Commercial Vessel Surveyors Flashcards

Which SAMS designation is specifically recognized for surveyors specializing in commercial vessel work?

Answer: Accredited Marine Surveyor – Commercial (AMS-C)

SAMS awards the AMS-C designation to surveyors who demonstrate expertise and meet the requirements specific to commercial vessel surveying.

A surveyor is hired to assess a commercial vessel's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Which passenger areas must be accessible under ADA Title III?

Answer: All public use areas and passenger spaces that can be made accessible without fundamentally altering the vessel's structure

ADA Title III requires passenger vessel operators to provide accessible services and facilities where structurally achievable without fundamentally altering vessel operations.

What distinguishes a 'damage survey' from a 'condition survey' in commercial vessel surveying practice?

Answer: A damage survey assesses the nature, cause, and extent of a specific casualty while a condition survey evaluates overall vessel condition at a point in time

Damage surveys focus on a specific casualty event—its cause, extent, and repair requirements—while condition surveys provide a general assessment of the vessel's overall state.

A commercial vessel is found to have an inoperative automatic bilge alarm during survey. Under 46 CFR, what is the appropriate finding for an unmanned machinery space vessel?

Answer: A serious deficiency requiring repair before the vessel can operate with an unmanned engine room

Vessels with unmanned machinery spaces are required by 46 CFR to have functioning automatic bilge alarms to detect flooding without crew presence.

When reviewing a commercial vessel's stability booklet, the surveyor notes the vessel lacks a cross-curves of stability (KN curves) section. For what vessel types are KN curves typically required?

Answer: Vessels where the metacentric height method alone is insufficient to evaluate stability across the full range of heel angles

KN curves are required for vessels where stability must be evaluated beyond small angle assumptions, particularly for larger or complex hull forms where GM alone is inadequate.

A commercial vessel operating in the Gulf of Mexico must comply with which additional environmental discharge standards beyond standard MARPOL requirements?

Answer: EPA Vessel General Permit (VGP) requirements for incidental discharges

The EPA Vessel General Permit governs incidental discharges from commercial vessels operating in US waters, including bilgewater, ballast water, and deck washdown.

During a pre-purchase survey of a commercial workboat, the surveyor discovers the vessel's official number is not permanently marked as required. Where must the official number be marked under US regulations?

Answer: On a main structural member of the vessel's hull in block-type Roman numerals at least three inches high

46 USC 12507 requires the official number to be permanently marked on a main structural member in block Roman numerals at least three inches high.