Shaft alignment, coupling alignment and generator alignment measured properly — afloat or in the dock — with mount and chocking work, vibration assessment and a signed measurement report.
A shaft line that is out by a few hundredths of a millimetre feels like nothing at the helm and behaves like a hammer inside the gearbox. Misalignment shows up as stern tube and seal wear, hot or noisy bearings, coupling bolt fatigue, gearbox output-shaft damage, cracked engine mounts and vibration that crew simply learn to live with. It is one of the cheapest things to measure and one of the most expensive to ignore.
We align main engines to gearboxes and shaft lines, and generator sets to their alternators, on superyachts and commercial vessels. Every job ends with numbers on paper.
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pre-checks | Vessel condition noted: afloat or ashore, fuel and water state, hull temperature, time since launch. Alignment is only meaningful with the conditions recorded. |
| Coupling measurement | Radial and axial run-out, gap and sag measured with dial gauges, feeler gauges or laser equipment across four positions. |
| Bearing and mount survey | Shaft bearing wear, stern tube and seal condition, mount height, compression and cracking, chock condition and bolt torque. |
| Correction | Mount height and lateral position adjusted, mounts renewed where required, resin or steel chocks fitted, bolts torqued to specification. |
| Verification | Re-measurement to manufacturer tolerance, then a running check for vibration and temperature under load. |
| Report | Before and after figures, tolerances, parts fitted and observations — signed and dated for the vessel's file. |
Genset alignment gets forgotten because the set is bolted together at the factory. Rubber mounts age, frames flex, and coupling wear then shows up as bearing failures and cracked flexible elements. We align engine to alternator, check mounts and coupling elements, and confirm the result under electrical load — see generator service and repair.
Yes, and for many vessels afloat is the more representative condition. What matters is that the hull has settled and the loading state is recorded, so results are comparable between checks.
It depends on the coupling and gearbox specification — commonly in the range of a few hundredths of a millimetre per 100 mm of coupling diameter. We work to the figures published for your specific gearbox and coupling, not to a generic rule.
A measurement and report on one shaft line is typically a single day. Correction work with mount renewal or chocking usually adds one to three days, plus resin cure time where resin chocks are used.
Yes — a signed before-and-after measurement report with tolerances, conditions and parts fitted.
Yes. Vibration can come from propeller damage or imbalance, a bent shaft, worn bearings, engine misfire or mount failure. We measure before concluding, so you are not paying to re-align a shaft when the real fault is a damaged blade.
Send the details below and you will hear back from an engineer, not a call centre. For a vessel that is stranded or on a tight departure slot, call +31 6 20743967 or message us on WhatsApp.
Alignment problems destroy couplings, seals and bearings quietly and expensively. Get it measured before the damage spreads.
Alignment is the final step of any engine re-installation.
→ Read more RepairVibration and noise diagnosed against the whole drivetrain.
→ Read more GeneratorsAlignment, load testing and fault finding on auxiliary sets.
→ Read more