Pier & Afloat Ship Repair Services in Vietnam

VNS – Vietnam Ship Services Company provides pier and afloat ship repair for foreign-flagged vessels calling at ports and anchorages across Vietnam. Our repair teams board your vessel at the berth or at anchor and carry out mechanical, structural and electrical repairs while the vessel remains afloat. Where the work scope is suitable for afloat execution, this avoids drydocking, deviation and unnecessary off-hire time.

Founded in 2015, VNS operates from its head office in Ho Chi Minh City and a branch in Hai Phong, allowing us to mobilise technicians, tools and materials to ports in the north, centre and south of the country. We work for ship owners, ship managers, technical superintendents and ship agents who need defects rectified within the vessel’s port stay – from planned voyage repairs to urgent breakdowns that must be fixed before departure.

Repairs at the Berth and at Anchor

Afloat repair means the work is done on board while the vessel stays where it is trading, rather than in a shipyard. In Vietnam this takes two forms, and we plan each job around the vessel’s actual location.

Pier Repairs at the Berth

When the vessel is alongside, our team, equipment and materials reach the ship directly from the quay. This suits heavier jobs such as steel renewal, machinery overhauls and component removal for workshop repair, and the work is scheduled around cargo operations so the berth window is not extended.

Afloat Repairs at Anchorage

At anchorages – including bulk anchorages such as Cam Pha and Hon Gai, where vessels load and discharge directly at anchor via barges and floating cranes – our technicians, tools and materials are transferred by launch. Work is carried out during cargo operations or while the vessel waits, and parts that need workshop machining are taken ashore and returned to the ship.

Afloat Ship Repair Services We Provide

Our pier and afloat repair scope covers the main systems on board bulk carriers, container ships, general cargo vessels and tankers.

Hull, Structural & Cargo Hold Repairs

Emergency and permanent steelwork repairs
Side shell plate cropping and renewal
Cargo hold and hatch cover repairs
Container deck socket and lashing eye renewal
Ventilation trunk renewal
Cement discharge hole cutting for cement carriers
Ladder, railing and walkway repairs

Engine Room & Machinery

Main and auxiliary engine repairs and overhauls
Generator overhauls
Pump repair and overhaul
Pipe repair and renewal, including sea water overboard and auxiliary engine pipelines
Boiler and economizer repairs
Air compressor repairs
Turbocharger overhaul – see Turbocharger Maintenance and Overhaul
Piston crown, crankshaft and component reconditioning – see Recondition Engine Spares and Components

Deck Machinery, Cargo Gear & Load Testing

Windlass and mooring winch repairs
Anchor and anchor chain works
Winch platform renewal
Hydraulic motor and pump repair and overhaul
Deck crane and provision crane load testing
Rubber conveyor belt splicing and repair

Electrical & Automation Systems

Electrical fault finding and repairs
Electric motor repair and rewinding, including windlass motors
Troubleshooting of shipboard systems

Navigation & Communication Equipment

Repairs to bridge navigation and communication equipment are handled by our electronics technicians. Full details are on our Navigation Repair Services page.

Related Specialist Services

Many afloat repair jobs are combined with inspection or underwater work during the same port call. VNS can arrange these alongside your repair scope:

Diving and Underwater Inspection (UWI & UWC) – hull inspection, hull cleaning, propeller polishing and sea chest cleaning
Non-Destructive Testing – NDT of welds and repaired steelwork
FFE Annual Inspection – inspection and servicing of fixed fire-fighting systems and equipment

How We Handle Your Afloat Repair

Enquiry and defect review – send us the defect list, photos and the vessel’s port and ETA. Our engineers review the scope and confirm what can be done afloat within the port stay.
Quotation and planning – we provide a quotation and work plan, scheduled around cargo operations and the vessel’s departure time.
Port formalities – we arrange crew boarding and the movement of tools, materials and parts with the Harbour Master, Port Authority, Immigration and Customs, drawing on long-standing working relationships at terminals and anchorages across Vietnam.
Mobilisation – technicians, equipment and materials reach the vessel by road at the berth or by launch at anchorage.
Repair and coordination – work is carried out in cooperation with the ship’s crew and, where the repair requires class approval, with the attending surveyor of the vessel’s classification society, who inspects and accepts the completed work.
Completion – the work is tested and handed over to the Chief Engineer or Master, and a service report is issued for your records.

Ports and Anchorages We Cover

VNS provides pier and afloat repairs at major ports and anchorages from the north to the south of Vietnam. Each location page below explains the vessel types, cargo and services relevant to that port. See the full list on our Port Call Services page.