Surveys and Inspections
The Maritime Authority of the Velocity Interoperability Network surveys vessels in classes B to F of the Vessel Register before they are first registered and at intervals thereafter, and inspects any vessel in the waters of the Velocity Interoperability Network for compliance with the Navigation Safety Regulations. A survey establishes that a vessel is fit for the use for which it is registered; an inspection establishes that it is being used in accordance with the Regulations.
The Authority has 12 surveyors, who carried out 46 surveys under interim arrangements during the transition period. Reports from those surveys are accepted for registration. Vessels in class A, pleasure craft under twelve metres, are not surveyed; their owners declare on registration that the vessel carries the equipment required by Regulation 8, and the declaration may be checked at inspection.
Surveys and fees. The table below sets out the surveys the Authority carries out, the vessels they apply to, their frequency and the fee. Fees were set on 6 September 2026 and are payable within twenty-eight days of the surveyor's report.
| Survey | Applies to | Frequency | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial survey | Classes B to F, before first registration | Once | B and C: 90 credits; D: 180 credits; E and F: 300 credits |
| Periodic survey | Classes B to F | B: every 5 years; C: every 3 years; D: every 2 years; E and F: annually | As for the initial survey |
| Survey after damage or alteration | All classes, after damage affecting seaworthiness or a change of engine, hull or use | As required | 90 credits, or the class fee where a full survey is needed |
| Inspection | All vessels in the waters of the Network | Unannounced, in harbour or at anchor | No fee |
| Re-survey following a failed survey | Classes B to F | Within the period stated in the surveyor's report | Half the class fee |
A periodic survey falls due on the anniversary of the initial survey at the interval for the class and may be carried out up to three months early without shortening the next interval. A vessel whose periodic survey is more than three months overdue may not carry passengers or cargo until surveyed.
What a surveyor examines. The scope of a survey depends on the class and size of the vessel. The areas below are covered in every survey of a vessel in classes B to F.
- Hull and structure
- Condition of the hull, deck, bulkheads and fittings; watertight integrity; freeboard and load marks where applicable; and evidence of damage, corrosion or repair.
- Machinery and steering
- Engines, fuel systems, exhausts, bilge pumps and steering gear, including emergency steering on vessels in classes E and F.
- Safety equipment
- Lifejackets and liferafts for the number of persons carried, means of raising the alarm, lifebuoys, first aid provision and the additional equipment prescribed for the class.
- Fire precautions
- Extinguishers, fixed systems where fitted, fuel shut-offs, and the separation of accommodation from machinery spaces.
- Navigation lights, shapes and sound signals
- The lights and shapes prescribed by Regulation 5 for the vessel's length and type, and a means of making sound signals.
- Radio and navigation equipment
- Marine radio on vessels of twelve metres and over, a compass, and charts or equivalent covering the waters in which the vessel operates.
- Documents and marking
- The certificate of registry, the registration number marked on the hull, and, for vessels in classes E and F, the record of the master's qualifications and the passenger or cargo capacity.
Arranging a survey. Surveys are arranged by writing to the Authority. The steps below apply to initial, periodic and post-damage surveys alike.
Step 1: Write to the Authority
Give the vessel's name, class and registration or provisional number, the site at which it is kept, and the dates on which it can be made available. Initial surveys for vessels awaiting registration are given priority.
Step 2: Receive an appointment
The Authority confirms a date and a surveyor by email, normally within five working days. Surveys are carried out at Southbank Harbour, Northgate Landing, Eastfield Landing and Westbrook Quay, or at another site by arrangement where the vessel cannot reasonably be moved.
Step 3: Prepare the vessel
Have the vessel afloat, or hauled out where the surveyor asks for the hull to be examined, with all spaces accessible, equipment laid out and the documents listed above to hand. A representative of the owner must be present.
Step 4: Receive the report
The surveyor's report is sent to the owner and to the Register within five working days. It records the vessel as passed, passed subject to conditions to be met by a stated date, or failed, with the reasons. The fee notice is issued with the report.
Inspections. The Authority's harbour staff inspect vessels in harbour, at landings and at anchor without notice. An inspection checks the certificate of registry, the marking of the registration number, the safety equipment required by Regulation 8 and, where the vessel is under way, its navigation lights. A vessel found to be unregistered, unsurveyed or without the required equipment may be detained in harbour until the defect is put right, and a fixed penalty may be issued under Regulation 10.
Requests for a survey and enquiries about a report may be sent to contact@maritime.gov.vin. For the fee classes and the documents required for registration, see Vessel Registration; for answers to common questions, see the frequently asked questions.