Just as the Drydock Magazine celebrates its 40th anniversary, Thordon Bearings also marks a significant milestone. It is 40 years since the Canadian company retrofitted its first water-lubricated tailshaft bearing to a Great Lakes operating vessel: the 1954-built 15,279dwt self-unloading bulk carrier SS Scott Misener 2. The vessel was drydocked in the late 70s for a major refit, which included the conversion of its existing lignum vitae bearings to Thordon’s XL elastomeric tailshaft bearing material, which was then relatively new.
The Scott Misener conversion, the largest early fitting of a Thordon XL bearing to a Great Lakes vessel, kick-started a number of bearing conversions on large Great Lakes operating vessels, which mushroomed in the mid-2000s. Today, all Great Lakes operating newbuilds are now specified with water-lubricated propeller shaft bearings, while 70% of existing tonnage has been converted to operate either the company’s award-winning COMPAC or RiverTough bearing products.
Happy Birthday Drydock.
