Pre-Purchase Ship Inspection in Sri Lanka

What Does a Pre-Purchase Surveyor Do?

The surveyor acts for the buyer, or for the bank financing the purchase. Before the visit the surveyor reviews the ship's documents and class records, so the inspection can concentrate on the areas of concern. On board, the surveyor inspects the ship, talks to the master and crew, checks the records and takes photographs. Afterwards the surveyor writes a report that sets out what was found.

Our surveyors in Sri Lanka are former masters and engineers, so they assess the vessel from an operational perspective, looking at how it has been maintained, not just at how it looks on the day.

What the Inspection Covers

• ✔Hull and structure: plating, frames, coatings, corrosion and previous repairs, in the areas that can be reached and seen.
• ✔Cargo holds, tanks and deck: condition, coating, hatch covers, pipework and deck machinery.
• ✔Main and auxiliary machinery: general condition, running records, maintenance history and, where possible, observation of machinery in operation.
• ✔Electrical and navigation equipment, and communication and safety systems.
• ✔Safety, lifesaving and fire-fighting equipment and its certificates.
• ✔Accommodation and the general state of housekeeping on board.
• ✔Class and statutory certificates, survey status and any outstanding class conditions or memoranda.
• ✔Maintenance and planned maintenance records, defect lists and oil analysis reports where available.
• ✔Records of previous damage, repairs, port state control inspections and detentions.
• ✔The ISM, ISPS and MLC documentation and the quality of the ship's safety management.

The Underwater Hull

Much of a ship's condition cannot be seen while she is afloat. If the sale contract allows, the underwater hull is inspected either in dry dock or by divers while she floats. We can coordinate and attend these inspections, and review thickness measurement and class survey reports to see how much steel renewal may be needed.

Types of Inspection We Carry Out

• ✔Pre-purchase condition survey for buyers of second-hand ships.
• ✔Review of class records, certificates and maintenance history before an inspection, for buyers who want an early view.
• ✔Delivery survey: checking the ship's condition when it is handed over, against what was agreed.
• ✔Technical due diligence for banks and financiers considering a ship as security.
• ✔Vessel vetting for charterers: reviewing a ship's condition, certificates, records and management against the charterer's requirements before fixing. We do not carry out OCIMF SIRE inspections.

What an Inspection Cannot Do

A pre-purchase survey is a visual and documentary inspection of what can be reached and seen on the day. It is not a guarantee that the ship is free of defects, and it does not replace the classification society's surveys. It is not a valuation, unless this is agreed, and it is not legal advice on the sale contract. The decision to buy remains with the buyer.

Getting the Most From the Inspection

• ✔Agree access with the sellers early, including the time on board and access to tanks, holds and machinery spaces.
• ✔Ask for the class records, certificates, maintenance records and recent inspection reports in advance.
• ✔Check the inspection and dry-docking or diver inspection clauses in the sale contract before the date is fixed.
• ✔Send us the sale terms and the questions that matter most to you, so they can be answered in the report.

What You Receive

• ✔A written report with the vessel's particulars, the date and place, and who attended.
• ✔The condition of each area inspected, with remarks on defects and their seriousness.
• ✔A list of recommended repairs and, where it is practical to estimate, their approximate scale.
• ✔Photographs of the ship and of defects.
• ✔A review of the class status and key records, and notes on missing or inconsistent documents.
• ✔A preliminary report on request, if you need to decide quickly.