Thordon Bearings, a manufacturer of seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearings, will present its Thordon – Blue Ocean Stern Space (T-BOSS) shaftline concept at SMM 2026.
The T-BOSS system replaces the conventional sterntube with a dry chamber, allowing inspection and maintenance of a single seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing and seal from inside the vessel without withdrawing the shaft in drydock. According to Thordon, the oil-free arrangement simplifies conventional shaftline design by eliminating both lubricating oil and the sterntube.
In addition to eliminating lubricating oil, the company states that operators can save more than US$1 million in lifetime operating costs while removing the risk of environmental penalties associated with sterntube oil leakage.
The shorter shaftline also creates additional design opportunities, allowing either increased cargo capacity or the installation of a shaft generator in the additional engine room space to improve fuel efficiency and Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) performance.
The T-BOSS system is based on Thordon’s COMPAC seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearings, which, according to the company, are installed on more than 500 tankers, bulk carriers, dry cargo vessels, ferries, cruise ships and container ships. Thordon also offers a Lifetime COMPAC Bearing Wearlife Guarantee.
T-BOSS was developed in cooperation with ABS, ship designer CSSC-SDARI, Wärtsilä Shaft Line Solutions and the National Technical University of Athens.
Hall A4, Booth 123
