What’s it like working as a Marine Surveyor?

Marine Surveyors provide expert consultation within the shipping industry on the condition, construction and damage of ships, and the stowage and transportation of cargoes. They can also assess values for insurance claims, appraisals for sale, and serve as impartial witnesses.

This expert knowledge is rarely something that can be learned from text books alone and Marine Surveyors generally have extensive first-hand experience in their field.

This experience can come from time spent as an Officer at sea, supervision of shipyard work, or field inspection experience with Classification Societies.

Photo Thomas Kohnle

What kind of work can I do?

A Marine Surveyor could expect to undertake inspections of ships for the purpose of classification, evaluate ship designs, offer technical advice on the design and production of ships, and undertake statutory ship surveys as part of port state or flag state control inspections.

The Marine Surveyor will inspect ships to ascertain the condition of the hull, machinery, and equipment. From those inspections, any necessary repairs will be marked.

The Marine Surveyor may also observes operating tests on machinery, equipment and cargo gear for compliance with testing standards and can issue or endorse certificates confirming compliance.

After surveys have been completed, the Marine Surveyor will prepare reports on the types of surveys conducted, recommend actions and repairs, or conditions remedied, and will submit that report to the client.

Where can I work?

Classification Societies are the largest employers of Marine Surveyors, while openings can also be found in shipyards and ports.

Insurance companies and government agencies rely upon classification societies to inspect and survey vessels for evaluation of structural and mechanical integrity. Work as a Class Marine Surveyor requires extensive knowledge of ship construction and engineering, and usually involves frequent travel.

A Marine Surveyor draws on industry experience to ensure that the ships in our waters are safe and sound.

Photo Thomas Kohnle

James Yeap, Senior Marine Surveyor

James is currently a Senior Marine Surveyor with Lloyd’s Register Asia. He inspects, assesses, monitors and reports on the condition of ships in accordance with international classification and statutory rules and regulations. Moreover, he has to liaise with manufacturers of new or reconditioned equipment intended for new or existing vessels and ensure that they comply with set standards. .

Whether it is at work or play, James pursues his goals with unwavering determination. In the office, he is driven by his own motivation to perform his best as a top-notch Marine Surveyor. Off work, it is his car of choice, the sparkling graphite BMW that he drives, through hours of high-performance road trips.

Whether it is his career or car, James plans to keep it right on rack, towards his destination and goal. As a Marine Surveyor, he knows the open seas may be rough and tough, but he knows he will always be tougher. Even when the ride gets bumpy and the road seems uphill, James sees the challenges as a matter of chalking up experience.

”This morning, I received a call to inspect a ship,” James recounts matter-of-factly. ”I headed down to the shipyard and saw this ship with an enormous gash on the bow! How much damage had been done to the bottom of the ship, nobody knows as yet.” It will take a month or so for James to assess the mangled steel, gather photographic evidence, recommend the proper restoration works, verify that repairs are effected in accordance with quality standards before getting the ship back to top form again.

When tasked to draw a comparison between his car and the ships he assesses, James muses, ”Both require a yearly inspection! After the first three years, you send your car to the Land Transport Authority for an annual inspection. Likewise, ships are sent to us for their annual surveys, right from year one. As Marine Surveyors, we ensure the ships are safe to continue its operations by complying with various rules, regulations, standards and specifications.”
Just as James chalks up the miles in his car, his career is fast clocking up the milestones. After all, James proclaims, ”Every man needs a good drive, from his car and for his career!”

Past
James became a Marine Surveyor in 2003 after attaining an Advanced Diploma in Marine Engineering (earned under a NOL sponsorship programme) and Marine Engineer Class 1 Certificate of Competency – Motor (from MPA), and having calked up substantial experience as a seagoing Chief Engineer onboard Aframax tankers.

Future
He sees himself mentoring and training new surveyors so that they will be confident in discharging their responsibilities independently. Somewhere down the road, he hopes to be promoted as a manager and take on more responsibilities and challenges.

SOURCE: Singapore Maritime Careers

How big is this sector?

Experienced Marine Surveyors are in demand, however the level of expertise needed to perform accurate surveys is extremely high. This generally precludes applicants who have not already had an extensive technical career in the shipping industry.

Photo Thomas Kohnle