Vessel Survey

Vessels that require a survey certificate

The following vessels require a survey certificate to operate in NSW waters:

• All Class 1 vessels
• Class 2A, 2B and 2C vessels
• Class 2D and Class 2E vessels that
• carry passengers, or
• carry fuel or dangerous goods, or
• are equipped with dredging machinery and have a total brake power of 500kW or more, or
• are equipped with pile driving equipment, or
• are landing vessels, or
• are mooring or crane vessels with a crane lifting capacity of more than 3 tonnes, or
• are 25 metres or more in length, or
• are tugs (vessels primarily designed to be used to tow other vessels or floating plant or equipment), or
• are used for thrill or adventure rides, or
• are novel craft
• Class 3A and Class 3B vessels
• Class 3C vessels other than vessels that are not more than 7.5m in length and are used for ocean haul or beach fishing
• Class 3D and Class 3E vessels that are 25m or more in length
• Class 4C vessels
• Class 4D and Class 4E powered vessels that are 7.5m or more in length.

These vessels must comply with the design, construction and equipment requirements of the Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code/National Standard for Commercial Vessels.

Vessels that do not require a survey certificate

Many vessels do not require a survey certificate.  Vessels that do not require a survey certificate must comply with design, construction and equipment standards specified in the Marine Safety (Commercial Vessels) Regulation 2010.

Click here for a list of vessels that do not require a survey certificate.

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Types of Survey

Initial Survey

The survey process consists of an initial survey (inspection) which is undertaken on new vessels, or vessels being used in a manner requiring survey for the first time. Vessels are surveyed for compliance with applicable national standards, that is the Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code and National Standard for Commercial Vessels (NSCV). There are five key elements for an initial survey:

• Construction
• Stability
• Safety Equipment
• Operation
• Condition

Click here for an initial survey package

As part of the process to help vessel builders and designers to achieve design compliance with the USL Code or NSCV, NSW Maritime has developed a series of vessel design compliance assessment aids. Click here to access the aids.

Periodic Survey

Once an initial survey is complete the vessel is issued with a survey certificate. This certificate is normally issued for 12 months at a time. In order to renew the survey certificate a vessel must undergo an annual inspection to assess that the vessel still complies with the USL Code or NSCV. This is known as periodic survey. A survey schedule is established for each vessel to ensure that the parts and components of the vessel are periodically checked. The periodic survey will focus on the following areas only:

• Safety Equipment
• Operation
• Condition

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Vessels with a survey certificate from another State/Territory

A survey certificate issued by another State/Territory or the Commonwealth is automatically recognised in NSW if the survey certificate was not issued with an exemption from the need to comply with any requirement of the USL Code or NSCV.  The holder of the certificate must continue to comply with any conditions of the survey certificate.  However, the vessel owner and master must comply with all requirements of the Marine Safety Act 1998 and Marine Safety (Commercial Vessels) Regulation 2010 including crewing and safety management system requirements.

The holder of a survey certificate issued by another State/Territory or the Commonwealth that has been issued with an exemption from the need to comply with any requirement of the USL Code or NSCV must apply for recognition of their survey certificate.  Conditions may be applied to the grant of recognition of the survey certificate. The Certificate of Recognition will be issued to the expiry of the survey certificate or a lesser period. The Certificate of Recognition will remain valid as long as the interstate survey certificate remains valid, that is not expired, suspended or cancelled. Any conditions applied to the survey certificate by the issuing authority continue to apply. These vessels will be subject to a compliance audit by NSW Maritime which will examine items or systems that have been identified in the vessel’s survey certificate as non-compliant with the requirements of the USL Code/NSCV - to determine whether it is acceptable in NSW or not.  The vessel owner and master must comply with all requirements of the Marine Safety Act 1998 and Marine Safety (Commercial Vessels) Regulation 2010 including crewing and safety management system requirements.
To apply for a Certificate of Recognition you will need to:

• Complete a NSW Maritime Application for an Interstate Certificate of Recognition form;
• Provide proof of your identity;
• Provide the current survey certificate;
• Supply a 15x10 colour photo of the vessel;
• Provide a copy of the stability book approval showing conditions of approval;
• Provide the interstate registration documents or a completed NSW Maritime Application for Vessel Registration; and
• Pay the fee.

Click here for a Certificate of Recognition package

The vessel owner must apply for a NSW survey certificate if the vessel will continue to operate commercially in NSW on expiry of the Certificate of Recognition. Vessels holding a recognised and current interstate survey certificate pay a lower initial survey fee. If the Certificate of Recognition has expired, full NSW survey fees apply.

Click here for an initial survey package.

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Vessels in Survey

New Vessels

Before the start of new commercial vessel construction (7.5 metres in length and over), a minimum of two sets of plans are to be forwarded to NSW Maritime for approval, together with the prescribed fee.

The size and class of the vessel will determine the extent of plans and information required. In general plans are required for new vessel construction for the following:

• All timber vessels
• All fibreglass vessels
• Class 1 & Class 2 vessels 7.5 metres and over
• Class 3 vessels 7.5 metres and over
• Class 4 vessels 7.5 metres and over.

 

Here is a list of vessel classes.

Here is a list of the details required on new vessel plans.

Existing Vessels

If you are going to use an existing vessel for commercial purposes then the survey requirements are the same as a new vessel.
Vessels less than 15 metres may be considered without formal plans if currently in survey in another state.

Survey during construction

NSW Maritime will inspect the vessel at various stages during construction in particular:

• Framework completed and ready for plating, or at various stages during hull lamination in GRP (fibreglass mouldings) construction
• Hull plating and stiffening completed or completion of framing in GRP construction
• Installation of machinery, propulsion system, piping systems, electrical systems, fuel tanks etc
• Checking of lines plan, bulkheads, arrangement, draft marks etc
• Witnessing of the appropriate stability test

The owners/operators of commercial vessels should consult with NSW Maritime about survey requirements prior to beginning construction.

Construction of new commercial vessels of certain sizes should not begin until drawings have been approved by NSW Maritime. If any construction is started before this approval is given, the owner accepts all responsibility for any remedial work which may be required as a consequence of the plan approval.

Information on vessel construction requirements

The fact sheets below provide information for vessel owners and builders:

• CE Certification
• Fibreglass vessels: use of poured foam
• Houseboats dimensions
• Houseboats with more than one deck
• Introducing USL Code 2010
• Introducing USL Code 2009
• Introducing USL Code 2008
• Thermoplastic fuel tanks
• Welding metal fuel tanks
• Windows in commercial vessels

Vessel design compliance assessment aids

As part of the process to help vessel builders and designers to achieve design compliance with the USL Code, NSW Maritime has developed a series of vessel design compliance assessment aids. Click here to access the aids.

USL 2009 Equipment Sheet

This sheet calculates the safety, navigation, & anchoring equipment in accordance with NSCV requirements. At this stage the sheet produces 4C & 4D equipment based on the requirements for 2C & 2D awaiting the release of the NSCV leisure standard. Click here to access the equipment sheet.