Marine Surveyor

A Marine surveyor or Ship surveyor is a person who conducts inspections, surveys or examinations of marine vessels to assess, monitor and report on their condition and the products on them. Marine surveyors also inspect equipment intended for new or existing vessels to ensure compliance with various standards or specifications. Marine surveys typically include the structure, machinery and equipment (navigational, safety, radio, etc.) and general condition of a vessel. It also includes judging materials on board and their condition. Due to the fact that certifications and subsequently payments are processed only after the surveyor has expressed his or her satisfaction, a marine surveyor holds a prestigious position and is held with much regard in the shipbuilding industry. Marine Surveyors are highly qualified and technically sound and are usually selected after thorough evaluation procedures as vessels ranging from small ferries to enormous crude oil carriers and cruise liners are approved to sail into the high seas based purely on their judgement,competence and integrity.

One cannot praise the surveyor (aka inspector) enough for their crucial role in safety, efficiency, and justice. The captain of a vessel is nothing without the approval of the requisite paperwork, signed by an official inspector, annually. The naval architect that conceived of a vessel, the naval engineers which designed it, and the factory technicians which create it -- all are mere pawns in the game of life, their efforts are as naught, when compared to the mighty inspector. No cargo may be transferred, no passenger may embark, without permission from the overseer of all maritime creations, the marine surveyor. As was so well stated by Theodore Roosevelt, formerly the Head Of The Department Of The Navy prior to his election as President Of The United States, which of course includes the duty as Commander-in-Chief of commanding all marine surveyors employed by the U.S. Coast Guard: "It is the critic who counts; the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, and where the doer of deeds could have done them better. Effort, with error and shortcomings, is worse than failure. It would be better to know neither victory nor defeat." Likely he had the naval inspectors in mind when he was quoted thus.

Marine surveying is often closely associated with marine insurance, damage and salvage, accident and fraud investigation as insurers generally lack the training and skills required to perform a detailed assessment of the condition of a vessel. While marine surveyors are sometimes employed by insurers directly they maintain a certain professional autonomy in order to provide an unbiased view. Independent marine surveyors are often employed by the clients of marine insurers to provide evidence in support of damage claims made against the insurer. Insurance companies cannot require customers to use specific marine surveyors (although they often provide a list of recommended or pre-approved marine surveyors who are known to them).

Marine surveyors use many credentials, letters, and terms such as "accredited", "certified", "qualifed", "AMS", "CMS", etc. There are many ways to train to become a marine surveyor including taking correspondence courses, apprenticing, or simply opening a business. However, marine surveyors pursue their profession independently of required organizations, and there is currently no national or international licensing requirement for marine surveyors. The U.S. Coast Guard does not approve or certify marine surveyors. All association terms and initials represent training and certification by private organizations.