Inspections, Repairs & Maintenance

In a nutshell, a vetting inspection is a risk assessment and/or grading system used to compare similar vessels, for the purpose of choosing the best ship to suit your specific needs and maximise efficiency.

Vetting inspections are popular within the marine industry, as a means of choosing the best vessel for a particular maritime-centric service such as shipping. Vetting is also considered necessary for ensuring the safety of a ship. Without vetting inspections, it would be difficult to assess the overall condition of a vessel and whether it has been properly operated in the past.

Ship inspections are an important component of the maritime sector. Carried out regularly for the purpose of ensuring the safety and efficiency of a vessel, ship inspections are also carried out to make sure a vessel is compliant with local maritime regulations. A ship must meet at least the minimum requirements to continue operating.

Routine ship inspections are crucial in ensuring a vessel is adhering to maritime regulations as well as maintaining safety and operational continuity.

Where and how a vessel is inspected will depend on the type of ship, how large it is and how intensive the inspection is. In general, multiple components of a vessel will be inspected thoroughly including the electrical system, engine and other important infrastructure. Some inspections also check ropes and wires, the maintenance of sanitary facilities and the prevalence of personal protective equipment (PPE) onboard. By doing so, an inspector can ensure a vessel is structurally safe as well as make sure the mental and physical wellbeing of the crew is maintained.

A vessel is usually repaired in a shipyard. Depending on the severity of the issue at hand and the type of ship, some companies will use a dry dock when carrying out maintenance.

Shipyards usually feature specialised infrastructure required to repair a vessel, such as cranes, slipways, dust-free warehouses and dry docks.

An example of a routine repair onboard a vessel is the routine maintenance required to ensure the safety of the crew as well as the operational continuity of the ship itself. This type of regular repair and maintenance is paramount in avoiding a breakdown and essentially involves routine procedures on various machines and equipment. Maintenance could include a major repair such as changing the piston within a marine diesel engine or other moderate to minor tasks such as cleaning the filter of a bilge pump or a centrifuge.

As the name suggests, a riding squad is a group of workers onboard a vessel for the purpose of carrying out general day-to-day duties. They are hired for technical and mechanical support at sea.