Approval of in-water inspections
33 Approval of in-water inspections
The owner of a vessel may apply to AMSA for approval of an in-water inspection to replace any of the dry-dock inspections required under this Marine Order.
Note 1 For a SOLAS certificate, the effect of Regulations 7 and 10 of Chapter I and Regulation 9 of Chapter VIII of SOLAS and the Survey Guidelines under the Harmonised System of Survey and Certification is that a vessel is required to have 2 dry-dock inspections in the applicable validity period of a SOLAS certificate.
Note 2 For a non-SOLAS certificate, the dry-dock inspection requirements are specified in Division 3.
The application for approval must be made in accordance with Marine Order 1 (Administration) 2013.
Note Marine Order 1 (Administration) 2013 requires a supporting statement setting out the grounds of the application. It also provides that if a fee is charged the application must be accompanied by the prescribed fee and, if a form is approved for the application, the approved form must be used.
AMSA may approve inspection of the bottom of the vessel to be conducted in-water, in lieu of a dry-dock inspection, if:
for a vessel that is participating in an extended dry-docking scheme - AMSA is satisfied that the scheme:
is approved by the classification society for the vessel; and
complies with IACS Rec. No 133 Guidelines for Pilot Schemes of Extended Interval between Surveys in Dry-dock - Extended Dry-docking (EDD) Scheme, as amended from time to time; and
for a vessel that is not participating in an extended dry-docking scheme:
the vessel is not a ro-ro passenger vessel; and
for a vessel to which the ESP Code applies - the in-water inspection is not combined with the renewal survey; and
the vessel is less than 15 years old; and
AMSA is satisfied that the in-water inspection is at least as effective as a dry-dock inspection.
Note for paragraph (c) For passenger vessels, AMSA may take into account MSC.1/Circ.1348 Guidelines for the assessment of technical provisions for the performance of an in-water survey in lieu of bottom inspection in dry-dock to permit one dry-dock examination in any five year period for passenger ships other than ro-ro passenger ships and as amended from time to time.
The approval is subject to the following conditions:
for a vessel that is participating in an extended dry-docking scheme - any condition imposed by AMSA; and
for a vessel that is not participating in an extended dry-docking scheme:
the in-water inspection is in accordance with Survey Guidelines under the Harmonised System of Survey and Certification;
the interval between consecutive inspections in dry-dock does not exceed 60 months unless Regulation I/14(e) and (f) of Chapter I of SOLAS applies;
the interval between 2 consecutive inspections of the outside of the vessel's bottom does not exceed 36 months.
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