Kavala: Ultrasonic Hull Gauging in the Northern Aegean

Inspection services for ships at Kavala

Each service has its own page with the method, the class requirements and what the report contains.

Where gauging can be done around Kavala

In the commercial harbour, gauging is done alongside at the cargo quays and the ferry terminal, subject to the port authority's ISPS rules and arranged through the agent. A bulk carrier discharging gives access to emptied holds, hatch covers and coamings in sequence, while a general cargo ship offers tank top, side shell and frames once holds are clear. A ferry alongside for the day allows deck, ramp and accessible plating readings, with tank work reserved for lay-up.

Industrial jetties and the anchorage extend the options. Tankers at the energy and fuel terminals are limited to deck, deck piping and ballast spaces within permit rules, and ships at anchor in the bay can be boarded by launch for pre-docking or condition gauging. There is no large drydock in the area, so heavy steel renewal is done elsewhere. For anyone arranging ship inspection in northern Greece, Kavala works best as a staging post where readings are collected before the ship moves to its yard.

• Commercial cargo quays — hold, hatch cover, coaming and deck gauging on bulk and general cargo ships during discharge
• Ferry terminal — deck, ramp and ballast tank readings on Thasos ferries, best during lay-up
• Industrial jetties near Nea Karvali — deck, piping and ballast tank gauging on tankers and cargo ships within terminal rules
• Kavala Bay anchorage — pre-docking and condition gauging on ships waiting for berths or orders, by launch
• Lay-up positions — extended programmes on ships idle between seasons or charters

Port state control and regional trade

Port state control at Kavala is carried out by the Hellenic Coast Guard under the Paris MoU. The Mediterranean emission control area for sulphur, in force since 1 May 2025, includes the Aegean, so ships here burn 0.10% sulphur fuel or run an exhaust gas cleaning system. EU ETS has applied to shipping since 2024 and FuelEU Maritime since 2025, and both cover voyages calling at Kavala. Ships on regional runs may also need an Inventory of Hazardous Materials aboard when calling at EU ports.

Trade patterns in this part of Greece shape the work. Raw materials and industrial products bring bulk carriers and general cargo ships whose owners often have no superintendent attending, so the report needs to be clear and usable without a visit: readings tied to frame numbers, photographs of the worst areas and a short summary of what needs attention. The northern Aegean energy sector adds tanker and service traffic with its own vetting expectations, and owners of those ships may ask for gauging before a charter inspection.

Since 1 May 2025 the whole Mediterranean has been a sulphur emission control area, so ships calling at Kavala burn 0.10% sulphur fuel or run a scrubber. Scrubber wash-water piping, the overboard discharge and the hull penetration around it corrode quickly in service and are worth adding to the gauging scope at every docking.

How a thickness measurement job runs at Kavala

The sequence for a thickness measurement job at Kavala is short and written down, so the yard, the surveyor and the superintendent know who arranges what.

Teams fly into Kavala's Alexander the Great Airport near Chrysoupoli, usually connecting via Athens or another European hub, or into Thessaloniki and continue by road. Port passes, any launch boarding and jetty permits are arranged by the ship's agent from the crew list and equipment details we send ahead. Technicians need a Schengen visa issued in India, since Greece follows the Schengen rules. Cargo calls here are often fixed at short notice, so flagging likely Kavala visits early lets us keep a visa ready when the berth date firms up.

• Send the vessel name or IMO number, ship type, class society, the survey due (annual, intermediate, renewal survey number, CAP or owner's condition survey), the port and dates, and the scope you expect.
• We confirm the scope against the class rules for that survey, prepare the thickness measurement plan with frame and section references, and say whether the measurement will be credited to a class survey.
• Mobilisation is planned around visa lead times and the vessel's schedule; the ship's agent arranges port access, and the yard or ship arranges staging, lighting, ventilation and gas-free certificates.
• Gauging with calibrated ultrasonic thickness gauges: through sound coatings only where the gauge's through-coating mode has been verified on a coated reference, otherwise on cleaned bare steel, with every reading tied to its frame, strake and location on the sketch.
• Readings are compared with original thicknesses as work proceeds; substantial and excessive corrosion and any cracks are reported to the attending surveyor and the superintendent the same day.
• The final report is issued on the class thickness-measurement formats with sketches, a summary of locations exceeding the allowable margins, piping tables where piping was in scope, and the gauge calibration and technician certificates.

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