Independent Construction Oversight
Building a vessel is one of the most significant investments you will make. The shipyard's interests are not yours. Without independent oversight, you rely on the builder's quality control to police the builder's work. Shipwrights.com places your representative at the yard from steel cutting to sea trials, ensuring that every weld, coating, and system meets the standard your vessel demands.
Steelwork and Structural Quality
Every structural assembly is independently inspected against the approved design drawings and IACS classification standards. Non-destructive testing of welds, including ultrasonic, radiographic, and magnetic particle inspection, is witnessed and verified. Steel plate certificates, material traceability records, and fabrication tolerances are checked against the approved specification, not the yard's preferred shortcuts.
Coatings, Systems, and Sea Trials
Protective coating application is verified at every stage: surface preparation, dry film thickness measurement, and cure conditions are documented and compared against PSPC and classification requirements. Machinery installation, piping systems, and electrical distribution are inspected during fit-out. Sea trials are attended to witness main engine performance, manoeuvring trials, speed runs, and anchor handling against the contractual specification.
Our Construction Oversight Capabilities
| Capability | Technical Scope & Standards |
|---|---|
| Structural Inspection | Steel fabrication, weld quality, NDT witnessing, and alignment verification at every build stage. |
| Coating Verification | Surface preparation, dry film thickness measurement, and PSPC compliance throughout application. |
| Machinery and Systems | Main engine, generators, HVAC, piping, and electrical installation oversight during fit-out. |
| Sea Trials | Main engine performance, speed runs, manoeuvring trials, and anchor handling attendance. |
| Owner Representation | Independent progress reporting direct to you, separate from the shipyard's own updates. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does independent construction oversight involve?
Our representative attends the build at every critical stage: steel cutting, keel laying, block assembly, launch, and sea trials. Each visit produces an independent report covering structural quality, coating condition, and systems installation. NDT weld results are witnessed on site. All reporting comes to you directly, not through the shipyard, giving you a factual record independent of the builder's updates.
How does coating verification protect my vessel?
Coating failure is one of the most expensive problems a vessel can develop, and almost always preventable. We verify surface preparation, measure dry film thickness at each coat, and confirm cure conditions against the manufacturer's data sheets and PSPC requirements. Catching application errors during the build means you avoid costly hull repairs in drydock three or four years later.