In this edition
Careers at AMSA
AMSA is looking for individuals who are passionate about helping us achieve our vision of safe and clean seas, saving lives. It’s important and rewarding work and you can join us to play your part.
Click here to see a list of current vacancies, including two Senior Naval Architect positions.
You can also subscribe for AMSA job alerts by clicking here.
Audits and application assessments
AMSA audits accredited marine surveyors to ensure the processes set out in the National Law–Marine Surveyors Accreditation Guidance Manual (SAGM), Marine Order 503 and the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Regulation 2013 (the Regulations) are followed correctly.
In December 2022, AMSA received a complaint from the owner of a 1D vessel regarding deficiencies identified during an out of water survey.
AMSA commenced an audit and requested a list of pending deficiencies from the surveyor, as well as the applicable standards and rules related to the deficiencies.
AMSA found the standards applied for the deficiencies were not applicable for the vessel as per Section 7 of Marine Order 503. The surveyor also failed to follow the relevant process for disputed deficiencies as outlined in SAGM Part 2 Chapter 2.9.4.
The surveyor was issued a counselling letter for contravention of conditions of accreditation.
Draft Instruction to Surveyors now available - 10 yearly internal inspections
AMSA has developed a draft Instruction to Surveyors (ITS) which outlines the processes and acceptable options for internal hull, fuel tank cofferdam, and foam buoyancy inspections required by SAGM Part 2 for a 10-year renewal survey.
Several surveyors have rightly asserted that under the strictest interpretation of 10-year survey requirements, DCVs (particularly smaller vessels) with sealed underdeck spaces, may require extensive and destructive works to permit inspection. This would ultimately lead to greater damage to the vessel and a lower safety outcome than leaving these spaces intact.
As part of the ITS development, AMSA welcomes any feedback from accredited marine surveyors on the form and content of the attached draft. AMSA is particularly interested in the processes that surveyors may already have in place for the inspection of sealed underdeck spaces and foam buoyancy materials, and the condition of these spaces on older vessels undergoing survey.
Any comments and feedback can be directed to dcvsurvey@amsa.gov.au, with ‘DCV-ITS feedback’ in the subject line. This will ensure that all feedback can be easily collected and collated.
Click here (PDF 203.32 KB) to access the draft ITS.
Periodic lightship check - comparison of departure conditions is not acceptable
Recently, an accredited surveyor recommended a periodic lightship check after measuring the vessel’s departure condition and comparing this with the departure values shown in the stability book.
The surveyor concluded there had been no (0%) change in vessel lightship from this measurement and recommended the vessel’s certificate be renewed.
AMSA identified this during assessment of the application and required a lightship measurement to be conducted on the vessel.
The lightship comparison correctly identified that the vessel’s lightship displacement had, in fact, changed by almost 8 tonnes. The vessel was re-inclined, and the VCG had increased significantly.
Comparison of departure conditions is not an acceptable method to assess a vessel’s lightship displacement or determine if any modifications have occurred.
As shown by this case, a comparison of departure condition does not provide evidence that a vessel has not been modified. Whilst a vessel’s loaded displacement may remain constant, other changes may still have occurred, such as replacement of lead ballast with additional tanks, awnings, etc.
For example, in the case of the Returner, the coroner’s report states:
103. The AMSA/DoT investigators concluded that if the vessel’s weight (checked through the freeboard) was the sole or deciding factor used to determine whether further testing of stability was required, a false conclusion may have been reached. It appears that this is what did occur.
Applications recommended with this kind of method may be refused by an AMSA delegate and lead to investigation by AMSA’s surveyor audit team.
Vessel repairs
AMSA recently became aware of several new vessels of a similar design displaying advanced pin hole corrosion in sections of buoyancy tube plating. The vessels were relatively new, undergoing their first renewal surveys when the corrosion was detected.
The severity of the corrosion ranged from relatively minor pitting to larger pits, which a tool could be easily passed through. The range of corrosion identified provides an excellent case study into repair practices and the accredited surveyors’ role in reporting and overseeing the repair process.
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Polyurethane sealant in timber vessels
AMSA inspectors have noticed an increase in the number of timber vessels with polyurethane sealants used in the underwater plank seams instead of the usual seam putty. Inspectors have identified that these sealants have been coming away from the seams, exposing the caulking and contributing to water leaks and moisture issues on vessels.
AMSA does not recommend the use of polyurethane sealants, because they do not work well in these underwater seams and fall out over time.
AMSA encourages the following best practice recommended by experienced shipwrights:
- Clean out the seam thoroughly.
- Paint underwater primer on timber planks.
- Hammer oakum or cotton caulking.
- Prime again.
- Linseed putty with antifoul mixed in (for the putty worm).
- Prime again.
- Paint / antifoul.
Load line conditions of assignment
Load line certificates are issued subject to the conditions mentioned in Section 7 of Marine Order 507.
Marine order 507 Section 7 (1) (a) states:
the master must ensure that the conditions of assignment of load lines in the approved form are kept on board the vessel or, where it is impractical to keep the documents on board due to the structure of the vessel, made available on request of a marine safety inspector or the National Regulator.
The load line conditions of assignment must be met before the freeboard is assigned to a ship and a load line certificate is issued.
The conditions of assignment are also referenced during periodic load line surveys to determine if the vessel has been modified and whether guardrails, freeing ports, means of access for the crew, and appliances for the protection of openings are maintained effectively.
AMSA understands for some vessels built and certified before 2013, initial load line survey reports may not be available in records or on-board vessels.
For such vessels, details regarding freeing ports, guardrails, and means of protection and closure of openings (such as hatchways, doorways, ventilation, air pipes, etc) must be recorded during the load line renewal survey.
Accredited surveyors can submit the AMSA 555 Conditions of assignment report together with the AMSA 139 Load line survey report to support the renewal of a load line certificate.
Minor fixes can save major costs later
Updated guidance and templates are now available to help small domestic commercial vessel owners and operators develop and implement a maintenance plan for their operation.
An analysis of 117 reported marine incidents involving DCVs since 2020 found that maintenance failures were a factor in almost one-third. Common deficiencies identified by AMSA relate to the condition of safety equipment and validity of certification associated with these vessel operations, including overdue periodic surveys.
There is more to maintenance than just main engine servicing.
Developing and implementing a maintenance plan, and logging work undertaken, may help prevent a more serious underlying issue from turning into a breakdown, which puts a vessel out of the water and people out of business.
Small owners and operators are encouraged to visit AMSA’s maintenance plan essentials, available on our website. This guidance is designed specifically to help small operations which don’t necessarily have the same shoreside support as medium and larger DCV operations.
