Catalpa Marine Surveying

10/08/2026

Free-fall lifeboats — a great innovation from a crew safety perspective, and a requirement under SOLAS Chapter III for the bulk carriers I get involved with.
But… inspecting them comes with its own set of challenges.
Tight access, usually stinking hot, cramped, sitting at an angle of around 35°… and always that lingering thought in the back of your mind that an unexpected launch would really ruin your day (and your teeth)

03/08/2026

I never get tired of climbing all over these big crosshead engines.
Impressive bits of gear, this one puts out somewhere around 20,000 KW.

Catalpa Marine is a Port Hedland based marine surveying and consulting business

12/07/2026

Here at Catalpa Marine Surveying , we also now do airstrikes.
Admittedly, only as a spectator.

Diversification of services is important, however we will limit this one to sitting at the bar until the good to go is given.

11/07/2026

We are going international..... trip to Cardiff to start on the next chapter for Catalpa Marine Surveying.
And a few other stops while up there.

Slaintè.

07/06/2026

Kinda accurate representation of where Catalpa Marine Surveying has been over the last few weeks.
A good variation of inspections carried out, from statutory surveys to condition reporting, and so on.

Coincidently, this also represents where we got to punch down a quick durrie, when we got a moment.
*DISCLAIMER: Roadside darts and fuel bowser durries not included.

06/06/2026

Looking for quality warranty surveyors that know their s**t and won’t ask for your first born!! 😉

02/06/2026

In the midst of a busy coupla weeks here at Catalpa Marine Surveying, were faced with the age old surveyors dilemma... wheres my darts???

Sourced the backup deck, crisis averted

23/05/2026

Coffee cup for the early morning road trips sorted, great work by Precision Engrave Hedland.

Next up im getting an ash tray etched.

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20/05/2026

Whats been happening?

Lots.... early starts and road trips (no durries, just coffee), and then lots of inspections, sea trials, more road trips, planes, and a refreshing drink at the end to finish the day.

Lots of ground covered, Dampier to the North Kimberley coast, and some places between, in five days.

And no, Catalpa Marine surveyors are not allowed to fly planes, but they do get given headsets to make them feel important.

18/04/2026

How does your Safety Management System hold up?

Under Marine Order 504, you need one to hold a Certificate of Operation.

We’ve been into a few lately—reviewing, updating, fixing things up.
You finish going through it, close it out, go have a coffee and a smoke, and think of something else you should’ve added or overlooked.

So thats why we review them. This is usually done internally, depending on the operator, but you can also engage third parties to assist (like us).

Crew involvement is a very important part; they guys doing the job need to be involved in creating the procedure.
There were some changes to Marine Order 504 in 2025, affecting SMS requirements.

All the requirements are freely available on the AMSA website, if your not sure you are compliant, its worth checking.

***below pic is a well earned Port Royal and a bourbon and is not a part of any approved SMS