is the work done?

In our workshop in Tuzla, in dry dock in the Tuzla and Yalova shipyards, or on board.

Other services

One accountable partner.

The same team covers agency, engineering and parts, so one contact handles the whole job.

Repair enquiry

Leak, breakdown or overhaul due?

Send the machinery details and the symptoms. We'll come back within one working day, and the same day for a stern tube leak.