A damage survey is an investigation of loss or damage to a ship, her equipment or her cargo after an incident such as collision, contact with a quay, grounding, heavy weather, fire, flooding, engine failure or a cargo handling accident. It may be ordered by the vessel's hull and machinery underwriters, a P&I club, the owner, a charterer or a cargo interest, and in many cases by several of them in parallel.
The surveyor has three main questions. First, what is damaged, and to what extent; second, what caused the damage; and third, what should be done about it, in the short and long term. For hull damage, measurement of dents, fractures and deformation is combined with inspection of adjacent structure and, when needed, ultrasonic thickness readings or non-destructive testing. For machinery, the surveyor may witness opening-up, take part in joint inspections of components and review alarm logs, voyage data, bridge records and maintenance history to separate sudden damage from long-term wear.
Early attendance helps. Evidence such as fractured parts, soundings, weather logs, photographs and crew statements is easiest to collect right after the event. Ask whether the surveyor can attend within hours, and whether they are independent of the other parties to the claim. Note which side has appointed them and what their reporting duty is, since the report may be relied on in an insurance claim or in arbitration.
A typical report includes a chronology, a description of damage with annotated photographs and sketches, an opinion on probable cause, a list of temporary repairs needed for the vessel to proceed, and a repair specification for the permanent work. Surveyors often also attend repairs and report on their completion and any sea trial. A separate part covers cargo damage and quantity if applicable.
Frequent issues are disputes about whether damage predates the casualty, wear presented as accident damage, and incomplete evidence of cause.
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