Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary
Marine Surveying and Warranty Surveying glossary (page 2)
The warranty-surveying vocabulary: class and statutory surveyors, acceptance and accident-investigation surveys, acoustic-emission testing, adjusted draft surveys, and the marine-warranty attendances that approve high-value marine operations. Grounds each term in the survey type and the insurer or operator interest it serves.
315 defined terms.
Showing 65 on this page (page 2 of 2).
S
- Scientific Survey
- A laboratory-based investigation supporting cargo claims, including metallurgy, polymers, and food sciences as offered by firms such as Brookes Bell.
- Scrubber Survey
- A condition and performance inspection of exhaust gas cleaning systems under MARPOL Annex VI and class rules.
- Sea Trial Survey
- An attendance during builders' or post-repair sea trials to witness performance tests and confirm specification compliance.
- Security Audit Survey
- An inspection under ISPS for issuance or renewal of the International Ship Security Certificate.
- Seller's Survey
- A pre-sale inspection commissioned by the seller of a vessel to disclose known condition and pre-empt buyer claims.
- SGS
- A Swiss-headquartered inspection, testing, and certification company providing extensive marine and cargo inspection services globally under the SGS brand.
- Shaft Survey
- Tail shaft inspection in or out of bearings under class schedule.
- Ship Inspection Report Programme
- SIRE, recently SIRE 2.0.
- Ship Recycling Survey
- An inspection associated with the Inventory of Hazardous Materials and other documentation required under the Hong Kong Convention.
- Ship Sanitation Survey
- A public health inspection under the International Health Regulations leading to issue of the Ship Sanitation Certificate.
- Site Survey
- A pre-installation inspection of an offshore field location covering bathymetry, geotechnics, and existing infrastructure.
- SOLAS Survey
- A general term for any statutory inspection under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
- Special Periodical Survey
- See class renewal survey, the five-yearly comprehensive survey under classification rules.
- Special Survey
- The five-yearly comprehensive class inspection involving thickness measurement, internal examination, and extensive testing.
- Specialist Survey
- A general term for inspections requiring specialist competence such as refrigerated cargo, projects, heavy lift, or composites.
- Statement of Facts Survey
- A documentary attendance preparing and signing the SOF used for laytime and demurrage calculations.
- Statutory survey
- Survey performed under IMO conventions for issuance or endorsement of statutory certificates.
- Steel Renewal Survey
- A repair attendance during structural steel replacement to oversee scope, welding, and acceptance.
- Stevedore Damage Survey
- Recording of damage caused by stevedores during cargo operations.
- Stowage Survey
- Inspection of cargo stowage in holds, containers, or on deck.
- Sub-Sea Survey
- A general term for underwater inspections using divers, ROVs, or autonomous vehicles for hulls, moorings, or infrastructure.
- Submersible Survey
- An inspection of underwater hulls and structures using small manned submersibles, occasionally used in deepwater offshore work.
- Suitability Survey
- A general assessment that a vessel, barge, or equipment is suitable for a proposed task, frequently a marine warranty product.
- Surveyor of Shipping
- A historical statutory title in several jurisdictions for an officer authorized to inspect ships and certify compliance.
- Surveyor's Report
- Pre-acceptance condition survey commissioned by the recycler or buyer.
T
- Tank Calibration Survey
- A measurement programme to verify or recompute ullage tables for cargo and bunker tanks, supporting accurate custody transfer.
- Tank Cleaning Survey
- Inspection of tank cleaning operations and result acceptance.
- Tank Coating Survey
- Inspection of tank linings during class and intermediate surveys.
- Tank Inspection Survey
- A general internal inspection of cargo, ballast, or fuel tanks for structural condition, coating state, and cleanliness.
- Tank Survey
- A general class or owner inspection of any onboard tank system addressing structural and operational integrity.
- Technical Survey
- A general engineering inspection of vessels or equipment supporting acquisitions, refinancing, or strategic reviews.
- Thermal Imaging Survey
- Use of IR camera to detect hotspots on machinery or insulation.
- Thickness Measurement Survey
- An ultrasonic gauging programme by approved firms to determine remaining steel thickness for class and special surveys.
- Tonnage Measurement Survey
- A statutory inspection under the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships to determine gross and net tonnage.
- Total Loss Survey
- An attendance to confirm and document a constructive or actual total loss following a major casualty for insurance purposes.
- Tow Approval Survey
- A marine warranty attendance issuing the certificate of approval to tow following inspection and document review.
- Towage Survey
- A general term for warranty attendance covering the planning and execution of marine towage operations.
- Trading Certificate Survey
- A class attendance preparing or renewing the trading certificate that permits a vessel to engage on assigned voyages.
- Transit Survey
- An in-transit attendance during a voyage to monitor cargo condition, equipment performance, or seakeeping behavior.
- Tug Survey
- A condition and capability inspection of tugs covering bollard pull, fendering, and fire-fighting equipment.
U
- Ullage Survey
- Quantity determination using ullages on liquid cargo or bunker tanks.
- Ultrasonic Survey
- A specific NDT technique using high-frequency sound waves to measure thickness or detect flaws in steel and welds.
- Underwater Hull Survey
- A diving or ROV inspection of the wetted hull, propeller, rudder, and appendages while the vessel remains afloat.
- Underwriters' Survey
- A condition or risk inspection commissioned by hull, machinery, cargo, or war risks underwriters.
- Unscheduled Survey
- A class or commercial inspection triggered by an event such as damage or modification outside the normal survey programme.
- Upgrading Survey
- An attendance during a vessel conversion or upgrade to verify compliance with new class notations or service requirements.
V
- Valuation Survey
- A condition-based market valuation of a vessel, increasingly combined with broker desk analysis for financiers and owners.
- Vegetable Oil Survey
- A specialist cargo attendance covering loading, stowage, and discharge of vegetable oils under FOSFA contractual requirements.
- Vegetable Oil Tank Survey
- A pre-loading cleanliness inspection of tanks under FOSFA standards for vegetable oils, fats, and similar parcels.
- Vessel Inspection Programme
- The dry bulk and tanker inspection schemes operated by RightShip, the OCIMF, and chemical industry CDI providing standardized condition assessments.
- Vetting Survey
- A condition and operational inspection performed under industry vetting schemes such as SIRE 2.0 or CDI for major charterer acceptance.
- Vibration Survey
- Measurement of vibration on machinery and structures.
- Voyage Survey
- An inspection covering a single voyage from loading through discharge, typically commissioned by a charterer or trader.
W
- Warranty Survey
- MWS attendance issuing certificates for tow, lift, or transport phases.
- Warranty Surveyor
- See marine warranty surveyor, the independent technical authority appointed under insurance or contract.
- Water Ballast Survey
- A class and statutory inspection of ballast tanks, piping, and pumping arrangements, increasingly extended to ballast water management systems.
- Water Damage Survey
- An attendance to record cargo or equipment damage from fresh water, sea water, or fire-fighting water ingress.
- Wear and Tear Survey
- A condition assessment focused on deterioration consistent with normal service, supporting redelivery and insurance discussions.
- Weather Routing Survey
- A documentary attendance reviewing weather routing performance and compliance with charter party warranties.
- Welding Survey
- An inspection of welding procedures, qualifications, and completed welds, often supported by NDT during repair or newbuilding work.
- Wet Damage Survey
- An attendance recording water ingress damage to cargo, supporting outturn claims and root cause analysis.
- Wind Farm Installation Survey
- A marine warranty attendance covering the towage, jacking, and installation of offshore wind turbine foundations and topsides.
- Withdrawal Survey
- An attendance during shaft withdrawal for class examination, including alignment checks and tail shaft renewal as required.
Y
- Yacht Survey
- A pre-purchase, insurance, or condition inspection of commercial and private yachts, often performed by surveyors qualified through bodies such as the IIMS.
Z
- Zone Survey
- Inspection by hazardous area zone classification under IEC standards.