Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement for Ships in Iceland

Where ships are gauged in Iceland

Reykjavík is the capital and the country's busiest port, handling container ships, general cargo, fishing vessels, ferries and a large number of cruise ships in summer. The port serves the whole south-west of Iceland, where most of the population lives, and the container lines that connect Iceland with Europe and North America call here. Gauging in Reykjavík usually takes place at a berth during cargo operations in other holds, or during a layover, and the plan is built around the ship's discharge and loading programme.

Hafnarfjörður is a short distance south of Reykjavík and shares the same weather and approaches. It has its own harbour, with fishing vessels and cargo calls, and lies near Straumsvík, where the aluminium smelter receives raw materials by sea, so bulk carriers are among the visitors. For a ship whose agent finds Reykjavík crowded in the cruise season, Hafnarfjörður can be a practical alternative.

Akureyri lies at the head of Eyjafjörður, a long fjord on the north coast. It is a fishing port and an increasingly popular cruise destination, and coasters and cargo ships serve the north from here. Reaching it means a passage through the fjord, and the weather in the north differs from that in the south-west, so gauging dates need a different set of fallbacks. Other harbours around the island, such as Grundartangi and Reyðarfjörður, serve industry and fishing, and ships that call there are gauged on the same principles.

Port state control and the rules that apply

Iceland is a member of the Paris MoU, and port state control is carried out by the Icelandic Transport Authority. Iceland is not in the European Union but is in the European Economic Area and the Schengen area. Older ships with visible corrosion are as likely to draw attention here as anywhere else in the Paris MoU region, and owners often gauge key structure ahead of calls.

Iceland lies outside the North Sea and Baltic Sea sulphur emission control areas, so the global limit of 0.50% on marine fuel sulphur applies in its waters unless an exhaust gas cleaning system is fitted, and cruise ships and ferries running scrubbers should have wash-water and overboard piping checked. Rules on discharging scrubber wash-water, and on emissions in sensitive coastal areas, can differ by authority, and the ship's agent confirms the position for each call.

Which services Iceland asks for most

Pre-docking hull gauging is the first request, because many Icelandic-flag and foreign ships go abroad for yard work and owners want a measured steel estimate before they leave. Fishing vessel owners ask for deck, fish hold and tank gauging, cargo and ro-ro owners ask for hull and ballast tank checks between surveys, and cruise and ferry operators ask for short-layover gauging of selected structure and piping.

Scrubber piping inspection is growing on cruise ships and ferries that run exhaust gas cleaning, and pre-purchase gauging supports the second-hand trade in fishing and coastal tonnage. Every reading is tied to a frame and strake location and set beside the as-built figure, so the diminution is visible at a glance to whoever reads the report.

• Pre-docking hull gauging before a voyage to a foreign yard
• Deck, fish hold and ballast tank gauging on fishing vessels
• Hull and tank checks on container, ro-ro and bulk ships between surveys
• Scrubber wash-water and overboard piping checks
• Pre-purchase condition gauging on second-hand tonnage

Port pages in Iceland

There are 3 Iceland port pages: Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður, Akureyri. Each covers the ships that call, the yards and berths where gauging happens, the port state control picture and the jobs we see there; the links are under "In this section" below.

Frequently asked questions

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