Tanker repairs to top $400,000

New Zealand navy tanker NZHMS Endeavour is expected to be back at sea in two weeks after a $400,000 repair job Photo / Getty Images

The navy is facing a $400,000 repair bill for its tanker and supply ship Endeavour which broke down soon after leaving Auckland on its way to western Australia in April.

The 138-metre, 7300 tonne ship began burning excessive oil in its 5300 horsepower Mann Burmeister & Wain diesel engine and was forced to return its Devonport base.

When engineers stripped it down they found three of the 12 cylinders were glazed, meaning the seal between the cylinder walls and pistons was not effective and the engine used excessive oil.

The navy ordered four new cylinder liners from the manufacturer in Europe and installed three, keeping one as a spare, Commander Phil Eagle, the navy's operational support officer, told NZPA.

He said engineers were rebuilding the engine and the ship was expected to be back at sea undergoing trials in two weeks.

The ship was built in South Korea for the navy at a cost of $27 million in 1988 and was one of the busiest in the navy, one officer describing it as "worth its weight in gold."

It is due to be replaced in 2018 costing about $250 million.

The Endeavour is the third naval vessel to bear that after Captain James Cook's barque Endeavour which he sailed to New Zealand in 1769 on his first voyage of discovery.

- NZPA