Yacht and Small Craft Surveyors Flashcards
7 cards from real SAMS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Yacht and Small Craft Surveyors flashcards as text
A surveyor examines a vessel and finds that the chainplates (rigging attachment points) are through-bolted but show rust staining around the deck penetrations. What is the primary concern?
Answer: Water intrusion and potential crevice corrosion weakening the chainplate
Rust staining at chainplate penetrations indicates water infiltration, which creates the oxygen-depleted crevice environment where stainless steel chainplates suffer accelerated intergranular corrosion.
What does 'displacement' refer to when describing a vessel's weight?
Answer: The weight of water displaced by the hull, equal to the vessel's weight
By Archimedes' principle, a floating vessel displaces a weight of water exactly equal to the vessel's own weight, so displacement and vessel weight are interchangeable.
A surveyor is asked to assess a vessel with a wet exhaust system. What is the critical safety concern if the waterlock muffler is positioned too high relative to the exhaust manifold?
Answer: Seawater can siphon back into the engine causing hydrolocking
If the waterlock is positioned higher than the exhaust manifold, water can siphon back through the exhaust system into the engine cylinders, causing catastrophic hydrolocking.
When measuring a vessel's LOA (Length Overall), what two points define this measurement?
Answer: From the foremost fixed point to the aftermost fixed point of the hull
LOA is measured from the foremost point of the hull or any fixed appendage to the aftermost point, establishing the vessel's total length.
A surveyor notes that a composite (cored) deck has delamination between the core and the fiberglass skin. What non-destructive testing method is most commonly used to map the extent of the delamination?
Answer: Coin tap testing
Coin tap testing (sounding) is the most widely used field method; a delaminated area produces a dull, hollow sound compared to the solid thud of a well-bonded laminate.
Which NFPA standard is most relevant when a marine surveyor evaluates a vessel's fire protection systems?
Answer: NFPA 303
NFPA 303, 'Fire Protection Standard for Marinas and Boatyards,' is the primary NFPA standard addressing fire safety for recreational vessels and marine facilities.
A surveyor finds that a vessel's transom has extensive soft spots and delamination in a foam-cored fiberglass construction. What is the most likely root cause?
Answer: Long-term water intrusion saturating and degrading the foam core
Water intrusion through cracks, fittings, or fasteners progressively saturates foam core, causing hydrolytic degradation and loss of the core's ability to transfer shear loads.