Vessel technical inspections are periodic examinations of a ship's physical state and upkeep, usually requested by owners, ship managers, commercial operators or financiers who want a view that is separate from the in-house technical superintendent.
Unlike a class survey, which checks the vessel against the society's rules at fixed intervals, this kind of inspection is not tied to a certificate. The owner sets the scope. Typical triggers are a change of manager, a newly acquired vessel, a lender's covenant, concern about a particular ship's cost trend, or preparation for a charter that demands a clean record.
The surveyor walks through deck, accommodation, cargo spaces and the engine room, examining structure, coatings, piping, valves, pumps, electrical installations, boilers, purifiers, and the main engine's condition as shown by running parameters and recent overhauls. Safety equipment under SOLAS is inspected for condition and servicing evidence: lifeboats and release gear, fire detection, fixed fire-fighting systems, emergency generator and emergency stops.
A large part of the day is spent on documents. The planned maintenance system should show jobs completed on time, defects closed with evidence, and spare parts consumption that matches the work claimed. The surveyor will also check that the shipboard system required by the ISM Code is actually used rather than filled in afterwards.
Ask any candidate what they will measure and what they will only observe, whether a machinery condition review will include running the plant, and how findings are graded.
The report is a condition report with photographs, a list of deficiencies ranked by safety, class and commercial consequence, and recommended timing for each correction. Owners use it to set repair budgets, plan dry-dockings and hold managers to account.
Frequent findings include maintenance that exists only on paper, leaking steam and fuel systems, corroded deck fittings, and spares ordered but not fitted.
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