Ship Repair USA: Best practices for ship repair

Matthew Wichgers will be speaking at Ship Repair USA on June 11 in New Orleans.

Undertaking a ship repair project is no easy task, however, vessel owners and shipyard managers can tap into advanced techniques and best practices for structural and machinery installations onboard their ships. Positive design choices can be applied during new build construction, ongoing maintenance, or major overhauls.

To go into more detail on this topic, Matthew Wichgers, technical manager for vessel structures for Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), will be speaking at Marine Log’s Ship Repair USA on June 11 in New Orleans, La.’s French Quarter.

In his presentation, he will cover:

• Structural details for improved fatigue life: Reduce repair cost and downtime throughout the life of a vessel. Both steel and aluminum construction considered.
• Repair planning: An aging fleet encounters increased corrosion issues that need to be addressed. Some practical guidance on steel renewals, localized clad welding, and strategies around corrosion abatement will be provided. Will have plenty of images and real world examples.
• Structural assessment and calculations: A way to “right size” the necessary scope of repair and structure renewals.
• Materials and equipment selection: Ways that a vessel owner and operator can select the right system materials and equipment to reduce operating and maintenance costs over the long haul.

Ship Repair USA

This second annual event follows a successful first conference last year, where nearly 250 attendees from across the spectrum of yards, vessel operators, maintenance providers, suppliers and other specialists.

The agenda will focus on advances in techniques and management practices, meeting environmental and economic goals, proven ways to keep vessels compliant and competitive, case studies on repowers, and more.

Day two of the event will welcome back programming from the Military Sealift Command on how ship repair yards, especially smaller ones, can access its commercial repair work needs among other things. SNAME, an internationally recognized non-profit, professional society of individual members serving the maritime and offshore industries and their suppliers, will also return this year as a partner sponsor.

A cocktail reception and other networking opportunities will be incorporated into the agenda, as well.

“Ship Repair USA 2024 was a huge success and we’re confident we can produce an even better conference in 2025,” said Gary Lynch, publisher of Marine Log. “With our continued program collaboration with MSC, and SNAME partnership, we will, once again, deliver an exceptional experience for senior-level maritime professionals in the ship repair market.”

Registration for the event is now open in addition to sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities.

“I am excited to see how Ship Repair USA evolves as we take the advice of our attendees and our own expertise into this year and beyond,” says Heather Ervin, editor in chief of Marine Log. “We always want the industry to be involved in our programming and networking ideas since this event is truly for them.”

Sponsors

The Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers (SNAME); Core Resources Group; Bardex Corporation; Alabama Shipyard; Bergen Marine Systems; World Wide Metric; Bayonne Dry Dock; Integrity Staffing Services; W&O Supply; Bay Ship & Yacht Co.; All American Paint / Carboline; LGH; SSI; AiT Coatings; Conrad Shipyard; Crowley; Elliott Bay Design Group; EMS Marcon; Gulf Copper; LeBlanc & Associates LLC; PPG; Rigidized Metals; Separator Spares & Equipment; Sewart; The Brass Works Inc.; Tnemec; Tork Systems; CMP Global; Transport Products and Service Enterprises Inc.