SAMS Commercial Vessel Surveyors 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under 46 CFR, what minimum freeboard requirement applies to an uninspected commercial vessel operating beyond 3 nautical miles offshore?
- Freeboard must equal at least 10% of the vessel's beam
- Freeboard must be sufficient to ensure adequate reserve buoyancy for the intended service (Correct answer)
- A minimum of 6 inches of freeboard is required regardless of displacement
- Freeboard requirements only apply to vessels over 65 feet in length
Correct answer: Freeboard must be sufficient to ensure adequate reserve buoyancy for the intended service
46 CFR requires that freeboard be sufficient to provide adequate reserve buoyancy for the intended service and operating area.
Question 2: When surveying a commercial towing vessel, which document must be verified to confirm the vessel's authorized towing capacity?
- Lloyd's Register classification certificate
- Certificate of Inspection issued by the USCG (Correct answer)
- ABS load line certificate
- Operator's commercial license
Correct answer: Certificate of Inspection issued by the USCG
The USCG Certificate of Inspection specifies the authorized service, routes, and towing capacity for inspected commercial towing vessels.
Question 3: A surveyor discovers that a commercial ferry's life ring buoys lack retroreflective material. Under SOLAS and USCG regulations, what is the correct finding?
- Acceptable if the vessel operates only in daylight hours
- A deficiency requiring immediate correction before vessel can operate (Correct answer)
- Only required on international voyages
- Required only if the vessel carries more than 100 passengers
Correct answer: A deficiency requiring immediate correction before vessel can operate
Retroreflective material on life ring buoys is a mandatory USCG requirement for passenger vessels and must be corrected before the vessel returns to service.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a stability letter for a small commercial vessel that does not require a formal stability test?
- To certify the vessel meets ABS classification standards
- To document operating limitations based on the vessel's design and loading conditions (Correct answer)
- To replace the Certificate of Inspection
- To authorize the vessel for offshore operations beyond 200 miles
Correct answer: To document operating limitations based on the vessel's design and loading conditions
A stability letter documents the vessel's operational limitations and loading conditions to ensure safe operation within design parameters.
Question 5: During a commercial vessel survey, the surveyor finds the bilge pump discharge is routed through the hull below the waterline without a check valve. What is the concern?
- Increased pump efficiency loss
- Risk of backflow flooding the bilge spaces (Correct answer)
- Violation of noise emission standards
- Non-compliance with exhaust emission regulations
Correct answer: Risk of backflow flooding the bilge spaces
Without a check valve, seawater can back-siphon through the discharge fitting into the vessel's bilge, creating a flooding hazard.
Question 6: A commercial vessel's fire detection system shows an alarm light but no audible alert in the engine room. What should the surveyor recommend?
- The visual alarm alone satisfies 46 CFR requirements
- The audible alarm must be restored as engine room noise levels require both visual and audible alerts (Correct answer)
- Only vessels over 100 GT require audible engine room alarms
- The deficiency is acceptable if the vessel operates with two crew members
Correct answer: The audible alarm must be restored as engine room noise levels require both visual and audible alerts
46 CFR requires both audible and visual fire alarms in spaces where engine noise could mask an audible-only signal.
Question 7: When does a commercial vessel operator need to file a marine casualty report (form CG-2692) with the USCG?
- Only when property damage exceeds $500,000
- When a casualty results in death, injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, or property damage over $25,000 (Correct answer)
- Only when the vessel is a total loss
- Within 30 days of any incident regardless of severity
Correct answer: When a casualty results in death, injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, or property damage over $25,000
46 CFR 4.05 requires CG-2692 filing when a casualty results in death, significant injury, or property damage exceeding $25,000.
SAMS Commercial Vessel Surveyors 2
Under 46 CFR, what minimum freeboard requirement applies to an uninspected commercial vessel operating beyond 3 nautical miles offshore?