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July 2011www.sname.org/sname/mt (in review )REVIEWED BY WAYNE P. THOMAS Report Writing for Marine Surveyors is a paperback handbook for preparing marine survey reports. It includes tables, drawings, charts, and templates to illustrate a con- cise and consistent formatting style for a cross-section of sur- vey report types that a marine surveyor may be called upon to produce. e author, Mike Wall, who has sailed as chief engineer and has broad international experience as a hull, machin- ery, cargo, and pleasure craft surveyor, is well positioned to provide the reader with many helpful insights. The book is organized into easily-followed chapters that deal with the basic concepts of survey reports, preparing for the report, the dierent types of reports, and writing the report so that it is clear, concise, accurate, logically formatted, and will stand on its merits. Topics covered in the preparatory stage include gathering of evidence, discovery, protocols and interac- tions with other survey parties, disclaimers, terms and conditions of service, and legal guidelines that deal with insurance, liability, and copyright issues. A broad range of legal topics is discussed, but the book is not intended to be a legal treatise and is not all encompassing. ere are descriptions for the inclusion of disclaimers and caveats as well as several limiting exculpatory clauses in the terms and condi- tions section. A word of caution is warranted here, as some of the authorĀs recommended clauses may give the surveyor a false sense of protection. Not all of the clauses mentioned will have the force of law or be applicable under all jurisprudence. is is partic- ularly so in the United States, where the courts may defer to COGSA rules. In the section on preparing for the report, there are several points worth remembering. Chief among these are the recommendations for rst preparing an outline, and the need for clarity, conciseness, use of precise termi- nology, and avoiding jargon?which is dicult to do for your average surveyor. e author briey discusses the subject of communicating and interviewing skills in the information-gathering phase, key tools for the surveyor. e dierent types of survey reports covered in the book include those most likely to be encountered during the careers of most marine surveyors. e appendices contain specimen formats for pre-purchase, condi- tion assessment, hull and machinery damage, o-hire, cargo and container damage, collision damage, speed and angle of blow, trip-in-tow approval, and heavy-lift survey reports. In discussing how to write survey reports, the author recommends that a standard, logical, and concise sequence be maintained. He provides a good explana- tion of the dierences between abstracts and executive summaries, their purpose, and when they should be used in the report. Other helpful tips include the use of active versus passive writing styles and the use of spreadsheets for laying out reports. e author suggests that spreadsheets simplify formatting, especially when columns are involved as in a found and recommended section of a damage report. e book is well suited for surveyors entering the pro- fession and for those who are not native English speakers. However, experienced surveyors may also come away with useful information that should improve their writ- ing style or help streamline their report preparation. Wayne P. Thomas is a member of SNAME with 21 years experience surveying ships. Survey Reports and Portsmouth Subs Report Writing for Marine Surveyors By Mike Wall PUBLISHED BY PETROSPOT, LTD.