KEEL BLOCK

OUR KEEL BLOCK RANGE

Conventional keel blocks used for ship dry docking tend to be dumb concrete or timber cubes. These are
suitable for supporting the vessel keel, however do not offer a way of removing them from under the
vessel. In essence, once the ship is sitting on conventional keel blocks they cannot be removed. This can
cause an issue when work is required to be carried out to the vessel keel such as maintenance, repair and
painting. To overcome this problem, Malin have developed the Keel Block which allows the vessel to be
docked on blocks that both support the vessel in docking and are removable where required.

The Keel Blocks incorporate lead screws and locking nuts which allow the height of the Keel Block to be
adjusted with the aid of hydraulic jacks. When the vessel is in dry dock and sitting atop a row of Keel Block,
individual Block can be lowered. This is done by applying load on the hydraulic jacks and compressing the
rubber on top, releasing the locking nuts and then lowering the top plate of the Block. The Keel Block can
then be removed as required. Reinstatement of the Keel Block is carried out by reversing the procedure
and they can be reinstalled at the same load as they were previously supporting to ensure consistent load
spread throughout the length of the hull.

It should be noted that the hydraulic cylinders are removable and therefore one set of 4 cylinders can
accommodate a full set of Keel Blocks.
Keel Blocks come in two forms: singular or incorporated.
• Singular Keel Blocks are those that are designed to offer the full required height of the keel supports,
these tend to be between 0.8 and 1.5 metres in height.
• Incorporated Keel Blocks are designed to be used in conjunction with existing keel blocks and are
designed to have a much smaller height. These tend to be positioned atop existing keel blocks thus
reducing the required material of the Keel Block.

Malinequipment.com
 STANDARD KEEL BLOCK RANGE
Product Code SWL (Tonne)
MA-KB-050 50
MA-KB-075 75
MA-KB-100 100
MA-KB-150 150
MA-KB-300 300
MA-KB-500 500

Malinequipment.com