Marine Survey

Bunker Survey

A Bunker Quantity Survey, also known simply as a Bunker Survey, is a quantitative calculation of Fuel Oil delivered to a vessel from a supplier either by bunker barge or by truck tanks. A BQS is a commonly used Loss Control tool to track significant variances of cargo quantities between the supplier and receiver.

The survey is carried out to measure and ascertain the quantity of Bunker on board at the specific time. This survey is produced the report that states the amount of bunker, usually Fuel Oil (FO) and Diesel Oil (DO), and sometimes Lubricating Oil (LO) is included.

ON/OFF hire CONSUMABLES survey

The bunker survey is required in order to calculate the exact amount of bunkers on board at the time of vessel’s delivery/redelivery/ DLOSP( DLOSP : Drop Last Outward Sea Pilot Station).

The vessel is delivered by the owner to the charterer, in case of On-Hire. At this time, usually, the Master issues a Delivery Certificates stating the place, time, parties involved and total amount of bunkers on board.

In case of redelivery, the vessel is redelivered by charterer to the owner by the end of the chartering (Off Hire), when it is issued the “Redelivery Certificate”.

The Surveyor carry out sounding of all bunkers tanks and performs corrections of soundings to vessel’s trim and heel to find out the volume of fuel in tanks. After Correction with Temperature and specific gravity & Mathematic Calculation we arrive the mass of Fuel Oil. Time, Place of Survey, No of Tank location are taken into consideration.

Condition surveys (ON/OFF hire, Pre purchase – Ships ,Rigs , Barges, Yachts)

This inspection is conducted to the vessel at the beginning and/or end of the chartering and aims at checking the overall condition of the vessel.

The on/off hire condition survey is an inspection of vessel’s holds, main deck, cargo working areas and external shell plating. It is performed in order to identify any damage present prior to the vessel going on/off hire.

By doing it repetitively for many years, our surveyors became experts in analyzing a vessel. The eyes of an experienced professional inspect every bulkhead, ladder, pipe, corrugate, lower and upper hoppers, bilge, tank top plating, manhole, hatch coaming, hatch covers and many other structures.

Seatech Marine & Cargo Surveys start the attendances of on/off hire condition surveys at berthing time, before the commencement of loading operation, or, at the end of a discharging operation, in order to inspect the holds without cargo inside to be more precise.

Flots Maritime details the findings of the inspection in the Survey Report that includes the anomalies found, general particulars of the vessel, relevant documents and a photography list showing the actual condition of the vessel. Seatech works to issue the Survey Report within three days after the completion of inspection.

This survey is compared with the previous condition survey carried out to the vessel, in order to determine if new damage have occurred to the vessel from cargo operations and/or stevedores damage.

Draft survey

A draft survey is a means of determining the weight of any materials being loaded into (or discharged from) a vessel. SGS’s experienced and highly qualified professionals can conduct a draft survey on your behalf and produce an independent draft survey report.

The vessel draft survey measures the displacement of the water both before and after the loading or unloading, with the resulting difference between the two displacements representing the weight of the cargo. Our surveyors work according to defined international guidelines when determining the weight of the cargo and consider several key factors while making their surveys. These factors include:

• Water density of the sea, river or other waterway.

• Changes in the ballast quantity between initial and final draft readings

• Changes in the vessel’s consumables (e.g. fuel oil, drinking water) between initial and final draft readings.

• Trim and deformation corrections (we use data from the vessel’s draft tables).

The accuracy of a weight determined by draft survey also depends upon the sea conditions (pitch and swell) at the time of loading or discharge.

Cargo surveys ( Tally survey, Measurement survey, Discharge and condition survey)

1. Discharge Tally Survey

The first step in discharge survey is to carry out the stowage condition of the cargo to ascertain the condition of cargo before discharge operation. This is usually applied for bagged cargos or cargo in cartons or containers or steel products (rice, chemicals, frozen fish, plywood, hard board, equipments and project cargo etc). The tally survey involves the counting of cargo on the basis of the unit of loading or discharge when it is being loaded or discharged from the vessel and their condition at the point of operations.

2. Condition Survey

This is carried out during transfer of a vessel between Owner and a Charterer during the time of the vessel being taken on or off hire to ascertain the condition of the vessel as at those times.

A comprehensive report with photographs showing the condition of the vessel at the time is issued.

Lashing Survey

To inspect &check the lashing materials and lashing on truck and container and in the ship bunker, to make recommendations to fix the impropriety if any, and to issue ‘lashing approval certificate’ for proper lashing.

To control the property of stack during the loading, lashing and to prepare the report with adequate photos, documents and information after loading.

Towage Approval & Lifting Gear Inspection

Flots Maritime Consultancies services is certified by the Federal Transport Authority, U.A.E to inspect and certify the Towage approval Certificates to the Tug & Barge combinations sailing out of UAE ports.