Responding to an emergency call for an AHT in Port Louis anchorage. The Master reported having major steering issues after a towing operation of an Oil Rig to Port Louis harbor. The underwater inspection carried out by the dive team of Immersub showed that the rudder was blocked in a position due to hydraulic piston failure.
Based on the scheduled dry-docking of the AHT, the ship manager decided to conduct a temporary repair operation for allowing the vessel to sail and get into dry-dock as scheduled. The team was then instructed to cut the hydraulic steering piston to free the rudder and allow the AHT to fulfill its commitment. After 12 consecutive hours of operation, the AHT was able to sail again.