Raw-Water System & Sea Strainer Overhaul — Superyacht Hardstand Refit
Hauled out at GCCM with heavily fouled intakes and bronze sea strainers seized solid, this superyacht received a complete raw-water overhaul — old stainless pipework stripped out, strainer housings refurbished in our workshop with new lids, custom 316 studs fabricated, the stern thruster serviced and a new air-conditioning circulation pump commissioned before relaunch.
When this superyacht came onto the hardstand at Gold Coast City Marina, the story below the waterline told itself: seawater intake grates crusted over with barnacle growth from river berthing, bronze sea strainer housings seized under years of verdigris, and a run of old stainless raw-water pipework that had reached the end of its life. The owner also asked us to look over the starboard main engine's exhaust mixer coupling, which had developed a leak at the flange.
We stripped the old raw-water pipework out completely — the reusable stainless and fittings were cleaned up and handed back for the vessel's own spares stock — and removed the stern thruster's running gear for service. Both sea strainer housings came back to our Coomera workshop, where seized unions were freed with the torch, the castings were machine-cleaned and repainted, and new lids were ordered to replace the scratched originals. Where the old mounting studs had corroded, we fabricated replacements in-house: 316 stainless studs with welded backing plates, matched with new 316 washers.
Reinstallation brought the systems back better than original — refurbished strainers with clear inspection lids, new bronze check and ball valves, and a stainless camlock flush point plumbed into the air-conditioning circuit so future servicing needs no dismantling. A new 150 L/min circulation pump replaced the tired air-con unit, the shell valve behind it was renewed, and the stern thruster went back in with fresh anodes as new Tecnoseal anodes were fitted along the keel. The vessel relaunched at the end of her two-week hardstand window with every raw-water system renewed — and our support continued afterwards, right down to sourcing a replacement strainer lid months later.
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