A power point presentation that I gave in October 2015 on the topic “Marine Surveyor’s Role in New Build Supervision”, at the Lloyds Building (London) was one of the high points of my career.
Q2. What are your core areas of surveying specialisms and which give you the most satisfaction?
I am not a high-profile expert in any particular facet of surveying. Although, I consider “Hull & Machinery” surveys and “Damage Investigations” as my forte given that I am a Marine Engineer.
Presenting at the IIMS Annual Confernce 2015 in London
In hindsight, I had NOT become a Lloyds surveyor, but had at least made a presentation in the Lloyds building!
The diversity of the assignments that I have experienced have been immensely satisfying. The constant link to mariners continues to kindle the flames of nostalgic memories of sailing days.
The satisfaction of doing a good job came from the fact that Quest Marine LLC got empaneled with leading Underwriters with patronage by shipowners and P&I.
The Icing on the cake was added by IIMS HQ, when they made me an “Honorary Fellow” of the Institute. To me, this is a massive boost to my professional psyche and commits me to continue my QUEST for EXCELLENCE (which, incidentally, is also the tag-line for our marine consultancy firm – Quest Marine LLC).
In my formative years of surveying, I was like a “well-oiled machine” and a hard core “vessel inspection tool”. We were flooded with survey assignments and I was the only Marine Engineer in our firm. I used to spend the bulk of my time driving, or on service boats and onboard ships. So much so, there came a point of domestic stand-off, wherein I was alleged to be “more at sea nowadays” in spite of having taken up a shore assignment.
Lately, I do enjoy doing cargo damage surveys and have made considerable efforts to understand this line of work. It needs a lot of reading and learning to understand the intricate mechanisms of multiple stake-holders.
A foray into marine warranty surveys took me far and wide, globally. The thrill of tracking the ship that you have provided voyage approval for, until she reaches her destination is exciting (weather permitting), although stressful (when weather is NOT permitting).
Some of the most stressful moments have been whilst supervising or witnessing loading or discharging of “super-yachts”. These high value assets can keep all stake-holders on the edge. In the process, I have worked alongside top class “super-cargos”. Their confidence levels and knowledge has been awe-inspiring. The learning curve, whilst interacting with them, has been enormous.
Mike Schwarz presenting Uday with his Honorary Membership
This re-emphasizes the importance of “shadow-learning” in every marine surveyor’s life. The on-job learning has diversified my mind- set and evolved me to become a better team player.
110 | The Report • December 2020 • Issue 94
A visit to Alang in the year 2009 (the world’s biggest ship-breaking yard) was a game-changer. The sight of ships being cut mercilessly was disturbing (because as a seaman I have always epitomized a ship and given it a mother’s cadre). However, the harsh reality of a ship’s journey (from cradle to grave) was an eye-opener and philosophic. It proved that nothing is permanent. Therefore, a pragmatic approach is the best chart in the voyage of life.
Visiting Alang - the world’s biggest ship-breaking yard - in 2009
I have followed the cardinal rule of “preparing well prior to every survey”. I do my utmost to do some reading and gathering historic data, so that I am on familiar ground, even before the inspection commences. Of course, the approach towards any survey has always been on a strictly non- prejudicial or non-judgemental basis.
Answer to the query of what gives me “most satisfaction” I guess, I would love to “go back to sea”, simply because the life on that part of the planet is far less complicated and less congested than on land.
Q3. What in your opinion are the key attributes to becoming a successful marine surveyor in the Middle East?
I would encapsulate three main criteria and that would be “Attitude // Attitude // Attitude”. The crux of the matter lies in not just what you do whilst on a survey, but in how you do it.
The second most important aspect would be to get lucky in getting the “right mentor”. A mentor can make or break a prospective surveyor.
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