Initial Commercial Vessel Survey
An Initial Survey is the inspection of a vessel, generally for the first time, to assess and approve its design and construction against the requirements of the NSCV or other standards that apply under Marine Order 503 (Certificates of Survey National Law) 2013.Our initial marine surveyors will liaise with the vessel builder and designer to check compliance against the relevant survey standards to minimise delays, or prevent any last minute headaches, to ensure a vessel is able to comply as a Domestic Commercial Vessel.
Initial survey comprises three phases:
- Design Approval Phase – This includes the approval of design drawings for a new vessel, or assessment of an existing vessel structure, against design standards.
- Construction Phase – This is the program of inspection during a vessel’s construction against the approved design. The inspections vary for each vessel and includes the inspection of welds, fibreglass laminate lay up, buoyancy foam, materials and equipment, and surveys during the construction of the vessel.
- Commissioning Phase – The process by which a vessel and its systems are trialled and tested to ensure the vessel functions as designed and meets applicable standards. This includes trials and tests of the vessel and systems essential to safety, type of safety equipment, assessment of intact and damage stability, and reliability of on-board machinery.
Maritime Survey Australia (MSA) provide Marine Surveying services in accordance with the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012.
