Cracks have been found on the rudders of a number of VLCCs delivered by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in the past 18 months, prompting some owners of about 35 ships of the same design to have them inspected and in some cases repaired.
Two in-service tankers have been repaired and one is understood to be undergoing work to replace steel on the rudder and sealant around an inspection window after metre-long cracks were found.
