Survey

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFTSWDBQ

The first time boat buyer will meet a maritime professional for the first time in the form of a surveyor.

Why? How to use it? And the reasons to follow the surveyor closely and take notes.

Maritime regulations are there to make you safe, prevent pollution to the environment, and provide suitable working standards.

Training is very much apart of regulations.

If you are buying a 27 ft sail boat with an outboard engine to 160 foot mega yacht all of what I’m going to discuss is important to some degree, but mostly it is important for the captain’s confidence and calm state of mind.

Periodic surveys and inspections of ships are carried out to ensure the safety and seaworthiness of vessels. With maritime laws becoming more stringent with each passing year, sea-going vessels have to go through a series of inspections to meet minimum requirements to continue sailing.

Annual surveys by classification society are a vital part of a ship’s trading eligibility. Thus for a vessel to continue trading, various periodical surveys and certifications by classification society are mandatory to ensure its continued compliance with International regulations and endorsement.

Various certificates require annual endorsement after the class surveyor verifies that the conditions, functioning and operational and maintenance requirements of the vessel are complied with.

After the class surveyor verifies the same, he endorses the certificates for the annual survey. Annual surveys are namely Safety equipment survey, International oil pollution prevention certificate survey, International air pollution prevention certificate survey, and Safety Radio Survey.

Before all these surveys, the companies appoint independent servicing agencies, which are approved to conduct annual servicing and maintenance of equipment such as fire extinguishers, fixed fire extinguishing installations, annual foam compound analysis for fixed foam fire fighting installation, annual servicing and maintenance of lifeboat equipment and launching appliances.

Your flag and the rules and regulations. Annual servicing and inspection of equipment systems can be performed by various institutions such as accredited laboratory, service company, maker or manufacturer trained personnel, shore-based maintenance provider, class approved service applier, and service personnel authorized by the flag.

The criteria for inspection are being laid by classification societies acting as recognized organizations on behalf of flag states so that requisite certificates are revalidated or issued in line with international regulations.

Every flag has streamlined its requirements, and thus accordingly, the classification society develops checklists of inspection programs to harmonise the same.

Hauling out your boat before the sale. What is the surveyor looking for?

A safety construction survey will be focused on the structural strength of the vessel. It will be assessed for any excessive corrosion of deck or hull, along with the condition of watertight doors, bilge pumping and drainage systems, fire protection equipment, and fixed and portable fire fighting equipment.

Fire contraol

International shore connections fixed firefighting equipment.

Training Prerequisites for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV/”6-Pack”)

The National OUPV license is limited to uninspected vessels, of less than 100 gross tons, operating on U.S. domestic waters ONLY. Also limited to carrying six or less paying passengers. You must meet all of the requirements established by the USCG National Maritime Center in order to apply for this license. The USCG checklist of requirements is located here on the National Maritime Center website:https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/checklist/. Under National Officer Endorsements for Deck, click on National OUPV Less Than 100 GRT.

Important sea service requirements for OUPV:

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be able to document 360 days of experience on a vessel, of which at least 90 days must be on Near Coastal/Ocean waters otherwise license ...