ONGOING REFIT / EMERGENCY RECOVERY
From an engine-room failure to complete intervention management
WORK IN PROGRESS
VESSEL
Motor yacht · approx. 15 metres
PROPULSION
2 × Caterpillar 3208 DITA
LOCATION
Livorno
SCOPE
Claim management, diagnosis, engine removal, technical coordination and vessel restoration
01
RRR – Resurgo Repair Refit was contacted by Floating Bear’s captain after a series of faults in the engine room.
The first report concerned a seized starter motor and the shutdown of one of the two Caterpillar 3208 engines, together with water around the engines’ electrical systems.
Inspection revealed a more serious issue: a ruptured hose in the water system had caused substantial water ingress into the engine room. One Caterpillar subsequently restarted, while the second remained seized.
What began as a request for mechanical assistance became a complex recovery operation involving propulsion, onboard systems, vessel structure, lifting, carpentry, the shipyard, the insurer and the surveyor.
02
RRR took responsibility as the single point of contact for the project, coordinating the technical work as well as communications with the insurance company and the surveyor appointed to assess the damage.
The operation was organised to document the initial conditions, the cause of the damage, dismantling and subsequent engine inspections.
Photographs, video and technical findings accompany the different phases, allowing the owner, surveyor and insurer to follow progress and the resulting technical decisions.
03
Planning the engine removal exposed a major challenge in the vessel’s layout: the Caterpillar was effectively enclosed in the engine room, with no opening large enough for extraction.
RRR coordinated measurements of the engine, available clearances and the structure above it. A dedicated extraction route was planned, sizing the opening to allow the engine to pass without removing more of the vessel than necessary.
A purpose-sized opening was then created for the Caterpillar. The mechanic, carpenter, shipyard and lifting team worked in coordination, with the eventual structural and cosmetic restoration considered from the outset.
04
With access prepared, the disconnection of onboard systems, engine preparation, lifting and removal operations were organised.
Transferring the damaged Caterpillar ashore and opening it for inspection allows the team to determine which components can be recovered, reconditioned or replaced.
The aim is to establish the actual extent of the damage through direct inspection of internal components and avoid unnecessary replacement.
05
Engine removal is only one part of the operation. Once the mechanical work is complete, the extraction opening will need to be rebuilt and finished, restoring the structure, hatch, finishes and teak.
The work is planned around both access to the engine and the final result onboard.
06
Floating Bear illustrates RRR’s operating model. The client does not have to source and coordinate the insurer and surveyor, shipyard and lifting team, mechanic, carpenter, onboard systems technicians and restoration work separately.
RRR takes ownership of the problem, assembles the required team and coordinates the operation from initial assessment through to completion.
A call about a seized starter and an engine shutdown developed into the integrated management of a substantial intervention on a Caterpillar propulsion system and the yacht around it.
07
The main phases are documented through photographs and video: initial engine-room conditions, water ingress, engine checks, access opening, system disconnection, lifting and removal, engine opening and component inspection.
Once work is complete, this case study will be updated with the overhaul performed, reinstallation, reconstruction, onboard connections, commissioning and final trials.
RRR – RESURGO REPAIR REFIT
VISUAL DOCUMENTATION · IN PREPARATION
Real Floating Bear photographs and videos will appear here. These spaces identify the material being prepared; work remains in progress.
FOTO · 16:9
To add: overview and detail of the damaged hose.
FOTO · 16:9
To add: photographs of the dedicated opening and clearances.
VIDEO · 16:9
To add: footage of engine handling and lifting.
FOTO · 16:9
To add: engine components. Restoration will be documented when completed.
