MARINE SURVEYING AND CASUALTY

INVESTIGATION
SUBJECT: SUBJECT CODE: 4409
LECTURE-1

BORNALI RAHMAN
LECTURER
SHIPPING AND MARITIME SCIENCE
 INTRODUCTION TO MARINE SURVEYING

Contents
• Marine surveying company
•Market and Client Base
•Laws and conventions relating to marine
surveying
•Types of marine survey
INTRODUCTION TO MARINE SURVEYING
Marine surveying company
 Marine surveying company

Marine Surveyor:
Marine surveyors perform inspections of vessels of all types including pleasure craft, passenger
vessels, tugboats, fishing boats, barges, dredges, oil rigs, ferries, cargo vessels and warships, as well
as marine cargo ,marine engines and facilities such as canals, dry-docks, loading docks and more for
the purpose of pre-purchase evaluation, insurance eligibility, insurance claim resolution and
regulation compliance.
Marine Consultant:
A Marine consultant is a professional working in the maritime industry who offers his expertise and
advice in various aspects such as planning and design of nautical facilities such as ports, shipyards,
and terminals or devising optimized trade routes or solutions to various problems/issues of the
companies or individuals in the industry.
 Marine surveying company

Difference between Marine Surveyor and Marine Consultant:

The role of the marine surveyor is to carry out a marine inspection/survey and to
issue a factual report to the client which records his findings.
The consultant may do the same but, if and when asked will offer his advice, opinion
or calculations based on his knowledge and experience to corroborate his findings.
Another difference which may be considered is that a marine consultant is usually
appointed to investigate the ‘cause, nature and extent of the damage. Marine
consultants’ reports and opinions are legal documents ans so certain protocols and
precautions must be taken when writing them.
Marine surveying company

FIG: PROBABLE CAREER PATH

Marine surveying company
What are the Duties of a Marine Surveyor

Vessel Inspection: Marine surveyors can inspect all types of ships, right from
pleasure yachts that are under 20 meters, all the way up to tankers measuring over
200 meters. To ensure proper functioning and disbursement of duties, there are a
number of different responsibilities that these surveyors are required to fulfill.

Responsibility of pre-purchase survey: The primary responsibility of a marine

surveyor is conducting thorough and extensive surveys of a ship. Prior to delivery,
a complete analysis of the entire vessel must be carried out, as this determines the
initial seaworthiness of the vessel.

Maritime arbitration and insurance related survey responsibility: While playing an

important role in maritime arbitration and insurance, it also lets the ship-owner
know that the vessel they are receiving is in the best possible condition.

Equipment inspection responsibility: Another responsibility of a marine surveyor

is to ensure that machinery and equipment are functioning as required. This
includes essential components such as engines, communications and navigation.
It also requires emergency and safety equipment to be checked under realistic
operating conditions. The surveyor must witness the tests taking place and should
also ascertain that any generated reports fall within the acceptable standards.
Marine surveying company
What are the Duties of a Marine Surveyor
Cargo loading responsibility: Along with inspections, surveyors must ascertain the load
regulations and limits that have been calculated for a vessel. Gross tonnage and
deadweight tonnage (DWT) are to be cross-checked with the values stored in the stability
handbook of the ship. Checking the load lines and draft markers are also required, as
some companies may attempt to overload their ships. The surveyor assists in load line
assignments and checks weight distribution as well.

Maritime Accident investigation: The next duty that surveyors are required to perform is
the investigation of maritime accidents. This could be as a part of an insurance
organization, or from the ship owners’ side. When it comes to claiming marine insurance,
ascertaining the condition of the ship prior to the accident is important. Determining the
extent of the damage is also required. For this, marine surveyors consult reports of the
vessel before the accident. In case of being submerged, salvage operations may be
required. Prior to commencing a salvage, surveys may also be conducted to ensure that
the wreck can be safely moved without damage to both the vessel and the surrounding
biosphere. These marine surveyors can also be employed by Protection and Indemnity
(P&I) insurance companies to work as third-party specialists for ascertaining damage
compensation.

Work as a expert witness: In case of an accident, a marine surveyor will be required to

investigate the occurrence from an official capacity as deemed by a relevant court of
maritimelaw. They report to the court in all matters pertaining to the condition and
performance of the ship. They also act as expert witnesses who can provide a clear
picture of the condition of the ship. In case of any deaths, the surveyor may have to
assist the coroner in ascertaining probable causes and locations of demise. Thus,
marine surveyors also play an important role in maritime law and serve as advisors to a
 Marine surveying company
What are the Duties of a Marine Surveyor?

Responsibility of maritime asset evaluation: surveyors can also be

tasked with a fair and unbiased evaluation of maritime assets. When
buying a ship from another party, it would be wise to engage a marine
surveyor to determine the condition of the boat that you are receiving.
In case you wish to sell a ship, surveyors provide a realistic figure for
the market value of the ship, known as the Fair Market Value that is
from an unbiased analysis. During damage reports or component
replacements, marine surveyors may also determine the expected costs
to be incurred while accounting for various factors in the industry.

Other surveys: During the life of the vessel, various surveys are carried out for different reasons. This
could be annual surveys that are used to study the vessel performance on a yearly basis. Or there could
be interim surveys that are intended to inspect specific parts of a ship. In case of registration or other
formalities, special surveys can also be conducted. Some of the other duties that marine surveyors can
perform include:
1. Marine warranty surveys
2. Charter surveys
3. Flag state surveys
4. Offshore structural surveys
5. Hull and equipment surveys
6. Cargo surveys
Marine surveying company
The Different Types of Surveyors

•Cargo surveyor

•Classification Surveyor

•Government surveyors

•A yacht and small craft (Y&SC) surveyor

•Insurance and warranty surveyor

•Independent Surveyor
 Market and Client Base

Relationship Between Surveyor & Clients

“Client” is the party at whose request or on whose behalf marine-surveyors undertakes
surveying services.

“Report” means any report or statement supplied by marine-surveyors in connection with

instructions received from the Client.

“Disbursements” means the cost of all reasonable photography, reproduction of

drawings, diagrams, sketches and printing, duplicating and, where applicable, electronic
transmission fees, and all reasonable and appropriate expenses including travel,
refreshments and hotel accommodation where an overnight stay is necessary.

"Fees" means the fees charged by marine-surveyors to the Client and including any value
added tax where applicable and any Disbursements
 
 Market and Client Base

FIG: MARINE SURVEYOR’S MARKET AND CLIENT

 Laws and conventions relating to marine surveying
IMO Conventions, Codes

Conventions:
SOLAS, MARPOL, Load Lines, Tonnage 69, COLREG 72, AFS 2001, BWM 2004 , etc;
Codes:
ISM, ISPS, HSC 1994/2000, IBC/BHC, IGC/GC, MODU, SPS, 2011 ESP,RO Codes, etc;
Other instruments (for updated list of non-mandatory instruments, refer to GISIS Module on      non-
mandatory instruments
 
Investigation guide line as per IMO
Under SOLAS regulation I/21 and MARPOL articles 8 and 12, each Administration undertakes to
conduct an investigation into any casualty occurring to ships under its flag subject to those
conventions and to supply the IMO with pertinent information concerning the findings of such
investigations. Article 23 of the Load Lines Convention also requires the investigation of casualties. ​
The Code of International Standards and Recommended Practices for a Safety Investigation into a
Marine Casualty or Marine Incident (Casualty Investigation Code) requires a marine safety
investigation to be conducted into every “very serious marine casualty”, defined as a marine casualty
involving the total loss of the ship or a death or severe damage to the environment.
 Types of Marine Survey

Marine Survey is the critical examination or inspection of a marine vessel or its cargo, or equipment
for a particular purpose of ascertaining facts regarding the condition or the condition of something or
to provide exact information to determine its status, responsibility for damage and disposition to be
made.
•Cargo: Cargo and casualty investigation, draft and ullage.
•Hull and machinery : Machinery and hull structure
•Yacht: Pleasure craft and small craft
•Naval Architect: Stability, structure, and design.
Other types of marine survey:
•Pre-shipment inspections of commodities facilitating trades
•Classification Survey for insurance purpose
•Surveys concerning the maintenance of Vessel for statutory purpose
•Surveys carried out for chartering
•Sale and purchase contracts