3.1 Intermittence of records for assessment and maintenance
A ship seldom comes back to her mother shipyard for periodical survey and itis not usual for her mother shipyard to collect all the technical records or information of her assessment and mainenance throughout her life.
It is usual at selling and buying of a ship that her techinical records or data may not be disclosed to the buyer if they are disadvantageous for the seller.
At the time of reclassification, technical information on her career other than official inspection records have not always been transferred.
With current movement of IMO and IACS, new ships will probably be beside the question. But, as explained in 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3, there remain so many older ships who have been operated under the conditions that buying/selling, flag of convenience and reclassing were easily accepted. As they will not cease to exist shortly, there will be such cases for some time that all the necessary records or data for adequate assessment and proper maintenance on them cannot be obtained.
3.2 Immatureness of scholary organizations for repairs and maintennance
Theories and techniques for designing and building new ships have been remarkably advanced with united efforts of all concerned. But, how about those for assessment, repairing or maintenance of hull structures of ageing ships ?
Conference or symposiumin in relation to a topical accident or occasional public need may be held independently on the as-necessary basis, but continuous and united efforts for advancing theories and techniques for assessment, repairing or maintenance of ageing hull structures have been hardly made. Among papers presented in periodical symposiums or seminors organized by the parties related with naval architecture or marine engineering, it is hard to find out those for assessment,repairing or maintenance of the hull structures or those presented by engineers repesenting shiprepair field.
Will the activity of each classofication society or their association IAGS do for this purpose ? Precious data or information obtained through inspection and repairing of ageing ships are not fully utilized by design department and newbuilding department of the sane shipyard and still less by other bodies such as other shipyards, classification societies, underwriters or legulatory bodies.
In shiprepairing industry, there have been little opportunity to exchange
