A class accepted report passes on the first attempt when the surveyor can approve it without a call, a revisit, or a second file.
Why first-attempt approval matters
It happens when the photos show exactly what the scope demands and the captions tell the story without guesswork. The goal is simple: a class accepted report that keeps the schedule intact and avoids off-hire.
Photo sets that always pass
Start with the photos. Take a clear shot of each serial or nameplate, straight on, no glare, with the full model and serial visible. Add one wider frame so the plate is tied to the real unit. Record gauges and meters with the reading in focus and a date marker in the frame. If it’s digital, show the whole screen, then a zoom. When you fix a defect, shoot the “before” from a natural angle with a ruler or tag for scale, then the “after” from the same spot and note what was replaced or torqued.
For release gear, show positions armed, reset, and tested. Photograph safety pins in and out, and include the indicator or control in the same frame if you can. On winches and wires, show drum layers and cross-lay, then a caliper check of wire diameter at marked points, plus clean shots of sheaves and fairleads so groove and lip condition are obvious. During the load test, capture three moments: at load with the calibrated device visible, hold at 110% SWL with a timer in frame and no drift, and after unloading with brake condition and any deformation checks. One wide shot of the test site proves the setup was safe and isolated. All of this sits comfortably within MSC.402(96) expectations; you don’t need to quote it, just match it.
Captions that remove doubt
Use a plain pattern: System — Location — Action — Result — Reference.
“Davit brake hold — port lifeboat — 110% SWL for 5 min — no drift — MSC.402(96) sequence.”
“CO₂ bank — cylinder 14 — tare and fill checked — 45.2 kg gross, within spec — gauge cert GA-2025-04.”
File names should sort themselves: YYYYMMDD_Vessel_System_Step_###.jpg. Three digits keep the sequence tidy.
Structure surveyors like
Lay out the document in the same order as the scope. If the checklist runs 1 to 7, the report runs 1 to 7. Each photo ID appears in the caption, on the matching checklist line, and in the measurement table. Open every section with one sentence that says what the reader is about to see. Close the section with a one-page Evidence Summary listing photo IDs, instrument serials, and calibration references. Keep a single calibration page with due dates so nobody digs through annexes.
How to avoid rejection and deliver a class-accepted report
Most rejections are boring and avoidable: plates shot at an angle and washed out by light, no ruler or time mark in the frame, an “after” with no “before,” captions that say “OK” instead of stating the result, or a sequence that doesn’t follow the scope. Sometimes context is cropped away; add one wider frame and the doubt is gone.
Use a short report checklist on every job: scope and time window, vessel/IMO/flag/class/port, team roles, instrument list with serials and calibration IDs, planned photo sets, a summary table that links photos to checklist lines and measurements, reasons for any non-applicable steps, sign-off and distribution. Consistency is what turns good evidence into a class accepted report.
If you want it even simpler: shoot what matters, name it so it sorts, caption it so it speaks, and keep the report in the same rhythm as the scope. The result is approval on the first attempt, less friction with class, and a ship that gets on with work instead of waiting for a second round.
Book in Klaipėda — class-accepted pack on the first attempt.