Hull and Tank Thickness Gauging for Ships at Šibenik

Inspection services for ships at Šibenik

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

Where gauging is practical in Šibenik

Šibenik does not offer the dry-dock infrastructure of a large repair port, and we do not assume any yard capacity unless the owner and the agent confirm it. What it does offer is time and calm water. A ship at a commercial quay after discharge can have holds, hatch covers and tank tops gauged in a normal working shift, while a vessel lying at a lay-by berth or at anchor in the inner bay may be available for several days, which allows a staged programme through ballast tanks, voids and deck structure.

Ferries and excursion vessels are usually gauged alongside at the town quays during winter, when schedules are light and crews have time to prepare tanks. Where a docking survey is needed, the ship normally proceeds to a yard elsewhere on the Adriatic, and gauging in Šibenik beforehand helps the yard plan steel work. The agent arranges quay access and passes, books launches for ships at anchor and coordinates tug or pilot movements if the ship needs to shift berth during the programme.

• Commercial quays — holds, hatch covers, coamings and tank tops on general cargo and bulk ships after discharge
• Lay-by berths in the inner bay — multi-day condition programmes on ships idle between charters
• Anchorage in the inner harbour — launch access for pre-purchase, on-hire and off-hire gauging
• Town ferry quays — island ferries gauged on vehicle decks, ramps and ballast tanks in winter lay-up
• Excursion boat berths — hull and deck gauging on tour vessels before the summer season opens
• Pre-docking visits — measured steel estimates for vessels about to sail for a yard elsewhere

Regulation and the Šibenik shipping scene

Foreign ships calling at Šibenik are covered by Paris MoU port state control, carried out by Croatian inspectors under the authority of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and the harbour master's authority for the Šibenik area. Smaller ships on short Adriatic runs get inspected less often than deep-sea traffic, but an old coaster with visible hatch cover wastage is an obvious target. Owners who plan to trade in the region for several more years often decide to gauge before an inspection, so that any deficiency can be fixed first.

The EU Ship Recycling Regulation and the EU emissions rules shape decisions here too. Larger ships must carry an Inventory of Hazardous Materials when calling at EU ports, and ships above the size thresholds fall under EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime. For the older coasters and ferries that make up much of the local fleet, those obligations are weighed against the measured condition of the steel. The Krka National Park and the Kornati islands bring heavy summer tourism, so tour vessels are a significant group: their operators care about both safety certificates and visible condition, and thickness readings support both.

Since 1 May 2025 the whole Mediterranean has been a sulphur emission control area, so ships calling at Šibenik 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 Šibenik

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

Split Airport is the nearest large airport and lies within road distance, while Zadar Airport and Zagreb are also options. The ship's agent arranges quay passes and port access, and books launches for ships at anchor in the bay. The team travels from India on Schengen visas, so the visa schedule sets the earliest start. Longer lay-up programmes leave comfortable time for planning, whereas a short cargo call needs the berth and date confirmed as early as possible.

• 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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