Pacific Shipyards International (PSI) recently dry docked the Army Corps hopper dredger Essayons for annual repairs and maintenance.
According to USACE, many components of a ship can only be inspected while in drydock. Crews visually check everything below the waterline for damage that may have occurred to the hull, propellers, rudders and bow thruster.
Some components of the vessel, like the seawater valves and steering equipment, can only be tested when the ship is out of the water.
The USACE’s hopper dredger Essayons, operated by a merchant marine crew, was delivered to the Portland District in 1983.
The Essayons helps maintain the entrance bars, rivers and harbors on the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska and, in emergencies, the Mississippi River.