Frequently Asked Questions

Ocean Connect FZE is a marine services company in Dubai Maritime City. We provide ship repair, dry docking coordination, marine engineering, fabrication and welding, shipbuilding and conversion support, offshore vessel support, barge and tugboat chartering, marine logistics, marine equipment supply and generator rental across UAE ports.

Our office is in the MBC Building, Dubai Maritime City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

We serve Dubai (Dubai Maritime City, Port Rashid, Jebel Ali), Abu Dhabi (Khalifa Port, Mina Zayed, Musaffah), Sharjah (Port Khalid, Hamriyah), Fujairah and the other northern emirates, including vessels at anchorage and offshore.

Yes. Our office is open Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 18:00, and we provide 24/7 support for marine emergencies such as breakdowns and urgent repairs. Call +971 4 572 9519.

Use the quote form on our contact page, email info@oceanconnect.ae or call +971 4 572 9519. Include the vessel name and type, location, required work or equipment, and your timeline. We usually reply within one business day.

We work on offshore supply vessels, AHTS, tugs, barges, workboats, crew boats, dhows, coastal cargo vessels, dredgers, tankers, bulk carriers and yachts.

Our team brings more than 20 years of combined experience in ship repair, marine engineering and marine operations in the UAE.

Yes. We coordinate surveyor attendance and carry out repairs to approved procedures so the work can be accepted by class and flag.

Yes. Many repairs – steelwork above the waterline, piping, machinery and electrical work – can be done afloat, alongside or at anchorage. We assess the scope and advise whether dry docking is needed.

Yes. Ocean Connect provides 24/7 emergency support. Call +971 4 572 9519 and our team will arrange technicians and spares to reach the vessel as quickly as possible.

We are based in Dubai Maritime City and support vessels at Port Rashid, Jebel Ali, Sharjah, Hamriyah, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah ports and anchorages.

We carry out repairs to the approved procedure and coordinate attendance of the vessel’s classification surveyor so that the work can be accepted by class.

For vessels in Dubai Maritime City, Port Rashid and Jebel Ali we can usually mobilise the same day. Anchorage and east-coast jobs depend on launch boat availability, permits and weather; we confirm the arrival time when you call.

Yes. For planned work we send a written quotation with scope, price and timeline. For emergencies we agree the approach and an estimate by phone or email before the team starts.

Most merchant vessels dock twice in each five-year class cycle, at the intermediate and special surveys. The exact interval depends on the flag, class and the vessel type and age.

A routine docking for a small or mid-sized vessel typically takes from several days to a few weeks, depending on steel renewal, blasting and painting scope and survey requirements. We give a schedule with every quotation.

Yes. Our superintendents can represent the owner on site, check work quality, approve additional work and report progress every day.

The vessel particulars, the last docking report, the class survey status and your list of required work. We use these to prepare a specification and request yard prices.

Dubai Maritime City has ship lifts, dry berths and several repair yards in one precinct, and the large Drydocks World facility is close by. We help you choose the facility that suits the vessel size, scope and schedule.

Yes. We can act as the owner’s representative at your chosen yard – reviewing the specification, supervising work and controlling extra work and costs.

Both. Most overhauls are done on board to save time; components such as cylinder heads, pumps or turbochargers can be taken to a workshop when machining is required.

Yes. Through our marine equipment supply service we source genuine and approved alternative spares and deliver them to the vessel in the UAE.

Yes. We carry out technical condition inspections and produce a report covering hull, machinery and systems to support buying decisions.

Yes. Send us your planned maintenance jobs before arrival and we will plan the team, tools and spares so the work fits inside the port stay.

Yes. We help plan and carry out retrofits such as equipment replacement and system upgrades, including coordination with makers and class.

Yes, with a hot-work permit and the necessary gas-free certificates and fire watch. We manage the permits with the vessel and port.

Yes. We repair and fabricate aluminium hulls, superstructures and fittings using suitable procedures and qualified welders.

Yes. Send your drawings or a sketch with dimensions and material and we will quote for fabrication and installation.

Yes. We coordinate non-destructive testing, hydrostatic and pressure tests, and surveyor attendance, and we include the results in the job report.

Yes. Our team can take measurements on board or reverse-engineer from a sample, then confirm dimensions and material with you before fabrication.

Dubai Maritime City yards build and convert barges, workboats, landing craft, small tankers and support vessels, among others. We can advise on the best yard for your project.

Yes. We manage conversions such as adding cranes, accommodation or deck space, including stability calculations and class approval.

It depends on the vessel type, size, design approval and equipment lead times. We give a realistic schedule with the project quotation once the specification is agreed.

Yes. We can work with your designer or coordinate a naval architect for you, and we handle the interface with class and the building yard.

Yes. We mobilise technicians by launch or crew boat to vessels at anchorage or on location, subject to permits and the vessel’s safety procedures.

Yes. We source and deliver spares, consumables and equipment and coordinate customs and transport to the vessel.

We support offshore supply vessels, anchor handling tugs, crew and fast supply boats, accommodation barges, jack-up and lift boats, and survey vessels.

Yes. We inspect the vessel’s condition at the start or end of a charter and provide a report with photos for the owner and charterer.

Yes. Barges and tugs can be chartered by the day, week or month, or for the duration of a project.

The cargo type, weight and dimensions, loading and discharge locations, dates and expected duration. With these we can propose the right barge and tug.

Yes. We arrange tugs and plan tows between UAE ports and, where permitted, to other Gulf ports.

A flat-top barge is a deck cargo barge used to carry equipment and materials. A spud barge has vertical steel legs (spuds) that are lowered to the seabed to hold it in position, making it a stable platform for marine construction.

Yes. Crane barges and barges with crawler cranes on deck can be arranged, subject to availability and the lifting plan.

Yes. We deliver spares and stores to vessels at anchorage using launch boats, subject to port and weather conditions.

Yes. We coordinate clearance of spares for vessels in transit and deliver them to the ship.

Yes. We can hold and consolidate spares for a short period and deliver everything together when the vessel arrives.

Yes. We deliver to vessels at UAE ports and anchorages including Jebel Ali, Sharjah, Hamriyah, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi.

Yes. We supply genuine OEM parts and, when the owner agrees, approved alternative parts that offer shorter lead times or lower cost.

Items in stock locally can often be delivered the same or next day. Imported items depend on the manufacturer’s lead time and shipping; we confirm this in the quotation.

The maker, model and serial number of the equipment, the part numbers or drawings, and the quantity. A nameplate photo helps us identify the correct part.

Yes. We supply life-saving and fire-fighting equipment and safety items to help vessels prepare for inspections and surveys.

Yes. We deliver rental generators to vessels in dry dock and alongside in Dubai Maritime City and can support the connection.

Generators can be rented by the day. Weekly and monthly rates are available for longer periods.

Cables and distribution boards can be supplied on request. Tell us the distance and connection point and we will advise what is needed.

We service the generator and provide breakdown support during the rental period. Refuelling can be arranged on request.

An afloat repair is carried out while the vessel is in the water – alongside a berth or at anchorage – instead of in dry dock. It saves dock costs and off-hire time for work that does not require access below the waterline.

Dubai Maritime City, Port Rashid, Jebel Ali, Sharjah, Hamriyah, Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi ports and anchorages.

Yes. We send teams and materials by launch boat to vessels at east coast anchorages, subject to port permission and weather.

Yes. For longer jobs we can arrange a riding team that sails with the vessel and completes the work between ports, subject to the owner’s and flag requirements.

Not usually. We plan the repair around cargo, bunkering and crew change, and agree any equipment isolation with the chief engineer.

Topsides, decks and superstructures can be painted afloat. Underwater hull blasting and antifouling require dry docking.

Antifouling is normally renewed at each dry docking, typically every 30 to 60 months depending on the coating system and trading pattern.

Grit blasting uses abrasive media to clean steel and create a surface profile. Hydro blasting uses very high-pressure water, which avoids abrasive dust and is often used for maintenance or where existing profile can be reused.

Yes. We coordinate blasting and coating of ballast, fresh water and cargo tanks, with ventilation, dehumidification and access arranged for safe work.

Yes. We service and repair main and emergency switchboards, breakers and starters, and coordinate specialist testing where required.

Yes. We install and wire navigation and communication equipment and coordinate commissioning with the equipment maker where required.

Yes. We diagnose and repair engine room alarm, monitoring and control systems, and coordinate with the system maker for software or specialist parts when needed.

Yes. We carry out electrical overhauls, motor servicing and cabling work during dry dockings and refits, alongside the other repair trades.