Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard has received the damaged Navy guided missile cruiser Port Royal into drydock.

The operation had been expected to take place tonight. The Port Royal, which was drydocked between October and January for regular maintenance, is expected to be in drydock for months of repairs after the 9,600-ton warship ran aground off Honolulu airport on Feb. 5.

The bow sonar dome and struts, shafts and propellers at the stern were heavily damaged in the three-and-a-half days the 567-foot ship was aground on rock and sand in 17 to 22 feet of water.

The grounding occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on the first day of sea trials and while the ship was transferring sailors, contractors and shipyard workers to shore via small boat. The Navy is investigating the grounding, and some have speculated the Port Royal was east of the spot where such transfers normally occur.

The ship underwent $18 million in repairs during the recent drydocking at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The hull was repainted, the propellers and hubs were replaced, the rudders and sonar dome were repaired, and the shafts were refurbished.

Workers in the shipyard, the state's largest industrial employer, are expecting lots of overtime as repairs are made. The Navy said a cost estimate for the damage has not been determined.

Port Royal was drydocked on Oct. 15 with the frigate Crommelin, instead of docking the ships separately, saving the Navy $100,000 and enabling repairs to be made sooner to Crommelin.