A useful underwater inspection record lets the receiving team connect each requested area to the observations, image or video references, and any coverage limits. A separate handover check confirms that the team can open and retain the agreed files.
Our Suape inspection article explains the service, scope and planning considerations. This companion turns the reporting requirement into a coverage matrix and a file receipt template for a vessel inspection in Brazil.
Turn the scope into a coverage list
| Area requested | Record to agree | If coverage is incomplete |
|---|---|---|
| Hull sections | Identify sections and requested image or video coverage. | List sections not inspected and the reason. |
| Propeller and rudder | Identify the concern and the views needed for review. | Describe the limitation; do not imply full coverage. |
| Sea chests, grids or other specified areas | List the accessible features included in the scope. | Record what could be observed and what remains unknown. |
The list is a briefing aid, not a diving procedure or a promise that every area can be inspected. The responsible provider should assess the proposed work and its operating requirements.
Distinguish a finding from a coverage limit
Planning example: a report includes usable images of one requested area but records limited visibility in another. The review should preserve both statements: observations for the area covered, and an unresolved information need for the area not adequately covered. “No anomaly observed” should not silently become a conclusion about areas outside the inspection.
Ask for the report to identify the areas covered, observations, supporting records and relevant limitations. Your technical team can then decide whether the available information answers the original question or whether further review is needed.
Agree the media handover as well as the report
A report attachment and a download link are separate deliverables. Confirm who receives the report, how images or video are indexed, how access is provided and how long it remains available. If a link expires, receipt of the email alone will not preserve the files.
Before closing the document handover, check that the receiving team can open the agreed files and has retained them in its own records. Keep receipt separate from technical acceptance: a message acknowledging the report does not itself establish approval of its findings or acceptance by class.
State any certificate or approval requirement precisely
If the assignment requires a particular certificate, approval or class involvement, name that requirement in the enquiry and confirm the responsible issuer and provider suitability before the work is agreed. A general inspection report should not be presented as a class certificate.
A coverage and handover template your team can copy
Download the blank coverage and handover template (TXT, no registration)
Assignment header
Vessel / port / working location: [details]
Agreed scope and working window: [reference / requested or confirmed]
Technical review contact: [name / role]
Coverage record — copy this block for each requested area
Area and inspection question: [location / concern]
Agreed record: [photograph / video / report reference]
Coverage reported: [complete for agreed scope / partial / not inspected]
Evidence reference: [report page / image ID / video file and time]
Observation or limitation: [finding / visibility or access limit / reason]
Open question and next decision: [technical reviewer / required follow-up]
File handover — check each agreed deliverable
File index and version: [report / photos / video]
Recipient and access route: [name / download or attachment]
Access expiry, if any: [date and time zone / none stated]
Files opened and retained: [receiver / confirmation time / storage reference]
Missing or unreadable files: [item / responsible contact / next check]
Technical review status: [pending / reviewer reference; separate from file receipt]
Agree the fields before the inspection, then complete the coverage and receipt records from the actual deliverables. For example, a readable report with a broken video link leaves the video handover open. Record that gap and the person following it up; do not mark every file received because the email arrived.
Costa Maritime coordinates underwater inspection enquiries and the agreed reporting arrangements. Share your scope so the work, local conditions and deliverables can be reviewed for the assignment. Send your inspection scope.
Service information: Underwater Inspection in Brazil.