Surveys · Specialised
Specialised Surveys — Project Cargo, Heavy Lifts & Dangerous Goods
Some cargo cannot simply be booked, packed and shipped. A motor yacht on deck, a transformer that outweighs the crane's nominal capacity, a container of dangerous goods, a part-cargo of structural steel — each demands a surveyor who understands both the cargo and the ship. Gibson Minto & Aiton conducts specialised surveys in Sydney and at ports across Australia, bringing the judgement of master mariners to cargo that carries real consequence.
What our specialised surveys cover
Four disciplines, each with its own standards and its own failure modes:
Yacht & Cruiser Surveys
Attendance at the loading, discharge and securing of yachts and cruisers carried as cargo — cradle and lashing assessment, lift supervision, and condition records at each handover point.
Project Cargo, Heavy Lifts & Specialised Cargo
Pre-shipment review of lifting and securing plans, attendance throughout heavy lift operations, and approval of stowage and lashing for out-of-gauge and high-value project units.
Dangerous Goods / Vanning Surveys
Inspection of the packing and vanning of dangerous goods containers against the IMDG Code — classification, segregation, packaging, securing and documentation — before the container is sealed and shipped.
Breakbulk Cargo Surveys
Condition, stowage, securing and outturn surveys of non-containerised cargo — steel products, machinery, timber and beyond.
When these surveys are needed
Before the lift, before the lashing is closed up, before the container is sealed. Specialised cargo surveys are preventive by nature: their purpose is to find the weak shackle, the inadequate cradle or the mis-declared drum while it can still be corrected ashore. Underwriters routinely require survey approval before cover attaches to heavy lifts, yacht shipments and project cargo.
Where something has already gone wrong, we attend as investigating surveyors — establishing what failed and why.
Who commissions specialised surveys
Project forwarders and logistics providers, yacht transport specialists, exporters of plant and machinery, marine underwriters, shipping lines and P&I Clubs. For one-off shipments and standing programmes alike.
What the survey delivers
Approval certificates for underwriters, photographic condition records at each stage, assessments of lifting and securing arrangements against the relevant codes, and a formal report documenting the operation from first lift to final lashing.
Frequently asked questions
Speak to a surveyor
Specialised cargo deserves a specialist's eye before it sails.
Yacht, heavy lift, project cargo and dangerous goods surveys — approved by surveyors with 140 years behind them.