As we move into the future with each passing day, there is a great need for the old problems to be given up forever. Unfortunately, this is not becoming a reality not for the maritime industry at least. The problem of leaking hatch covers has been in existence from day one and it is still there. The reasons are various for a leak to appear, but the reason for damages due to leaks is all because the lack of hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing by the ship’s management. The ultrasonic test is meant to unearth all the hidden and unhidden leaks in the hatch covers or the ship’s body.

Leaks can be formed in some of the most bizarre locations on the ship. These leaks are formed due to many reasons but the commonest reason is the peeling away of the paint from the ship’s body. No matter how thick the iron of the ship’s body is, it is no match for the extremely humid air of the oceans on which the ship sails it entire life. As soon as the paint comes off, the water present in the air, also known as humidity reacts with the iron and creates rust in that area. It is the nature of rust to start expanding once it is formed and it gets deeper into the body until it clearly creates a hole.

The shipping industry or the transport industry via sea route pays millions of dollars each year in terms of claims and damages to the customers who have shipped their goods on the ships that got damaged due to the water that seeped inside the cargo holds through the holes in the hatch covers or the body. These increasing payments are a huge concern for the ship’s insurers and stake holders because it clearly reduces profits and increases expenses. What good is a business if you have to pay more than you earn running around like mad all year long?

Until the location of the holes is unknown there is no way they can be treated. It is not possible to strip apart the entire ship and inspect it piece by piece. That is the reason why we need to check the tightness of hatch with ultrasound so that we know where the holes are and devise a strategy to have them refilled without hurting the deadlines. It is crucial to meet the deadlines because a delay in a voyage would mean an extended delay in the unloading on the port and the next voyage as well. It would clearly disrupt the entire year’s cycle if the ship fails to complete its voyage in time.