Ennore Port · INENR

In-Water Class Survey at Ennore Port

Class attendance without opening a dry dock

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Tell us the vessel, the port and the window. Scoped reply, usually the same working day.

Cleanship Marine delivers class-approved in-water surveys at Ennore Port, Tamil Nadu, with high-definition live video to a surface monitoring station, diver-to-surveyor communications and a full report package for the class file.

Classification societies accept in-water survey in place of drydocking for many vessels and inspection scopes, provided the work is done by an approved diving contractor to a defined procedure with the surveyor able to see the structure in real time. Shelter is on your side here — the vessel is stable and the dive is uninterrupted — but basin silt means the lighting and camera plan has to be agreed with the surveyor before the class attendance is booked, not improvised on the day.

What it gets you

Survey requirement satisfied without opening a dry dock or taking the vessel off hire
Surveyor sees the structure live rather than reviewing a recording after the fact
Defects located precisely against hull reference marks, not described approximately
A report package built for the class file, not a video dump

Working conditions at Ennore

Ennore is a modern breakwater harbour just north of Chennai, so alongside work is sheltered and normally runs in parallel with cargo operations. The north-east monsoon from October to December sets the anchorage window; outside it the Bay of Bengal here is generally workable. Coal handling puts fine dust into the harbour water, so visibility around the bulk berths is materially lower than at the RoRo and liquid terminals a few hundred metres away — worth knowing before a survey scope is priced.

Where we work: Coal berths · RoRo berths · Liquid terminals · Anchorage
Vessels we see here: Bulk carriers · Pure car and truck carriers · LNG carriers · Product tankers

What we do at Ennore

Survey programme agreed in advance with the class society and the surveyor attending at Ennore
Hull plating, welds, sea chests, rudder, propeller and stern gear inspected to the agreed scope
Live high-definition video to the surface station with two-way diver-to-surveyor communications
Hull markings and reference points confirmed so the surveyor can locate every feature precisely
Diving permission and any environmental clearance cleared with Kamarajar Port Limited
Full report package with video, stills and findings issued for the class file

Planning the window at Ennore

The north-east monsoon governs the calendar at Ennore Port, roughly October to December. The Bay of Bengal also carries cyclone risk in April to June and again from October to December, so an anchorage attendance on this coast is planned with a standby allowance rather than a single fixed date. Because the harbour is sheltered, work here normally runs alongside or at a protected anchorage and can proceed in parallel with cargo operations rather than competing with them for the berth window.

Work is taken at the coal berths, RoRo berths, liquid terminals and anchorage, and which of those a vessel ends up at changes the dive plan more than the season does. Teams mobilise via Chennai (MAA), so give us the ETA as early as you have it — the travel is the flexible part, the approvals and the working window are not.

What we typically find at Ennore

Dry bulk handling here puts cargo dust into the water around the berths and anchorage. It settles on horizontal surfaces and packs into sea chest gratings and inlet openings, so inlet and grating clearance is routinely a larger part of the job at Ennore than owners budget for.

Shelter is a mixed blessing for a hull. The same calm that makes the port easy to work in is still water, and still water grows fouling faster than an exposed berth does.

Standard scope of work

Included as standard on every in-water class survey attendance, wherever the vessel is. Anything outside it is quoted separately and flagged before mobilisation, never added afterwards.

Hull structure inspection: Shell plating, welds, bilge keels and openings inspected with continuous video and commentary, with cleaning of areas as needed for meaningful viewing.
Rudder and steering gear: Rudder plating, pintles, bearings and clearances inspected and, where required, measured.
Propeller and stern arrangement: Propeller, boss, rope guard and stern tube seal inspected for damage, erosion and leakage.
Sea chests and openings: Sea chests, gratings, valves and overboard discharges inspected and recorded.
Anodes and coating: Sacrificial anode wastage assessed and coating condition mapped for planning the next dry docking.

Full In-Water Class Survey service details

How we deliver it at Ennore

1
Scope and vessel details
Tell us the vessel, her particulars, the coating specification and the window at Ennore. We come back with a defined scope, a crew size and a duration we will stand behind. Where the conditions here will not support what has been asked for, we say so at this stage rather than after mobilisation.
2
Permits and approvals
Diving permission is obtained from Kamarajar Port Limited, along with terminal approval where the berth requires it and any environmental clearance for in-water work. This is handled by us, not left with the agent to chase.
3
Mobilisation to Ennore
Divers, compressors, brush carts and cameras mobilise via Chennai (MAA). Where a vessel is also calling at Chennai, one mobilisation is normally sized to cover both.
4
Safety setup and the dive
The vessel is secured for diving — main engine, shaft and thrusters immobilised, sea suctions confirmed shut, permit agreed with the master. Teams work under surface supervision with continuous diver communications and video throughout.
5
Report and handover
A completion report covering in-water class survey is issued with before-and-after imagery, coating and anode condition and anything found that you should know about. The findings are discussed with the vessel rather than emailed and forgotten.

Ennore Port at a glance

UN/LOCODE: INENR
Port type: Major Port
State: Tamil Nadu
Country: India
Water body: Bay of Bengal
Port authority: Kamarajar Port Limited
Main cargoes: Thermal coal, Automobiles and RoRo, LNG, POL, General cargo
Crew mobilisation: Chennai (MAA)
Services here: Hull Cleaning, Hold Cleaning and Tank Cleaning

Frequently asked — In-Water Survey at Ennore

Do you provide in-water class survey at Ennore Port?

Yes. Cleanship Marine works Ennore Port (INENR) in Tamil Nadu, India, covering the coal berths, RoRo berths, liquid terminals and anchorage. Teams mobilise via Chennai (MAA) with the full spread.

Can in-water class survey be done while the vessel works cargo at Ennore?

Yes, in most cases. The harbour is sheltered enough that divers work alongside while cargo operations continue, and neither holds the other up. The vessel stays on hire throughout, and there is no diversion and no dry dock. We scope against the conditions at Ennore and tell you honestly whether the window you have is enough.

Do you need a diving permit from Kamarajar Port Limited?

Yes, and we obtain it. Diving permission from Kamarajar Port Limited, terminal approval where the berth requires it, and any environmental clearance for in-water work are arranged as part of the job rather than left with the agent. The master's permit to work and the immobilisation of machinery are agreed on board before anyone enters the water.

What is underwater visibility like at Ennore?

Visibility at Ennore Port is moderate, and it drops further around active bulk handling and after heavy rain, and the north-east monsoon sets the outer limits of the calendar. How the tide and sea state shape the dive plan is set out in full in the working-conditions section on this page.

Which vessels do you carry out in-water class survey on at Ennore?

Bulk carriers, Pure car and truck carriers, LNG carriers, Product tankers — the traffic at Ennore Port runs to thermal coal, automobiles and roro, lng, so those are the profiles we see most. The scope is sized to the vessel, not to a standard package.

How quickly can a team mobilise to Ennore?

Divers and equipment mobilise via Chennai (MAA). Give us the ETA and the window and we will confirm what is achievable rather than promise a date we cannot hold. Where the vessel also calls at Chennai or Krishnapatnam, one mobilisation is often sized to cover both.

What does in-water class survey at Ennore cost?

It depends on the vessel's dimensions and wetted area, the fouling state found, the coating specification and the working window available at Ennore. We would rather scope it properly and give you a specific figure than quote a headline rate that changes once the work starts. Send the details and the window at Ennore and you get a scoped price, usually the same working day.