Recognised Design Approvers

Operators should contact a recognised design approver and check that they hold the appropriate recognition for the type of vessel to be surveyed.

Design Approver recognition categories 

 Please refer to Maritime Rules Part 44 for the below categories, unless otherwise stated. 

Category: DASA 

Design approval for the construction stability of steel and aluminium (including alloys) ships: 

  • up to and including 45 metres in length, all operating limits and activities 

  • greater than 45 metres in length, unlimited fishing boats and barges 

  • greater than 45 metres in length, restricted limit passenger and non-passenger ships. 

 

Category: DAF 

Design approval for the construction stability of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) ships: 

  • up to and including 45 metres in length, all operating limits and activities 

  • greater than 45 metres in length, unlimited fishing boats and barges 

  • greater than 45 metres in length, restricted limit passenger and non-passenger ships. 

 

Category: DAW 

Specialist design approval for the construction of wooden ships. 

 

Category: DAFC 

Specialist design approval for the construction of ferro-cement ships. 

 

Category: DAP 

Specialist design approval for the construction of plastic ships. 

 

Category: DALC 

Specialist design approval and issue of the certificate of construction for light craft, as required under Maritime Rules Part 40F.7. 

 

Category: DAN 

Specialist design approval and issuing of certificates of fitness for novel craft, as required under Maritime Rules Part 40G.7. 

 

Category: DAE 

Specialist design approval for ships’ electrical systems design. See Maritime Rules Parts 40A.38, 40C.35, and 40D.30A. 

Recognised Design Approvers 

 

Alan Jamieson, eMarine Limited  

Survey recognitions: 

  • DAE, design approval – electrical, specialist design approval for ships’ electrical systems 

  • Surveyor – electrical systems, inspection and testing of electrical systems on board ships.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand, based in Nelson. 

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 27 441 7357 

 

Anne-Marie Read, Parry Naval Architecture  

Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium 

  • Stability assessments, all vessels.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand and Australia.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 27 359 3458 

 

Ben Felton, Survey Maritime Australia  

Survey recognitions: 

  • DAE, design approval – electrical, specialist design approval for ship systems 

  • IC1, initial construction 1, plastic, steel, aluminium and FRP for ships up to 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits where load line rules do not apply 

  • P1r, periodic 1r, plastic, steel, aluminium and FRP for ships up to 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits where load line rules do not apply. 

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand and Australia.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 21 149 9857 

 

David (Dave) Potter, Able Ships Limited; Robin Williams & Associates 

Survey recognitions: 

  • DAE, design approval – electrical, specialist design approval for ships’ electrical systems 

  • Surveyor – electrical systems, inspection and testing of electrical systems on board ships.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 21 655 738 

 

David Wise-Mann, Maritime Survey Australia

Survey recognitions: 

  • IC1, initial construction 1, steel, aluminium, FRP, wood and plastic for ships of 35 metres or less, operating up to offshore limits 

  • P1r, periodic 1r, steel, aluminium, FRP, wood and plastic for ships of 35 metres or less, operating up to offshore limits 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium for ships of 35 metres or less, operating up to offshore limits 

  • DAF, FRP for ships of 35 metres or less, operating up to offshore limits 

  • DAP, design approval – plastic for ships of 35 metres or less, operating up to offshore limits. 

Survey area: 

  • Australia and New Zealand.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +61 1300 15 8433, +61 480 102 145 

 

Gavin Dakers, Marine Cert Ltd

Survey recognitions: 

  • DAE, design approval – electrical, electrical systems 

  • Surveyor – electrical systems.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand, Australia and South Pacific.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 21 290 0313 

 

Harry Stronach, Able Ships Limited

Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 3 304 8780 

 

James Nolan, Maritime Survey Australia

Survey recognitions: 

  • IC1, initial construction 1, for ships up to 35 metres, restricted to offshore limits only 

  • P1r, periodic 1r, for ships up to 35 metres, restricted to offshore limits only 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium for ships up to 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP for ships up to 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DAP, design approval – plastic for ships up to 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits.  

Survey area: 

  • Australia and New Zealand.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone (NZ): +64 21 149 9857 (Ben Felton) 

  • Phone (AU): +61 400 828 831 

 

Jeff Roberts, Lighthouse Naval Architects

Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 20 4088 6936 

 

John Harrhy, SeaSpark Limited

Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP 

  • DAP, design approval – plastic, roto moulded only.  

Survey area: 

  • Nelson, North Island, Australia.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone (NZ): +64 21 220 5848 

  • Phone (AU): +61 45 807 0752 

 

Mark Smith, SET Marine  

Survey recognitions: 

  • DAE, design approval – electrical systems 

  • IC1SA, initial construction 1 – steel and aluminium ships up to 35 metres, restricted to offshore limits only, subject to these conditions: 

    • not permitted to undertake any load line surveys (MR Part 47) 

    • passenger boats less than 24 metres in length 

    • non-passenger boats less than 24 metres in length that are not surveyed to carry any cargo 

  • P1rSA, periodic 1 – steel and aluminium ships up to 35 metres, restricted to offshore limits only 

  • Surveyor – electrical systems 

  • Surveyor – radio equipment.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand and Australia.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +61 403 585 448, +61 7 3067 3438 


Mike Hudson  

Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP, glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) only 

  • DAW, design approval – wood.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 21 156 7271 

 

Mike Tweedie, Tweedmarine  

Survey recognitions: 

  • P1r, periodic 1r (Restricted), all materials for ships less than 35 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • IC1, initial construction 1, all materials for ships less than 35 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium, for ships less than 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP, for ships less than 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DAP, design approval – plastic, for ships less than 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DAW, design approval – wood, for ships less than 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DALC, design approval – light craft, for ships less than 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • DAN, design approval – novel craft, for ships less than 45 metres, restricted to offshore limits 

  • Surveyor – electrical systems (restricted), only up to 50V AC and 120V DC.  

Survey area: 

  • Australia.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +61 8 8633 2727, +61 4 3710 3239 

 

Nina Heatley  

Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP 

  • DAW, design approval – timber composites only 

  • DAP, design approval – plastic 

  • DAN, design approval – Seabreacher vessels 

  • DAN, design approval – novel craft, tunnel-hull racing boats only 

  • DAN, design approval – novel craft, jet boat and jet sprint vessels 

  • Surveyor – novel craft, Seabreacher vessels 

  • Surveyor – 40G Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) 

  • Surveyor – novel craft, tunnel-hull racing boats only 

  • Surveyor – novel craft, jet boat and jet sprint vessels.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 21 410 870 

 

Rupert Shaw, Lighthouse Naval Architects Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP, all composites.  

Survey area: 

  • New Zealand and international.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +64 21 263 7563 

 

Sajeer V Kandathil, National Marine Design and Survey  

Survey recognitions: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium, including alloys, for ships up to 45 metres within offshore limits 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP, for ships up to 45 metres within offshore limits 

  • DAP, design approval – plastic, only for ships up to 45 metres within offshore limits 

  • DAW, design approval (restricted level) – wood, for ships up to 45 metres within offshore limits 

  • DALC, design approval – light craft, for ships up to 45 metres within offshore limits 

  • DAN, design approval – novel craft, for ships up to 45 metres within offshore limits 

  • DAFC, ferro-cement 

  • DAE, design approval – electrical, limited only up to 50V AC and 120V DC 

  • IC1, initial and construction 1 (restricted level), all materials only for ships up to 35 metres within offshore limits 

  • P1r, periodic 1 (restricted level), all materials only for ships up to 35 metres within offshore limits.  

Survey area: 

  • Australia, New Zealand and worldwide.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +61 478 587 144 (Australia) 

 

Timothy Withrington, ASEA Naval Architecture  

Survey recognitions: 

  • Limited to open boats, fishing vessels and vessels that do not carry cargo: 

  • DASA, design approval – steel and aluminium, limited to vessels less than 24 metres, offshore limits, not permitted to undertake calculations of assignment for load line surveys 

  • DAF, design approval – FRP, limited to vessels less than 24 metres, offshore limits, not permitted to undertake calculations of assignment for load line surveys 

  • IC1, initial construction 1, steel, aluminium and FRP, limited to vessels less than 24 metres, offshore limits, not permitted to undertake load line surveys 

  • P1, periodic 1, steel, aluminium and FRP, limited to vessels less than 24 metres, offshore limits, not permitted to undertake load line surveys.  

Survey area: 

  • Australia and New Zealand.  

Contact details: 

  • Phone: +61 413 801 101 

For further information, see: