Marine Surveys & Consultancy in Rotterdam.

Independent marine surveys and technical consultancy

Marine surveys and consultancy provide independent, documented evidence about a ship’s condition, quantities, damage or compliance, for someone who has to make a decision: buy, charter, insure, pay, claim or repair. Unlike class and statutory surveys, these surveys are commercial instructions, so the quality of the result depends on how clearly the question is defined.

vslSafety coordinates independent surveyors for owners, managers, charterers, buyers, financiers, insurers, P&I interests and cargo interests. The instruction is agreed before attendance so the surveyor records the facts relevant to the decision rather than carrying out an undefined general inspection.

Regulatory and contractual framework

Most commercial surveys are governed by contract, not by convention, and the framework usually comes from the documents behind the instruction:

• Charter parties, such as NYPE 2015 clause 5, which provides for joint on-hire and off-hire surveys to record bunkers and condition, with a single report signed by both surveyors.
• Sale contracts, such as BIMCO SALEFORM 2012 or the newer SALEFORM 2025, which set the buyer’s inspection rights before a firm deal.
• Draught survey standards, such as the UNECE Code of Uniform Standards and Procedures for the Performance of Draught Surveys of Coal Cargoes, widely used as the reference method for bulk cargo.
• MARPOL Annex VI fuel sampling and bunker delivery note requirements, relevant to bunker quantity and quality disputes.
• P&I club and insurer rules for entry and condition surveys, which vary by club and by the age of the ship.

Class and statutory surveys under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification remain the job of the classification society or the flag administration. An independent survey can find problems and support planning, but it cannot issue or endorse a statutory or class certificate.

Typical survey types and timing

Survey	Purpose	Typical timing	Basis
Pre-purchase or condition survey	Structure, machinery, maintenance and certificate status for a buyer or financier	Before firm sale or loan	Sale contract, lender instruction
On-hire and off-hire	Bunkers on board and ship condition at delivery and redelivery	At delivery and redelivery	Charter party, e.g. NYPE 2015 cl. 5
Draught survey	Cargo weight from displacement before and after loading or discharge	Each loading or discharge	UNECE draught survey code, sale contract
Bunker survey	Quantity delivered or remaining, witnessed sampling	At bunkering or on dispute	Bunker contract, MARPOL Annex VI
Damage or casualty survey	Cause, extent and repair cost for owners, insurers or claims	As soon as possible after the event	Policy, P&I or hull instruction
P&I or insurance condition survey	Risk review for entry or renewal	At entry, renewal or on request	Club or insurer rules

What the service includes

• Agreed letter of instruction covering purpose, scope, standard and recipients
• Review of certificates, class status, survey records, planned maintenance and PSC history
• Walk-round of hull, decks, holds or tanks, machinery spaces, accommodation and safety equipment as accessible
• Running tests of main and auxiliary machinery and deck equipment, where agreed
• Sounding, draught reading, density and trim measurements for quantity surveys
• Witnessed fuel or cargo sampling with sealed, labelled samples
• Damage recording with photographs, measurements and statements, and repair-cost assessment
• Technical consultancy on repairs, specifications, dry-dock work and defect rectification
• Written report with findings, photographs and clearly separated opinions and reservations

Where the question needs measured data, surveys are often combined with ultrasonic thickness measurement, hatch cover tightness testing or an underwater hull inspection.

Ship types and surveyor specialisms

Surveyors work on bulk carriers, tankers, container ships, general cargo ships, reefers, gas carriers, offshore support vessels, tugs, ferries and yachts. Assign the right specialist: a master mariner for draught, cargo and on-hire work, a marine engineer for machinery and pre-purchase work, and a naval architect for structural damage. Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020 or membership of a professional body can help show competence, though requirements differ by client and country.

Common findings

• Corrosion, wastage and coating breakdown in holds, ballast tanks and hatch covers
• Outstanding class conditions, overdue surveys and gaps in certificates
• Machinery running hours past overhaul intervals, and poor maintenance records
• Differences between bunker delivery notes and measured quantities
• Draught survey errors caused by unreadable marks, swell, list or unsounded tanks
• Contact, heavy-weather and stevedore damage that was not recorded at the time
• Safety and pollution equipment defects that are also common PSC deficiencies

Certificates and documents you receive

The deliverable is a survey report, not a certificate. A good report identifies the instructing party, scope and limits, documents reviewed, people present, weather and access, methods, observed facts, measurements and photographs, then the surveyor’s opinion and any reservations. Quantity surveys include calculation sheets and sounding or draught records; sampling includes sample receipts and seal numbers. Joint surveys may produce a single signed report with separate notes where the surveyors disagree.

How to prepare the vessel

Tell the master and agent in advance who will attend and on whose behalf. Have certificates, class status, maintenance records and plans ready, and arrange access to holds, tanks or spaces with gas-free certificates and ventilation where entry is planned. For draught and bunker surveys, keep ballast and fuel transfers stopped, have sounding tables and calibration data ready, and assign an officer to accompany the surveyor.

Information needed for a quotation

• Vessel name, IMO number, type, flag and class
• Port or anchorage, ETA and ETD, and time available on board
• Type and purpose of survey, and who is instructing
• Contract clause or standard to be applied, and any joint-survey arrangement
• Areas, spaces or equipment to inspect, and any measurements or samples
• Report deadline, format, language and recipients
• Relevant documents: charter-party extract, previous reports, casualty details or repair lists

vslSafety coordinates a suitably experienced independent surveyor at the vessel’s port and confirms any conflict of interest before appointment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a condition survey and a class survey?

A class survey is carried out by the classification society to keep the ship in class and to issue or endorse statutory certificates on behalf of the flag. A condition survey is a private instruction by an owner, buyer, lender or insurer to learn the ship’s actual state. It can go wider than class, for example looking at maintenance standards or commercial fitness, but it has no authority over the ship’s certificates.

What does an on-hire survey record?

An on-hire survey records the bunkers on board and the ship’s condition at delivery, including holds, hatch covers, cargo gear and existing damage, with photographs. An off-hire survey at redelivery repeats the exercise so charterer’s damage and bunker quantities can be settled. Under NYPE 2015 the survey is joint, with a single report signed by both surveyors and room to record disagreement.

How accurate is a draught survey?

Accuracy depends on the conditions. Readable marks, calm water, correct density, sounded tanks and accurate ship’s tables all matter. In good conditions a careful draught survey gives a reliable cargo figure, but swell, list, trim beyond table limits or unsounded tanks increase the error. Following a recognised standard, such as the UNECE code, improves consistency between surveyors.

Should a pre-purchase survey include tank and hold entry?

Where the seller allows it, yes, as most structural problems appear there. Sale forms often limit the buyer’s inspection to what can be seen without opening up, so the survey plan must match what the contract permits. A review of class records and thickness measurement reports helps fill the gaps where entry is not possible.

How quickly can a damage surveyor attend?

It depends on the port and the specialism needed, but attendance should be as soon as possible because evidence changes after repairs start. Keep damaged parts, take photographs and record statements while waiting. Tell the surveyor who else is attending, such as class, hull underwriters or the other party’s surveyor, so a joint inspection can be arranged.