Dry Dock
Dry dock entry planning, bottom/in-water survey, survey in dry dock, coating/PSPC, thickness measurement, tail shaft, rudder and sea chests, Anchor and Chain Cable Survey, Cargo Hold Survey for bulk carriers, shipyard waste management, Shipyard Repair Contracts, Post-Repair Warranty Management, Dry Dock Scheduling for Sister Ships, Hong Kong Convention and Green Passport, Next-Generation Coating, Hot Work Permit at the Shipyard, Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT).
Each topic below brings together, in a single place: an operational explanation, the regulatory reference, scope of application, procedure, practical example, what typically goes wrong, common mistakes, what the Port State Control Officer (PSCO) checks, operational tips, a checklist and FAQ — with the regulatory reference verified against the primary source.
Dry Dock Entry Planning
A poorly planned dry dock entry costs far more in ship downtime than it would have cost in preparation: the repair specification and shipyard coordination start months in advance, not at departure.
Bottom Survey and In-Water Survey (IWS)
Cargo and passenger ships follow distinct bottom-inspection regimes; an ordinary IWS depends on Administration/RO acceptance and UR Z3 and is not Extended Dry-Docking.
Survey in Dry Dock
Class Special Survey and statutory renewal surveys are distinct regimes often coordinated at one docking; UR Z17 Rev.21 is current, while Rev.22/23 are future from 2027/2028.
Coating and PSPC (Performance Standard for Protective Coatings)
MSC.215(82) covers, within its construction-date scope, ballast tanks on ships ≥500 GT and double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers ≥150 m; MSC.288(87) separately covers crude-oil cargo tanks.
Thickness Measurement (Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement, UTM)
The ESP Code and UR Z10 govern specific bulk-carrier/tanker categories; for other ships UTM extent, diminution limits and acceptance criteria follow applicable class Rules.
Tail Shaft Survey
Propeller-shaft survey method, interval, withdrawal and any extension follow UR Z21 as incorporated in class Rules; condition monitoring creates no autonomous CMS tail-shaft regime.
Rudder and Sea Chests (Sea Chests and Sea Valves)
Rudder, sea-chest and shell-valve examinations follow UR Z3/class Rules and surveyor scope; opening extent and IWS/EDD alternatives do not follow a universal instruction.
Anchor and Chain Cable Survey
Anchors and chain cables are ranged/examined at Special Survey; gauging is required from Special Survey No.2 onward or where class Rules/surveyor require, not link-by-link every cycle.
Cargo Hold Survey for Bulk Carriers (ESP)
Bulk-carrier survey extent follows the 2011 ESP Code and Z10.2/Z10.5; UR Z11 concerns notations and does not authorise drone surveys. RIT needs case-specific class acceptance and is not generally recognized by ESP since 2025.
Shipyard Waste Management during Dry Dock
Hull blasting generates a specific hazardous waste: anti-fouling paint residue that, if poorly managed, simply shifts pollution from the sea to the shipyard.
Managing Shipyard Repair Contracts
A generic repair specification and a rushed contract negotiation are among the most common causes of cost and time overruns in dry dock: contract planning should start 6-9 months before entry, not a few weeks.
Managing Post-Repair Warranties (Warranty Claims)
A defect discovered three months after leaving dry dock is not automatically the shipyard's problem by definition: it only becomes one if notification and documentation follow the contractual warranty procedure.
Dry Dock Scheduling for Sister Ships (Sister Ship Scheduling)
When a series of sister ships enters dry dock months apart from one another, each subsequent entry can benefit from lessons learned from the previous one, if the information is systematically collected and reused.
Hong Kong Convention: Inventory of Hazardous Materials and Green Passport
HKC follows flag/authority scope and exclusions: existing ships complete IHM Part I and initial survey/certification by 26 June 2030 or before recycling; there is no universal first harmonized renewal trigger.
Next-Generation Coating: Planning the Dry Dock Choice
External antifouling/fouling-release systems follow the AFS Convention, certificate/declaration, coating approval and Biofouling Guidelines; PSPC does not govern them and service life does not extend statutory/class docking intervals.
Hot Work Permit at the Shipyard: Ship-Dock Coordination
Enclosed-space entry criteria are not Safe for Hot Work criteria; certifier, atmosphere/residue limits, isolation, adjacent-space tests and retest frequency follow host-yard law and the coordinated permit system.
Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT): Drone and ROV Inspections
RIT close-up access, diver/ROV IWS, thickness measurement and remote class survey without attendance are distinct categories with separate approvals; UR Z17 Rev.21 is current and Z29 governs remote surveys.
Editorial revision of 9 August 2026 · page fingerprint 15870672a49c