Keeping the transport ships watertight has become a major issue of debate among the consumers who send their goods through sea cargo. Some events of the past have raised alarms among consumers who claim that their goods are mishandled. Pictures of damaged packaging and damaged goods are seen floating the internet. Consumers blame major companies involved in the business of not paying attention to their quality of services.

Rare chances are that the employees of the cargo companies are mishandling the goods. The biggest cause is the ingress of water in the cargo holds that has caused an up roar in the community. It is the duty of ship owners to make their ships safe for voyages. Without doubt, ships encounter high tides and sea storms during voyages. These conditions cause water to enter the cargo holds and cause havoc inside.

Some people suggest that the checking of tightness of hatch with ultrasound should be made compulsory every time a ship returns from a voyage. Others are of the view that the old method of water hose testing provides better results. The water hose testing is probably the oldest method of checking for leaks in the ship’s cargo hatches and other areas. It requires a huge investment and a lot of time every time the test is to be run. A special team of men is required to run the water hose test. Using powerful pumps, a team of men spray the deck and the hatch covers with water. They completely wet the entire surface of the ship until it looks like a swimming pool. Then the small whirlpools are located which show the points of leaks in the body.

This process takes a lot of time. It can take hours just to setup the machinery and position men to do their tasks. After the ship has been filled with water it requires careful inspection to locate the small leaks that are letting water to enter the ship. The areas are marked and then the entire ship is cleaned. After completing the cleaning process it is sent for repairs. Cleaning of such a huge ship can take days to complete because now it is not only the deck, but also the compartments where water has entered and wet everything. This test can only be done when the ship is completely empty and nothing is onboard.

On the other hand, the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing only takes minutes to set up and a couple of hours to complete running the test, mark the damaged areas and clear to send for repairs. There is no need to empty the cargo holds nor is there any need to do any cleaning after completing the test. The total time needed to complete is just a couple of hours. Time comparison between the two methods is an eye opener, and the cost difference can make a man jump out of his socks. The results are far more accurate thus there is no doubt that the ultrasonic method is just the thing ship owners need now.