Remote Survey are here to stay says this article in Splash 24/7:
Has anybody here participated, either on board or ashore, in such survey?
What is your opinion on the usefulness and future of such survey?
This kind of scares me, frankly. When I was a Class Surveyor, there were times that we heard of the old timers (this was 30 years ago) doing their survey from the local drinking establishment. . . .
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In my young and tender days we did 20-year Special Survey at Keppel Shipyard. The Class Surveyor had a good talk with the Ch.Engineer in my cabine, asked a lot of questions, but never actually entered the Engine Room.
When we finished I invited him for a meal and a few beers at a good restaurant and asked about it.
“I came up a clean, well rigged gangway, had a look from the top and saw a clean Engine Room, with polished copper pipes. If you have time to polish pipes you don’t have too much problems. I talked to your Chief. He was obviously knowledgeable, gave good accurate answers to my question, so I knew it was a well run ship”.
Her also invited us to let him know if it was something we wanted fixed that the company was reluctant to do.
I learnt something that I took with me into my own time as Surveyor.
That’s a good point. When going on board a new ship I made it a practice to stop by the emergency generator before going down below deck. Not only was it close by but if the space was clean, tidy and obviously had some care I wasn’t too apprehensive about going further down the ladders.
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For the most part, the surveys will be of a mix of remote and attendance. The procedural and paperwork side can be done remotely, with the combination of onboard presence. For issues and discrepancies, some can be closed out with HD video and photos, while others will have to be done in person. They know things are changing, but can not go 0-60 right away. I am all for this approach of combination at this juncture.
Probably has nothing to do with this subject. Most of my unassisted dockings in Honduras were “Assisted” by the pilot on the dock with a handheld VHF radio. Whoopdee effing doo. Still had their hand out for the “Fees” for their real or imagined service. Remote?
Yeah, oftentimes, when carrying out my Class surveys, I based how “in depth” they were on things like the gangway rigging and overall appearance. There were still things that I wanted to see operating, although largely because of the statutory requirements of IMO and SOLAS. I would always enter the engineering spaces, regardless of first impressions. . .
The situation I described happened in 1971. Things were simpler then.
PS> The Surveyor in question was the Senior Surveyor in Singapore for a major Classification Society (FYI; Not ABS)
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BV perform a remote survey in Singapore:
Vroon and RINA has teamed up to perform Remote Survey of OSVs in Italy:
https://www.vroon.nl/News.aspx
The vessels will even get a new Class Notation to go with their entry into the scheme.
Remote can be a part of a survey/inspection but I don’t think it can truly replace being on board and real-time time video capabilities allow more to be done remotely than used to be.
I have always relied on all five senses when on board a vessel and remote surveys cut out 3 of the 5 so not a fan.
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