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MARINE SURVEYORS, ENGINEERS,=20 CONSULTANTS
1989 University Lane, Suite I, = P.O. Box=20 359, Lisle, IL 60532-0359 - Headquarters=20
630-852-7944/800-223-8816 PH =
630-852-7128/800-852-7128 FAX=20
Spring 2010 Newsletter Volume 20 NO=20 1.

Offices in USA, Canada, Mexico = -click for=20 locations map

From the Bridge

The=20 recession has affected the marine survey/engineering business, just like all others, = with a longer=20 (seemingly) winter than others in recent memory. In our case = many=20 marinas closed completely for the winter, where in the past = they=20 were open with a few people present. The marina closures = prevented=20 claim related work from occurring in the winter months, or = the=20 inspection of used boats for potential buyers. =

Commercial related work projects got delayed from = Jan-Feb to=20 April-May. All I can say is I am glad it is over, and I am = looking=20 forward to a better spring and summer busy season. I am = concerned=20 that gasoline will hit in excess of $4.00/gallon. We will = see as the=20 year progresses.

The cargo inspection side of our survey work = slowed to=20 a crawl reflecting the economy in general. The commercial = hull and=20 mega yacht hull slowed for the same reasons. We are lucky to = have a=20 few research projects working and a large cargo projects in = the=20 works to help pick up the loose ends, so to speak (A few of = our long=20 time boat builder clients are presently no=20 more).

We have=20 seen more inquiries for used boat surveys (boats.com and = direct to=20 our website) from prior year/s or about a 100% increase. = Consumer=20 confidence is better than last year, but not what I recall = from four=20 or five years ago.

It=20 seems there is always a challenge or hurdle around the = corner. I=20 started this in 1977, 33 years ago, and we have become the = largest=20 marine survey and engineering firm in North America. Thanks = in large=20 part to the team working here, many for much of those 33 = years. =20

Flotsam &=20 Jetsam

By: Frank Taft, VP Davis & = Company, Ltd. It = must be=20 spring. Road construction everywhere. The warmest April in = Chicago=E2=80=99s=20 weather history. Rising gas prices. Boaters starting to get = their=20 boats in good running order for the pending summer. We have = already=20 noticed an upturn in the number of assignments received for = the=20 April/May time period. With increased usage will come = increased=20 demand for the handling of loss appraisals. Davis & = Company, Ltd=20 has geared up for this and is ready to tackle the new season = and=20 provide the best service we can for all of our = clients.

As = part of the=20 gear up for 2010 we have updated our operations database = program and=20 added all new computer equipment for our headquarters = office. We=20 have added some new features for constant communications = with our=20 clients. Part of this is that three automatic emails will be = sent,=20 as follows:

At the time of=20 entry into the system we send an email that advises our = file=20 number and who the surveyor assigned is. No guess work = here you do=20 not get an email there may have been a problem = transmitting your=20 assignment. Please check with our 800 number to rectify = the=20 situation.
You will be=20 notified again when contact has been made with the=20 policy-holder.
You will=20 be notified again when inspection has been = completed. The=20 report should be forthcoming in most probably within 1-4=20 days. =20

We = have heard=20 many favorable comments in regard to this new feature and = hope that=20 this will help with your file management and claims = handling.=20

As=20 mentioned in our last column in previous newsletters the = increasing=20 use of the Davis and Company EORDER program, part of www.daviscoltd.com website, has streamlined = the=20 communication efforts of our company to it=E2=80=99s = clients. Order entry,=20 file management, statistics, and helpful information all can = be at=20 your fingertips. All=20 you need is an account number and we will have our system = generate a=20 new secured password for your use only. Any questions on = how to use=20 this program can be addressed to info@daviscoltd.com or a simple call to = our=20 800-223-8816 HQ office. =20

Along with=20 this upgrade we have put another year of experience behind = our=20 staff. Our supervisors, Jim Traige, Ben Gommel, Jerry = Starczowski,=20 and Joe Williamson average close to 11 years with our = company. Our=20 surveyors in all regions have 5-8 years of service. Greg Davis, our = president, is=20 in his 33^rd year=20 and Frank Taft in operations has been here 22 years. Our = office=20 staff led by Carol Medina, 18 years, and Jamey Archer, 8 = years, know=20 how to speed the process and get the job accomplished in a = timely,=20 professional manner. Stephanie Griffin = our staff=20 accountant is in her second stint with us and takes care of = AR/AP=20 for our clients. = Our=20 office dog, Duke, has been with us for 9 years and pretty = soon will=20 be answering phones for us during the busy season. Only = kidding.=20 Experience, expertise, and proven professionalism are our = goals. We=20 want to earn your business everyday on every assignment. = =E2=80=9CONE=20 SOURCE, ONE SOLUTION=E2=80=9D means something to our staff. =

DCG Barge = car ferry=20 stability test

Our enginnering group, DCG, recently = braved the=20 cold in Lake Ozark to complete an intact stability test on a = car=20 ferry barge. The barge was acutally six barges locked = together in a=20 pintle and gugeon arrangment. The power was a tug attached = via an=20 articulated arm pinned center on the barges and at the bow = of of the=20 tug. The rig had been constructed in Cleveland and = shipped to=20 the Lake Ozark location without a stbility test at the = shipyard. The=20 incline experiment for the intact stability test plan had = been=20 submitted to the USCG marine safety center prior to=20 our arrival. The USCG marine safety office St. Louis = witnessed the=20 test. The MSO decided this was a good day for a field trip = and sent=20 along about 12 members of the inspection team (right photo, = I am=20 explaining the procedure to the USCG). The test = required three=20 tripods of 26 to 30 foot length (top photo) and 13.5 short = tons of=20 weight. The weights were made up at a local concrete forms = company=20 and then certified for weight. The test requried the weights = be move=20 centerline and outboard using a hydraulic crane onshore. The = day was=20 free of a wind or wave influence and we got good data = fromt he=20 test. Thanks to Greg Beers, PE Naval Architect for his = assistance on=20 this project.

Robert E. Lee fire- St.=20 Louis

The Robert E Lee was a 210' diner = boat, or more=20 accurately a three story restaurant located on a barge. The = barge=20 was of 1930's vintage and the resturant a wood with steel = frame=20 built in the 1960's. The restaurant was a staple on the = riverfront=20 near the Arch for many years. It had gone out of buisness = and was=20 sold at auction three years ago. In March, after completion = of some=20 refurb work, it was scheduled to be towed to St. = Charles, MO-a=20 short distance- and reopen as a resturant.

On a stormy = Sunday in mid=20 March the "Lee" was discovered fully invovled in fire = where it=20 was moored afloat on the Missippi River just north for downtown St. = Louis. DCG was=20 called upon to complete the origin and cause.

The fire = department was=20 limited in hydrant availability, so with the use of one = fireboat and some tank pumpers the effort was to contain the = fire=20 from spreading. Therefore the extent of fire damage was=20 substantial.

The three = decks, plus the=20 false pilot house had all collapsed down with only the = steel framing members still upright = (left photo).=20 The restaurant had two kitchens, two formal dining rooms, = two bars.=20 Luckily the owner provided us with plans for the vessel and = this=20 proved very useful in the demolition and debris = evaluation.

A local = demolition=20 contractor was hire 3DDSC_0265

d and the remains were = sytematically=20 removed so the scene debris could be=20 progressively evaluated (right photo). =

Florida Operators License law = effective=20 January 2010

Boat operators who were born on or after Jan. = 1, 1988,=20 must pass an approved boating-safety course and possess = photo=20 identification and a boating-safety education identification = card=20 issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation = Commission to=20 legally operate a boat with a motor of 10-hp or=20 more.