Guidance Notes for Surveyors

The purpose of a Condition Survey is to:

• Satisfy the Managers of the Club that the vessel is in a fit condition for entry, and/or
• Identify defects that are likely to expose the Owner and the Club to P&I claims

It is therefore essential that a thorough survey is conducted and that the findings are reported in a concise and uniform manner.

The Owner will have been informed well in advance of the requirement for the survey and should notify the Master and the agent that this is to take place. The Club will include the agents’ details in its instructions, and the surveyor should liaise with the agent and/or any other local representative of the owner who may be present – e.g. a superintendent - to arrange a suitable time to attend. In the event of the surveyor experiencing any difficulty in conducting the survey, the Managers’ London Representatives should be contacted immediately.

The Club expects surveyors to report in a two-stage process. A Summary Report is to be submitted within 24 hours of attending the vessel that is the subject of the survey. The Formal Report should be submitted within 14 days of attendance.

Summary Report

The Summary Report is to be completed immediately after the initial attendance(s) aboard the vessel.  A Microsoft “Word” report should be completed and emailed to the Club, together with a list of defects noted during the survey, and recommendations to remedy them.

All defects, or conditions, which require rectification, should be included in this list. They should not be omitted simply because they relate to matters that might not be expressly covered by any of the headings in the summary report format. A copy of this list is to be given to the Master before the surveyor leaves the vessel.

The list of defects and recommendations may be written either in two columns entitled "Found" and "Recommended" or as a single item e.g. Starboard forecastle ladder, wasted, steps to be repaired. Recommendations should not be written as repair specifications.

Defects/recommendations should be numbered consecutively from 1 to however many are found, and not numbered repetitively, in sub-sections - e.g. A1-10, B1-25, etc., - as this can cause confusion if only some recommendations are completed and others are deferred. This does not mean that recommendations referring to the same part of the vessel cannot be grouped together under headings such as "Shell plating and Internals", "Main Deck", "Cargo Hatches", "Holds", etc., simply that the numbering continues straight through from one to whatever the total may be.

The surveyor should not set a period within which recommendations should be completed. This is a matter for the Club. However, if the surveyor considers that a defect needs urgent attention, e.g. before the vessel sails, he should draw this to the Master's attention and inform the Club by email, in a note to accompany the Summary Report.

Formal Reports

The Formal Report should be completed and forwarded to the Club witin 14 days of completion of the survey. Comprehensive comments should be made in respect of the various items or areas inspected, and the surveyor should not feel constrained to limit the commentary to fit the space in the standard form. This can and should be expanded as necessary.

The format of the Formal Report is such that most of the pages are designed to cover items considered common to all types of vessel, i.e. hull, machinery, classification, safety and navigation, and shipboard management. Additional and optional pages are provided and should be used as applicable to the particular type of vessel that is being inspected – e.g. tanker, container vessel, passenger vessel etc.

Final reports should be issued in duplicate and should include sufficient good quality colour photographs to adequately illustrate the condition of the vessel and defects noted. One or two pictures of the vessel itself should be included. It is not necessary for example to include photographs of hose-testing hatch covers, replacement equipment being placed aboard, etc., - the surveyor's confirmation that these have been done is sufficient.

Photographs should have captions, which describe the condition(s) that they illustrate. The captions should be on the same page as the photographs, not listed elsewhere, so that those reading the report and looking at the photographs are immediately aware of the condition that is being illustrated.

Colour photocopies may be used instead of colour photographs, provided the reproduction quality is good. However, one report should contain photographs rather than photocopies. Black and white photocopies of colour photographs should not be used. The surveyor should retain the original photographic material for future reference.

As can be seen from the format, the survey is comprehensive. It not only covers the condition of the vessel's structure, but also considers its maintenance, cargoworthiness, and the way in which it is manned and operated, particularly with reference to safety and pollution prevention.

The surveyor should review the latest steel thickness gauging/ultrasonic test reports and comment, in his report, on areas where excessive wear down/diminution of thickness have occurred.

A vessel's cargoworthiness is of great concern to the Club, and the surveyor should give this aspect of the survey special consideration. Close liaison should be maintained with the vessel’s agent to ensure that the survey is conducted at a time when its effectiveness will be maximized, and particularly such that tests for cargoworthiness can be completed as fully as possible. In dry cargo vessels - test hatch covers for weathertightness, pressure test ballast tank tops and test hold bilges. (Ideally, hatch covers should be tested with ultrasonic equipment, provided the surveyor is experienced and qualified to undertake this work, and the equipment is approved by Class.) Representative testing is acceptable, but should be extended if defects are found. Further guidance on determining cargoworthiness specific to various vessel types is set out in the following documents: