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A hull survey is a formal record, not a casual look. It is meant to be read months or years later by someone who was not on site, such as a class office, a charterer, a buyer or an insurer. That is how we plan an underwater hull survey in Nagoya.
We use inspection for a general condition check and survey for a structured examination with a defined scope and a signed result. A survey follows a plan, covers a stated area, and produces evidence. For class work the plan comes from the society's requirements. For charter or sale work it comes from the contract or the buyer's list.
The underwater body is divided into sections from bow to stern and from keel to waterline, and the Diver moves through them in order. Each section gets video and photographs with its section reference visible in the frame. Nothing is left to memory. If the surveyor asks for section 14 starboard, we can show it in seconds.
Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement readings are taken at agreed points, recorded against the position, and compared with the original thickness where drawings allow. The numbers go into a table in the report. Where plating looks sound, we record a few spot readings. Where it shows wastage, we add more readings around the area to define its extent.
A charterer may want proof of the Hull condition at delivery and redelivery. A buyer may want it before payment. Because our report carries video, photographs, measurements and a log with date, time and ship's Draft, it can serve as that evidence. Bulk carriers, including bauxite carriers, are often surveyed this way before fixture.
Tell us the purpose and the party who will read the report. We shape the scope to match, confirm the Draft and berth, and send a plan within a working day. ClassNK and ABS certification supports our work on class surveys, and the same working method applies to commercial ones.
A good report is easy to follow. It opens with a one-page summary: the ship, the date, the Draft, the conditions and the main findings. Next comes the section-by-section record, each with photographs and notes. The Thickness Measurement table follows, then the diver's log and a short list of recommended actions. Someone who has never seen the ship should understand the result in ten minutes.
Hull records are useful only if they can be found later. We name every file by ship, date and area and give the owner the originals on request. Many technical departments store the report with the dry-docking file and the coating record. Over several surveys, these records show how the Hull is changing and when intervention is actually needed.
Q1. What is the difference between a hull inspection and a hull survey?
An inspection is a general condition check. A survey follows a defined scope, covers a stated area and ends with a documented result, often for class, charter or sale.
Q2. How many Thickness Measurement readings are taken?
The number is set by the surveyor or the contract. Spot checks on sound plating may be 5 to 10 readings per area, while wasted areas receive more readings around the damage.
Q3. What information is written on each photograph?
Date, time, ship name, section reference and, where relevant, a scale. This makes each photograph traceable years later.
Q4. How long is the survey report kept?
We recommend keeping the report and video for at least the length of the 5-year class period, and for longer when it supports a charter or sale record.
