In an era of high fuel costs, transparency is vital. Our "Detective" surveys go beyond standard gauging to identify fuel hidden in non-designated tanks or through structural anomalies.
The commencement or termination of a charter party is a critical moment for financial liability. An On / Off Hire Bunker Survey is the official process of determining the exact quantity of fuel oil and lubricants on board a vessel at the precise moment it changes hands between an owner and a charterer. At North Surveying & Management B.V., we act as the neutral technical arbiter, ensuring that neither party is unfairly penalized during the delivery or redelivery of the vessel. Because fuel typically represents the largest variable cost in a charter agreement, any discrepancy in the initial or final quantity can lead to significant overpayment or under-recovery of operating capital.
The primary goal of the NSM On/Off Hire survey is to provide a certified "snapshot" of the vessel’s bunker status that reflects physical reality rather than theoretical logbook entries. Our surveyors perform manual soundings of all fuel and lubricant tanks immediately upon the vessel's arrival at the delivery or redelivery point. This includes Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), Marine Diesel Oil (MDO), and all critical lubricants. By conducting these measurements independently, we eliminate "logbook friction"—the common tension between ship and shore staff regarding fuel figures—and provide a transparent data set that both parties can agree upon before the hire period begins or ends.
In many operational scenarios, the physical survey cannot be performed at the exact moment of the contractual handover (such as the moment the vessel passes a specific pilot station). In these cases, our surveyors apply rigorous mathematical corrections based on the vessel’s documented consumption rates to "back-calculate" or "forward-calculate" the quantity to the specific contractual time. We also document the general condition of the vessel’s deck and equipment during these surveys to ensure that any damage claims at the end of the charter are based on an accurate, undisputed baseline established at the start of the contract.
Our standardized handover process is designed to provide total commercial certainty. We focus on these three critical pillars to ensure a smooth transition of liability: