(4)

LATEST AND UPCOMING

CHANGES
IN CLASS RULES
OF
MAJOR IACS MEMBER
CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY
1) ESP - Enhanced Survey Programme

2) CSR - Continuous Synopsis Record

3) UWILD - Underwater Inspections in lieu of Dry

Docking

4) SRTP - Safe Return To Port

 (1)
What is Enhanced

Survey Programme

(ESP)?
The way ships are maintained has changed since last decade or two.
Rarely will it happen that a seafarer completes his contract without the ship going
through any survey or inspection.
It is now surveys and inspections all the way.
We have one or more surveys and inspections to cover each element of the ship.
For example, surveys for safety equipment certificate ensures that ship’s safety
equipments are maintained in the way these should be.
Safety construction, load line certificate surveys deal with the construction part of the
ship.
So where does “Enhanced survey programme” fit in all this and why do we have this?
To understand that let us briefly go to the history of the enhanced survey programme.
Why Enhanced Survey Programme?
The Enhanced survey programme is applicable for bulk carriers and oil tankers.
Definitely, IMO found something grossly wrong with these ships. Something so wrong
that they had to bring more stringent regulation for these type of ships.
So many ships and lives lost !!! All because something was
wrong with either the design of the ship or with the
maintenance of the ship.

During this period, the number of oil tankers lost may not be
as many as bulk carriers but oil tankers were included for the
requirements of ESP because of cargo these carry.

Following these incidents, more and more P&I clubs started to

question the quality of surveys done by the classification
societies.
In 1993, IACS introduced Enhanced survey program
for more close up inspections of these ships.
But then again In 1994 alone, 12 bulk carriers were
lost in the sea.

This made the IMO to take special measures and to

adopt a new SOLAS chapter (Chapter XI-1) to
enhance maritime safety.

Among other requirements, this new chapter required

bulk carriers and oil tankers to go through enhanced
survey program.
What is Enhanced Survey Programme?
Enhanced survey programme is a guideline for
shipping companies and owners to prepare
their ships for special surveys to maintain the
safety of the vessel while at sea or at a port. A
survey programme (a Planning document for
surveying and paperwork) is to be developed
by the owner and is to be submitted to the
recognised authorities such as classification
societies, 6 months before the survey.
Enhanced Survey programme is developed in such a way that
it can be integrated with other surveys which are performed
at following intervals:

–    Annual

–    Intermediate Survey

–    Dry Dock Survey

–    Renewal Survey

For a company to comply and perform an ESP or an enhanced
survey program, it needs to design an enhanced survey
programme, which must include the step by step planning to
implement the special survey. It can be said that the ESP is
conducted to check the watertight integrity of the ship by
inspecting the following areas of the ship:
–    Close-up survey of the structures such as Shell, frames,
bulkheads etc.
–    Thickness measurement of hull
–    Inspecting and Testing of Cargo Tanks
–    Inspecting and Testing of Ballast Tanks
–    Inspection and Testing of Hatch Covers and Coamings
–    Inspecting and Testing fuel tanks, side and double
bottom
Tanks
What to check in ESP?
Ship’s structural damage or deformation
Corrosion
Condition of Hull
Pitting
Condition of Coating
Watertight Integrity of ship
After the survey, following reports are made by the
inspector, whose copies are to be kept and
maintained onboard as part of necessary
documentation:

1.Reports of structural surveys

2.Condition evaluation report

3.Thickness measurement reports

As mentioned earlier, the Enhance Survey Programme
(ESP) is designed to monitor the different types of
ships listed below for their construction and safe
operation:
Oil tankers which are single and double hull:
Oil tankers constructed with integral tanks and are
intended primarily to carry oil in bulk. The oil tankers
can be of both single and double hull construction, as
well as tankers with alternative structural
arrangements, e.g. mid-deck designs.
Single and double-side skin bulk carriers: Ships with a
single deck, double bottom, hopper side tanks and topside
tanks and with single or double side skin construction in cargo
length area and intended primarily to carry dry cargoes in
bulk.
Ore carriers: Ore Carriers with a single deck, two
longitudinal bulkheads and a double bottom throughout the
cargo length area and intended primarily to carry ore cargoes
in the centre holds only.
Combination carriers (OBO ship): Combination ship are
constructed with a single deck, two longitudinal bulkheads
and a double bottom throughout the cargo length area and
intended primarily to carry ore cargoes in the centre holds or
of oil cargoes in the centre holds and wing tanks.
Chemical tankers: The Chemical tanker ship with integral tanks
and intended primarily to carry chemicals in bulk. They can be of single
or double hull construction, as well as tankers with alternative structural
arrangements.
A new chapter XI is added for special measures to enhance maritime
safety under this resolution. According to these guidelines, it has 2
Annexes:
Annex A: Guidelines on enhancing survey programme of inspection
during survey of bulk carrier.
Annex B: Guidelines on enhancing survey programme of inspection
during survey of oil tankers.
Each annex A & B has 9 chapters which are almost similar. The only
dissimilarities being operational and constructional aspects of both type
of vessels i.e. oil tankers and bulk carriers.
The chapters can be briefly described as:
Chapter 1: General application, documentation onboard to
be completed prior to the inspection which is to be served as
basis for surveys.
Chapter 2: Describes how Enhanced survey to be carried out
during the periodical surveys along with timings and conduct
of enhance surveys and requirements of dry-docking.
Chapter 3: Describes enhanced inspection carried out during
annual surveys which includes cargo holds and tank pressure
testing.
Chapter 4: Deals with intermediate surveys in addition to the
annual survey requirements.
Chapter 5: Discuss the needed preparation for surveys, condition and
equipment for surveys, access to the surveyed structure and conduct of
survey at sea or at anchor
Chapter 6: Immediate and thorough repairs to damages and wastages.
Chapter 7: Discuss the requirement of onboard documents supplied
and maintained by the owner that must be available to the surveyor and
requirements for survey report file, supporting documents, review of
document by surveyor.
Chapter 8: Discuss the process of reporting and evaluation of survey,
acceptability and continued structural integrity, a condition evaluation
report of the survey and results to be issued to the owner.
Chapter 9: Reporting and evaluation of surveys, acceptable and
continued structural integrity; a condition evaluation report of the
survey and results to be issued to the owner.
These are the chapters mentioned in both the Annexes. To know more
about ESP refers SOLAS.
What are the Inspection Interval and Requirements under
ESP?
♣    On bulk carrier ships and tanker ships of 20,000 tons deadweight
and above, at least two class surveyors must carry out the special survey
once the vessel is 10 years old during all the renewal surveys.
♣     On single side skin bulk carriers of 100,000 tons deadweight and
above, at least two exclusive Surveyors must jointly perform the
Intermediate Survey between 10 and 15 years of ships’ age
♣    The survey in the dry-dock to be integrated as a part of the renewal
survey with a minimum of two inspections of the outside of the ship’s
bottom during the five-year period of the certificate. In all cases, the
maximum interval between bottom inspections should not exceed 36
months.
♣    For a new ship, the renewal survey can be started at the
fourth annual survey and can be progressed during the
succeeding year with an aim to complete the survey by the
fifth-anniversary date. The thickness measurement should not
be held before the fourth annual survey.

♣    In any survey, i.e. renewal, intermediate, annual or other

surveys having the scope of the preceding ones, thickness
measurements of structures in areas where close-up surveys
are required should be carried out simultaneously with close-
up surveys.
How to inspect

For ships of 15 years of age and over, inspection of the outside of the ship’s bottom
should be carried out with the ship in dry-dock. For ships of less than 15 years of age,
alternate inspections of the ship’s bottom not conducted in conjunction with the
renewal survey may be carried out with the ship afloat.

In any kind of survey, i.e. renewal, intermediate, annual or other surveys having the
scope of the foregoing ones, thickness measurements of structures in areas where
close-up surveys are required should be carried out simultaneously with close-up
surveys

I have just given a couple of bullet points about what these guidelines are.

If you get your hands on ESP code, you will see that these guidelines provide much
more details than this.
It covers the minimum requirements for the inspection of ship’s hull and structure during each type
of survey. The structures like
•Cargo holds and hatch covers
•All pipings
•Ballast tanks
•All Hull plating
•Watertight bulkheads
It also guides about the extent the inspection (overall survey or close up survey) for each of these
elements during these surveys.
The overall survey is intended to report the overall condition of the hull structure. For example, as
per ESP code during the annual surveys, the overall survey of the cargo tanks need to be carried
out.
This would mean that surveyor needs to do the good visual inspection of the cargo hold.

Close up survey is a survey where the details of structural components are within the
close visual inspection range of the surveyor, i.e. normally within reach of hand.
Again as per ESP code, a Close-up survey of cargo holds is required during renewal
survey. So during renewal survey, each part of cargo hold need to be in hand reach range
of the surveyor.
So shipowner may need to arrange for scaffolding in the cargo holds.
Now that we know few things about ESP, let us understand the process involved in the
ESP.
1. Survey Programme
ESP code requires that a survey programme is developed before
the renewal survey.
The survey programme document gives the complete detail of
what needs to be inspected and what resources are required
to conduct the survey.
Survey programme gives the inspecting surveyor a written plan
to follow.
Survey programme is sometimes also called “Survey planning
document”.
The purpose of this planning document is to identify the hull
related critical areas that must be inspected during the renewal
survey of the ship.
But how these critical areas are identified? These few
resources help in identifying these critical areas.

i) ESP Code

ESP code has detailed instruction on the minimum criteria for

inspection during each of the statutory survey.
For example, Annex 1 of the ESP code defines the requirements for the close-up survey during
renewal survey of the ship.
 Similarly, Annex 2 of the ESP code defines the requirements for the thickness measurement
during renewal survey of the ship.

                                                                                                                         

So the guidelines given in the ESP code becomes the first resource on the basis of what
“Survey programme” or “Survey planning document” is developed.
ii) Survey planning Questionnaire
Before survey programme is developed, the ship owner is required to complete a 
survey planning questionnaire.
Ship owner is supposed to provide information on
Any hull related deficiencies identified during PSC inspections of the ship
Any hull related non-conformities issued during SMS audits
Cargo carried history of the ship to get the information on how frequently corrosive
cargoes are carried that has the potential to damage the coating.
The condition of the coating as per the ship owners inspection of the ship spaces.
The ship owner’s response on this questionnaire is considered while developing the
survey programme for the ship.
For example, if in the survey planning questionnaire it is noted that cargo hold #1 has
carried high sulphur coal very frequently, this hold may be subjected to more strict
inspection.
In this case, survey programme would include more areas for a close-up inspection
and thickness measurement of cargo hold # 1, above the minimum requirements of
ESP code.
iii) Damage history

There is this one last information that is taken into account while
developing the survey programme for the ship.

This is damage history.

Not only for the ship in question but also for the sister ships.

If the ship or its sister ships have suffered frequent damage of one
particular area, that area is identified for more close up inspection
during the renewal survey.
iv) General damage trends in the industry

Survey programme also takes into account general ship

damage trends in the industry.

For example, let us say in short span of time a number of

bulk carriers have sunk because of cracks at the midship
area.

The more close up inspection and thickness measurement

(over and above the minimum requirements as per ESP code)
will be included in the survey programme.
v) Critical areas and suspect areas

Survey programme takes into account any critical

areas and suspect areas. These areas are identified
from the previous inspections or previous thickness
measurement reports.

For example during previous renewal survey, if certain

areas are identified as having substantial corrosion,
these areas will be considered as suspect areas.
Once all the data is available, a specific survey programme is developed
for the ship.
2. Survey planning meeting
Once survey programme is established, it is time for executing the
survey programme.
Survey planning meeting is the first step in executing the survey
programme.
Survey planning meeting is held before the renewal or
intermediate survey is commenced. As the renewal survey is carried out
during dry docking of the ship, this meeting will be carried out just
before the dry dock.
This meeting is between the attending class surveyors, ship owners,
and master/chief engineer of the ship and thickness measurement
company.
The main agenda of this meeting is to discuss the
Schedule of the ship
execution of thickness measurement, such as when the holds/tanks will
be ready for thickness measurement.
the extent of close up survey
In short, the content of the survey programme becomes the agenda for
3. Conducting the survey

After the survey planning meeting, the 

survey is carried out as agreed and as per survey programme and
minutes of survey planning meeting.

Thickness measurement company will carry out the thickness

measurement of the agreed areas.

The person carrying out the thickness measurement will usually

highlight any structure related concern he finds while carrying the UT
gauging to the class surveyor and the ship owner’s representative
(usually superintendent).

Based on this, the class surveyor may extend the scope of thickness
measurement.
4. Survey Reporting
Once the survey is complete, it is time for creating the report
for the survey that will show the summary of all the surveys
done and its outcome.
The reports that need to be generated are
Condition evaluation report
As the name suggests, this report gives the complete report
of the renewal survey conducted for the ship.
For example, it would give the actual condition of the tank
coating.
As per the ESP code, the condition of the tank coating need to
be defined as any one of these
Good
Fair
Poor
If a condition of class is issued to the ship as a result of renewal survey, the details of
the condition of class will also be provided in the condition evaluation report.
Condition evaluation report would also have the details of any memorandum of class
issued to the ship.
Condition evaluation report also documents and highlights any area that has been
observed to have “substantial corrosion”.
Thickness measurement report
Condition evaluation report will provide the summary of
thickness gauging report and any area of concerns identified
in thickness measurement.
But we also need to have the complete thickness
measurement report with all the measured readings of the
hull structure and tanks.
This thickness report is required to be sent to the flag state.
What ship staff need to know about ESP
And now the most important question. What exactly ship staff
need to know about ESP?
First, ship staff needs to know what all inspections and
surveys are required to be done as per ESP.
This we already discussed so far in this post.
But the most importantly, ships staff need to maintain an ESP
file on board.
This file will have
Survey reports related to hull structures
Condition evaluation report
Thickness measurement report
Master has to make sure that these records are available in the ESP file.
After the renewal survey, it takes some time for ship’s classification society to
prepare condition evaluation report.

So condition evaluation report may arrive on board after one month from the
completion of renewal survey.

During any inspections, the master must be able to convey this fact to the inspectors
who may want to have a look at the condition evaluation report.

Same may be the case with thickness measurement report.

Master and the chief officer must understand the content of “condition evaluation
report”.

They must know if any areas with “substantial corrosion” are identified in the
condition evaluation report.

Also, they must know if any tank coating has been graded as “Fair” or “poor”.

Whenever ship staff is making the routine inspection of these sections of hull
structure, particular attention must then be given to the areas identified to have
substantial corrosion or with tank coating as “Fair” and “poor”.
What is the role of ship’s Crew In ESP?
–    The Master of the ship needs to report the results of the inspection
and record the same in the ship’s logbook. The data recorded should
clearly identify the tank, compartment or cargo hold subjected to
testing along with a date, time and outcome of the inspections carried
out during the testing

–    Before the survey is carried out, a Survey planning meeting within
the ship crew and another one with the surveyor and the owner’s
representative (usually the ship crew) to be conducted to ensure clear
communication between all parties during inspection

–    If during the survey, a qualified individual is present for thickness

measurement, all-party meeting to be carried out before the
investigation to ensure the safe and efficient conduct of the survey
–    The crew needs to comply with various SOLAS regulations under ESP
and provide permanent or temporary staging and passages through
structures to ensure surveyor has access to all the areas under
inspection
–    Equipment for the survey (for thickness measurement etc.) is usually
carried by the surveyor or by the appointed shore representative but
other small required equipment and tools to be arranged and kept
ready by the ship’s crew
–    The crew must arrange a communication system between the survey
party in the survey space and the responsible officer on deck
–    If the survey is carried out at sea in a boat or life raft, proper
communication and life-saving equipment like lifejacket must be readily
available on deck for all participants
–    One responsible officer must accompany the surveyor in enclosed
space for survey only after all enclosed space entry precautions have
been followed
–    Ship Officer must ensure that the survey report file is maintained as
a part of the onboard documentation.
–    Apart from the survey report, following supporting documentation
to be maintained by the ship’s crew under ESP which will be helpful for
the surveyor for conducting the next survey:
Ship’s main structural plans of the cargo hold and ballast tank Previous
repair history of ship structure.
Previous repair history of cargo and ballast tanks.
Previous inspections report by ship’s personnel concerning structural
deformation (cracks, leakages in bulkheads and piping etc.)
Coating condition of tanks and other ship structures including the
corrosion prevention system
Guidance for reporting the defect
Any additional information that would help to identify critical structural
areas and/or suspect areas requiring inspection
Survey Report
The result of the survey mainly targets the Structural
condition of each compartment with information on
the following identifications:
–    Corrosion with a description of the location, type
and extent
–    Areas with substantial corrosion
–    Cracks/fractures with a description of position
and scale
–    Buckling with a description of location and extent
–    Indents with a description of location and extent
–    Identification of compartments where no
structural damages/defects are found.
The report is usually supplemented by sketches and
photos as proof and reference. The thickness
measurement report must be verified and signed by
the surveyor controlling the measurements on board.

The surveyor will provide the report with remarks to

the owner or owner’s representative on actions
required to conclude the survey (i.e. concerning
Overall surveys, Close-up surveys, renewals, repairs,
and conditions of class).
Conclusion
The voyage of a ship is called an adventure because it is a
risky environment.
These risks are found to be even higher for the Bulk carriers
and tankers.
These risks increase many fold if the hull and structures of
these ships are not maintained absolutely good condition.
Enhanced survey programme gives the specific guidelines for
the inspection of hull related items during statutory surveys.
ESP has ensured these ships are maintained in a way that
ensures the safety of the bulk carriers and tankers.
 (2)
Continuous Synopsis
Record (CSR)
 Continuous synopsis record is a special measure
under Safety of life at sea (SOLAS) for enhancing the
maritime security at the sea. According to SOLAS
chapter 1, all passenger and cargo ships of 500 gross-
tonnage and above must have a continuous synopsis
record on board.
The continuous synopsis record provides an onboard
record of the history of the ship with respect to the
information recorded therein.
Continuous synopsis record (CSR) is issued by the
administration of the ship, which would fly its flag.
Following details should be present in the continuous synopsis record
(CSR)

Name of the ship.

The port at which the ship is registered.
Ship’s identification number.
Date on which ship was registered with the state.
Name of the state whose flag the ship is flying.
Name of registered owner and the registered address.
Name of registered bareboat charterers and their
registered addresses.
Name of the classification society with which the ship is
classed.
 Name of the company, its registered address and the address from where safety
management activities are carried out.

 Name of the administration or the contracting government or the recognized

organization which has issued the document of compliance, specified in the 
ISM code, to the company operating the ship.

 Name of the body which has carried out the audit to issue the document of
compliance.

 Name of the administration or the contracting government or the recognized

organization which has issued the safety management certificate (SMC) to the
ship and the name of the body which has issued the document.

 Name of the administration or the contracting government or the recognized

organization which has issued the international ship security certificate, specified
in the ISPS code, to the ship and the name of the body which has carried out the
verification on the basis of which the certificate was issued.

 The date of expiry of the ship’s registration with the state.

Any changes made related to the above mentioned points
should be mentioned in the continuous synopsis record.
Officially, the record should be in English, Spanish, or
French language; however, a translation in the language of
the administration may be provided.

The continuous synopsis record shall always be kept on

board ship and shall be available for inspection all the time.

The Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR) is mentioned in

SOLAS –Chapter XI-1.
 (3)

UWILD
Large vessels are required to be inspected thoroughly every year, as well
as have a secondary inspection every three years and half decade by a
classification society in order to remain certified to be in operation.
 Why do these classifications exist?  Classifications began as technical
assessments for marine insurers in the second half of the 18th century 
(IACS 2011).  What started as a program for insurers to protect their
interests developed into a fair assessment by a third party organization
with all stakeholders’ interests in mind.

The goal of having certified vessels versus suspended or non-certified

vessels is to protect owners, employees, insurers and the companies
who depend on the ships getting to their destinations. These
classification societies know that credibility is the main source of
business for them and they have no commercial interest in any side of
the shipping industry.
The classification societies that implement these certifications
for vessels are ABS, DNV-GL, Bureau Veritas, and 
Lloyd’s Register, among others.  ABS has a very
comprehensive program that we have summarized below;
other classification societies use similar criteria making it
relevant to all owners and stakeholders of the shipping and
offshore drilling industries.  Mobile Offshore Drilling Units
(MODUs) have very similar guidelines to vessels as well.

A full, thorough inspection similar to the 5 year inspection is

required to become ABS certified.  Once classed, ABS uses a
Hull Inspection and Maintenance Program to make it easier
for vessels to stay certified or become reclassified if a
suspension takes place.  The program is the most important
part of a classification because it ensures long term
sustainability of the vessel.
The Process
The Hull Inspection and Maintenance Program (HIMP) has been developed for ABS
classed vessels to remain certified and safe.  In order to enroll in this program, the
vessel must be ABS certified, there must be a ABS certified inspector of the hull and
the HIMP software must be installed on the vessel’s computer (s) (ABS 2015).  All
previous documentation for the vessel is to submitted and reviewed by the ABS
surveyor.

All inspections, above board and below the surface, are to be completed by the ABS
certified inspector from the vessel’s company with a ABS employed surveyor in
attendance.  The surveyor’s responsibility is to ensure that all visuals of the vessel’s
hull, motors, ballast tanks and maintenance equipment are in operating condition.  If
an area is suspected of needing repair, the vessel can be placed on temporary
suspension without losing certification, while a repair is made and reassessed by the
inspector and surveyor once again.

The inspections occur annually, with additional focuses in three and five year time
periods.  These are referred to as Annual, Intermediate and 5 Year Inspection Intervals.
Annual Inspections
The areas of a vessel that must be examined and reported for the surveyor annually are:

 Any suspect or critical structural locations identified

 Deck area
 Structural/Coating Condition of all Ballast Tanks (Including Cargo
Tanks, Peak Tanks, etc.)
 Hatch Covers and Access Hatches with Closing Appliances
 Deck Equipment, Fittings, Helicopter Landing Pads
 Piping and Supports
 Superstructures and deckhouses
 Shell plating above the waterline
 Cargo holds, tanks and spaces
 Voids and cofferdams
 Pipe ducts and tunnels
 Longitudinal box girders and cross deck box beams
 Sea connections and overboard discharges
Intermediate Inspections
The areas of a vessel that must be examined and inspected
for the surveyor every 3 years are:
All Areas included in the Annual Survey List
External Shell Plating below the waterline
Internal condition of boundary plating, internal bulkheads,
framing, girders
Internal condition of all tanks containing bilge or oily water
5 Year Inspections
The areas of a vessel that must be examined and
inspected for the surveyor every 5 years are:

All Areas included in the Annual and Intermediate

Survey List

All Tanks including Fresh Water Tanks, Fuel Tanks,

Diesel Tanks, Lube Oil Tanks, etc.
Submerged Inspections
Though the inspections are of the entire vessel, the tricky part for
owners is the inspection of the hull and the interior of the liquid
filled tanks because they are submerged.  The hull of the ship is crucial
to maintain to get the longest life cycle out of the ship.  However,
inspecting said hull is difficult.  In the past, dry-docking has been
performed to ensure thorough inspection of the hull.  This process is
extremely time consuming and expensive to perform.
Classification societies then began allowing Underwater Inspections
in lieu of Dry Docking (UWILD).  These UWILDs are the most
scrutinized by the surveyor because the inspector is the only one with
direct access to the hull in these situations.  These have been performed
by ABS certified divers traditionally.  This method is still costly and
places humans under the hull of a ship with no direct access out of the
water.  This is a dangerous scenario and is avoidable with the use of a
ROV.
ROVs have been scrutinized in the past for UWILD inspections
because of poor picture quality of the cameras, inability to
access the areas beneath the hull because of their size and
inability to get a proper visual because of inflexible camera
operation.  Generally inspections performed by a ROV had to
be redone by a diver, increasing the cost of the UWILD even
more.

That is until Deep Trekker introduced their mini ROVs, with

270 degree rotating high definition cameras and small size
allowing for a thorough hull inspection to be performed top
side by a single inspector.  Here is an example of a hull
inspection video shot by a DTG2:
UWILDs
What are you looking for in particular in a UWILD?  First, the
owner of the vessel must ensure that they qualify for a UWILD
instead of having to dry-dock.  This is becoming more
infrequent as technological advances are made, however if
there are outstanding recommendations for repairs to
propellers, rudders, stern frames, sea valves or other
underwater structures, dry-docking may be the only suitable
option (ABS 2015).
Now that your vessel is qualified to save money, the areas
that must be visualized underwater are the stern bearings,
rudder bearings, sea suctions, sea valves and shell plating.
 These are the areas that will show signs of wear and when
compromised can cause major problems for a vessel.
Stern Bearings

It is important to check that the seal assembly remains intact

on any oil-lubricated bearings, as well as verify that the
clearance or wear down is within limits on the bearing.  Oil-
lubricated bearings should include accurate oil-loss records
and a check for contamination from sea water.  Wood and
rubber bearings can be inspected through an opening in the
top of the rope guard and a suitable gauge or wedge should
be sufficient for clearance inspection.
Rudder Bearings

Condition and clearance of the rudder bearings are important to

inspect. More specifically, ensuring that all parts of the pintle and
gudgeon assemblies are intact and secure.  When access to these
structures is deemed impractical, clearance verification can be
foregone if the Surveyor is satisfied with the physical condition and
securing arrangements of the pintle.  The operating history and onboard
testing will also be considered before foregoing any structural inspection
such as the rudders.
Sea Suctions and Valves
Sea suction openings must be clear and are in good condition.  Sea
valves and their attachment to sea chests to be examined externally,
including expansion pieces in sea water cooling and circulating systems.

Shell Plating

This is the majority of the surface area that is to be inspected, though

most problems arise underwater wherever a seal is made or where two
surfaces join together.  The general procedure of inspecting the plating
begins with an examination of the plating above the waterline, as well
as other exposed portions of appendages (propeller, rudder and rudder
bearings).  The next step is to follow these portions under the water
line.
This is the point where the surveyor does not have direct
visualization of the plating and submerged structures.  The
only way that this inspection is approved is if there is two way
communication from the inspector to the surveyor and all
parts of the inspection are recorded.  The time at which the
diver or ROV inspection commences to the end of the
inspection must be documented.

The video provided must clearly show the condition of the

hull markings, all sea chests, inlets and discharges, rudders,
pintles and propeller.  Any points of corrosion or damage must
be examined further internally and thickness testing may be
required by the Surveyor.
Though thickness testing is not required for all UWILDs, the surveyor is
very likely to request this data when an area of suspicion is located.  The
video above shows 
Deep Trekker’s DTG2 equipped with a thickness gauge to perform these
measurements.

The other “forgotten” advantage of having a ROV on staff instead of

hiring a diver to perform the inspection is that you are able to have a
inspection rehearsal or a quick inspection before the official,
supervised one.  The advantage of this is that if a problem is found or a
possible area of contention with the surveyor, a solution could be
implemented before hand without having to pay for a diver twice.  If a
problem is not found until the surveyor is in attendance, this could
result in a classification suspension or removal, which costs the vessels’
owner tremendous amounts of money and time to get their unit back
up and running.
Overall, inspections are a nuisance.  The bureaucracy
of classification societies is a nuisance.  However,
these same checkpoints are what save lives, protect
assets and make the shipping industry as a whole fair.
 Deep Trekker provides the most cost effective and
easiest to implement UWILD solution available.
 (4)
Safe Return To Port Safe
Return to Port Guideline
( SRTP)
The new SOLAS regulations are a pro-active action of
the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
regarding the increasing size of passenger ships and
the difficulties in safe evacuation of passengers. The
Safe Return to Port regulations will imply a change of
the design process for designers, ship builders,
classification societies and Flag State Administration.
The IMO has defined performance requirements for the
functionality of essential systems on passenger ships under
predefined casualty scenarios. The SOLAS requirements to
"Safe Return to Port" require for defined flooding as well as
fire casualties the application of different risk based methods.
The relevant amendments to SOLAS refer to both Chapter II-
1(new regulation 8-1) and Chapter II-2 (regulations 21-22).
The regulations are mandatory for passenger ships
constructed on or after July 1, 2010, having a length of 120
metres or more or having three or more main vertical zones.
The new safe return to port guideline (GL Rules and
Guidelines VI-11-2) gives guidance on the new SOLAS
requirements.
These vessels have to be able to return to port after a
casualty case, not exceeding a defined flooding or fire
casualty threshold, and provide all persons on board basic
services in so-called 'safe areas'. For fire casualty cases
exceeding the casualty threshold but not exceeding one
main vertical fire zone, systems for supporting orderly
evacuation have to be available for 3 hours.
In addition to the increased safety for passengers and crew a
ship design which conforms to Safe Return to Port
regulations will offer further benefits for the operator. Not
only the operation of the vessel will be more efficient and
flexible through additional system capabilities but also the
down time of systems during normal operation will be
reduced to ensure a smooth operation of the vessel.
 
What is Extended

Dry-Docking

of Ships?
 What is Extended Dry-Docking of Ships?
• According to SOLAS regulation, every sea-going
vessel has to undergo two dry docks within a period
of 5 years. A ship in dry dock is a ship out of service.
Dry docking is a complex process which is both
expensive and time consuming. It is a necessary evil
which ship owners, operators, and crew members
have to go through when the time requires. With
two compulsory dry docks within a period of 5
years, it is a stressful task for ship owners and
personnel who have to go through a lot of planning
and preparation for the dry docking activity.
 What is Extended Dry-Docking of Ships?
• Planning of dry docking starts several months before
the scheduled date. A number of things needs to be
arranged starting from the convenient place for dry-docking
to arranging spares and on-shore maintenance staff.
Moreover, it is often seen that ships have to take a totally
different route for a suitable dry dock place as most of the
time the desired facility is not  available when needed. This
is very common with larger vessels.

• In order to deal with this situation, all major classifications

societies have a special program called the “Extended Dry-
Docking” or EDD scheme.
 What is Extended Dry-Docking Program?
• Under extended dry-docking program, ships have a privilege to
extend their dry docking period from 5  to 7.5 years. This means
that ships under this special program gets maximum dry dock
interval of 7.5 years by replacing certain dry-dockings by in-water
surveys (IWS) which are carried out by approved diving
companies. A variety of factors are taken into consideration
before approving a ship for extended dry-docking.
• However, not every ship is allowed for the extended dry-docking
program.
• One of the major benefits of Extended Dry-docking program is
that the ship is allowed to stay in water for a longer time
increasing the availability of vessel for business. It also helps
operators with increased flexibility in choosing the dry-docking
window with properly planned maintenance programs and
schedules.
 Guidelines and Requirements for
Extended Dry-docking Program

• The maximum dry docking period is extended by allowing the

qualified ships to undergo In-Water Surveys (IWS) which help to
increase the period between two dry-docks. However, it is to note
that only those ships which produce satisfactory results in these
surveys are allowed to continue with the EDD program.
• Each classification society has its own requirements to allow a ship
under extended dry-docking period to ensure highest levels of quality
and safety. Some of the main requirements for a ship to be allowed
under this special program are:
• Presently, the extended dry-docking program is available for only
container ships, general cargo ships, and multi-purpose dry cargo
vessels. This means that ships such as tanker and passenger vessels
and those subjected to Enhanced Survey Program (ESP) and
Extended Hull Survey Program (EHSR) cannot opt for extended dry-
docking.