The Future of Marine Survey Reports
We are grateful to have been featured in the September 2023 issue of the Shipshape newsletter, a production of the Australasian Institute of Marine Surveyors (AIMS). AIMS was established in 1986 and is the largest marine surveyor association in the Southern Hemisphere with members in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, South Pacific and
Read MoreWe all understand the survey report is the product of our efforts and the culminating document describing hours of labor. InspectX has been founded on two primary principles of equal importance. An interface that is easy to use, and a final report that is well organized and professional. I have often said that a report writing program is very...
Read MoreI am very excited to announce that we are nearing completion of a very large update to InspectX. We have packed so many new features into this new version I don’t even know where to begin. To our loyal surveyors already using InspectX, this update is for you. Don’t worry, while we have created all these amazing new features, we have still kept...
Read MoreIt is quite surprising how often I come across a fixed fire suppression system that still has the service safety pin inserted, preventing manual activation of the system in case of an emergency. Oddly enough, this is most often on systems that have been recently inspected, but after catching this a few times now I make a mental note of always...
Read MoreFor some time now I have been contemplating starting some form of group gathering online where we can discuss survey topics, tips and tricks within InspectX and just have a general group meeting. This past weekend we gave a go at a first attempt on this. I'll add an excerpt from this Zoom meeting here. Don't hesitate to let me know if this is of in...
Read MoreWhether a vessel's hull bottom is cored or solid fiberglass is a oftentimes not easy to determine from the manufacturer without a direct phone call, and this is sometimes impossible if they are no longer in business. However, this can most often be verified while onboard looking at the construction of the interior bilge spaces.
Read MoreAs a surveyor there are many common writeups when inspecting a vessel's propeller shaft seals, but today I want to talk about one specific component of one specific but very common type of shaft seal. Tides Marine 'SureSeal' Shaft Seals are quite common on pleasure craft and many sport yachts, and are quite easily one of the most common shaft seal...
Read MoreI often get asked for a video on how I use InspectX while in the field, so today I created a short video of just one finding while in the aft lazarette bilge. In this video I focus on just the live bait-well manifold assembly and some issues on how it was constructed. Clearly there are a number of other findings that can be seen in this video but...
Read MoreAll boats manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972 must bear a HIN. The HIN is a 12 character identification number unique to that vessel. The primary HIN must be permanently affixed (so that it can be seen from outside the boat) to the starboard side of the transom within two inches of the top of the transom, gunwale or hull/deck join...
Read MoreHi all! Today's quick-tip is about the commonly seen expired or recalled hand-held fire extinguishers. Take note anytime you see these Kidde brand hand-held fire extinguishers with plastic handles (like the video above) or push-button fire extinguishers. Non-Affected Fire Extinguishers with plastic handles
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