TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY

siam-surveyors.com

          * SOCIETY OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS & MARINE ENGINEERS * LLOYDS OF LONDON ACCREDITED *

            *INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MARINE SURVEYING * AMERICAN BOAT AND YACHT COUNCIL *

               

                As in any trade, a surveyor is only as good as his tools. 40 years ago all that was needed by a surveyor in the way of tools was a pick and a hammer. Today, technology has vastly improved our ability to correctly evaluate the condition of vessels by non-destructive methods.

Some tools commonly used by surveyors are as follows:                           

                               

                                * Ultrasonic gauges.

                          * Infra red cameras.

                          * Moisture meters.

                          * Volt/ohm meter/battery load tester.

                          * Calipers/measuring tape/micrometer.

                          * Phenolic hammer.

                          * Magnet.

                          * Pick.

                          * Engine testing tools.

                          * Miscellaneous tools.

 

Ultrasonic gauges.

             These instruments, which send a sonar signal and measure the return time,

allow a surveyor to accurately measure the metal thickness or coating thickness of

steel or aluminum vessels.

 

Infrared cameras.

             If it is suspected that a hull has hydraulic de-lamination or, simply, wet patches, infra red imaging will accurately show “cold “ areas; as areas with a high moisture content.

 

Moisture meters.

             This instrument transmits microwaves through a scanning head, then relays the feedback signal to a calibrated dial which allows the surveyor to evaluate the moisture content of a given area of FRP hull with reference to the rest of the hull.

 

Volt/ohm meter/battery load tester.            

             Used to determine the condition of the wiring by measuring voltage drops and seeking open circuits. The battery load tester applies a formulated load to the battery and measures the recovery rate after the load has been switched off.

 

Calipers/measuring tape/micrometer.

             These tools are important to a surveyor in order to measure distortions and to check sizes of components aboard.

 

Phenolic hammer.

             Many techniques used in the survey of an FRP yacht were taken from those used in evaluating a wooden hull. The most common of these is the percussion test using a phenolic hammer. Tapping a hull with a hammer in order to test for de-lamination or rot.

 

Magnet.

             A simple tool used to detect ferrous metals aboard or simply to determine the grade of stainless steel used.

 

Pick.

             Another rollover from the days of wooden boats, the pick is a valuable tool used to determine the condition of wooden bulkheads and the extent of rot and galvanic corrosion on underwater equipment.

 

Engine testing tools.

             Mechanical tachometers, Laser RPM gauges, Laser temperature gauges, compression testers are typical tools the surveyor may carry in his engine testing tool kit. A syringe to extract oil, in order to perform an oil spectro analysis, provided a known number of hours (usually 50-100) has been recorded on the oil. The quantities of different metals detected in the oil give a good indication of the internal condition of the engine.

 

Miscellaneous tools.

             A number of additional tools are often found in the surveyors

bag. E.g. refrigeration leak detectors, water quality (PPM) meters, cameras,

magnaflux dye testing kit to test rigging, a silver, silver chloride

probe, used to investigate galvanic corrosion, shaft micrometer clamp,

propeller pitchometer, borescope to mention a few.