METHOD FOR DISASSEMBLING AND/OR ASSEMBLING AN UNDERWATER SECTION OF A RETRACTABLE THRUSTER UNIT

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for disassembling and/or assembling an underwater section of a retractable thruster unit of a swimming vessel. In the method a supporting cradle (21) is detachably fixed to the underwater section (12) from below, and the thruster unit (10) is lifted so that the underwater section (12) is at least partly brought inside the well (17) formed in the bottom of the vessel. Lifting wires (24) of auxiliary lifting means (23) are connected to the supporting cradle (21) for supporting the thruster unit. Water is drained from the well (17), and the lower gear (13) is disengaged and the intermediate section and the lower gear are sealed. After that water is let to ingress into the well (17) and the underwater section (12) is lowered down by the auxiliary lifting means (23) to dock bottom or sea bed, from where the underwater section is picked up with a crane.