BUNKER DETECTIVE SURVEY [221b] – WHY SO IMPORTANT?
LAST WEEK WE WERE HIRED BY A FAMOUS TUG COMPANY, TO CARRY OUT UNANOUNCED BUNKER DETECTIVE SURVEYS [221B] IN ORDER TO CHECK THE REAL DIESEL ROB IN EACH TUG OF THEIR FLEET.
WE IDENTIFIED A SYSTEMIC FLAW ON THE SOUNDING PROCEDURE -> THE TUGS’ CREW DID NOT READ DRAFTS TO CHECK THE TRIM.
THE TUGS’ CREW WERE SOUNDING THE DIESEL TANKS BUT THEY WERE ALWAYS CALCULATING CONSIDERING TRIM 0 -> THEY SHOULD READ THE DRAFTS TO HAVE THE TRIM AND APPLY TRIM CORRECTION.
WHEN WE DID THE BUNKER DETECTIVE SURVEYS ON THE TUGS, WE IDENTIFIED THOUSANDS OF LITERS OF DIESEL ON BOARD, WHICH WERE NOT BEING CONSIDERED ON THE ENGINE LOG BOOK DECLARATIONS.
THE BUNKER DETECTIVE SURVEY [221B] IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE ACTUAL BUNKER QUANTITIES AND AVOID MALPRACTICES, SUCH AS ‘BUY BACK SCAM’ -> BARGE CREW MAY SEDUCE THE VESSEL’S CREW TO UNDER-DELIVER BUNKERS, WITH THE VESSEL SUBSEQUENTLY ‘SELLING’ THE ‘EXCESS’.
WE ARE DOING BUNKER DETECTIVE SURVEY [221b] VERY OFTEN AND WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SERVICE -> IF 1 OR 2MT OF BUNKERS ARE DETECTED, THE SURVEY FEE IS PAID.
CURIOSITY: WHY 221B? THE TERM REFERS TO THE FICTIONAL DETECTIVE SHERLOCK HOLMES’ LONDON RESIDENCE [221B BAKER STREET].
THE MAIN TRICKS THE VESSEL’S CREW DO TO HIDE BUNKERS ON BOARD:
MAGIC PIPE -> PIPE FABRICATED ON BOARD BY MARINE ENGINEERS AND DESIGNED TO FIT TIGHTLY INSIDE THE ACTUAL SOUNDING PIPE. DURING SOUNDING, THE TANK THUS APPEARS EMPTY OR GIVES FALSE SOUNDINGS -> HOW TO AVOID? USE FLASHLIGHT TO INSPECT THE PIPE ; MAKE DEEP SOUNDING AND CONFIRM IF THE TANK HEIGHT MATCHES ; PUT 5L OF LSMGO INSIDE AND SOUND AGAIN: IF BIG CHANGING, MUST HAVE MAGIC PIPE INSIDE.
ALTERED-SOUNDING PIPE LENGTHS -> MAKE DEEP SOUNDING AND CONFIRM THE TANK HEIGHT MATCHES WITH THE HEIGHT DESCRIBED IN THE SOUNDING BOOK [THE SOUNDING TABLE NEEDS TO BE CLASS-APPROVED, NOT A COMMON PRINT WITHOUT ANY STAMP]/ONLY ORIGINAL SOUNDING TABLE TO BE ACCEPTED].
SOME CREW CUT THE SOUNDING PIPE AND WELD INSERT A SECTION TO INCREASE THE LENGTH. AFTER GRINDING AND PAINTING, YOU CAN NOT NOTICE IT [ONLY IF MEASURE AND COMPARE THE LENGTH OF THE SOUNDING PIPE WITH THE LENGTH DECLARED IN THE SOUNDING BOOK].
NON-CLASS APPROVED/ALTERED SOUNDING TABLES -> MAKE SURE THE SOUNDING TABLE PROVIDED BY THE CHIEF ENGINEER IS ORIGINAL AND CLASS APPROVED. SOMETIMES THE CHIEF PROVIDES A PRINT VERSION WITHOUT ANY STAMP, THAT MAY NOT GIVE THE CORRECT VOLUMES.
ALTERED SOUNDING TAPES -> CHECK IF THE SOUNDING TAPE HAS THE CORRECT BOB SIZE ; CHECK IF THE SOUNDING TAPE IS NOT BENT ALONG ITS LENGTH ; CHECK IF THERE IS A WIRE APPLIED TO GAIN SOME CENTIMETERS BETWEEN THE BOB AND THE TAPE.
FIXED GAUGES -> MANUALLY MOVE THE GAUGES TO CHECK IF THEY ARE NOT FIXED AND SEE IF IT RETURNS TO THE SAME POSITION.
WE DO BUNKER SURVEY ALL OVER THE WORLD ON A DAILY BASIS:
IN 2026, FROM 1/JAN TO 1/JULY [50% OF THE YEAR], SEATECH HAS DONE:
139 OFF HIRE BUNKER SURVEYS;
039 OFF HIRE BUNKER + CONDITION SURVEYS;
021 ON HIRE BUNKER SURVEYS;
062 ON HIRE BUNKER + CONDITION SURVEYS;
085 BQS+ROB [BUNKER QUANTITY SURVEYS = SUPERVISE BUNKER SUPPLY];
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346 ATTENDANCES INVOLVING BUNKER SURVEY IN 6 MONTHS
THAT EQUALS 57 BUNKER SURVEYS EACH MONTH, WHICH IS BASICALLY 2 BUNKER SURVEYS DONE EVERY DAY!!!
BUNKER SURVEY IS STATED IN CERTIFICATION SCOPE OF OUR ISO9001:2015 CERTIFICATE, ENDORSED BY BUREAU VERITAS:
THAT MEANS OUR BUNKER SURVEYS ARE ACCREDITED AND RESULTS ARE CERTIFIED.
WE ARE READY TO PERFORM BUNKER SURVEY!
COUNT ON US!
2 GREAT BUNKER FINDINGS AT THE SAME DAY
ON LAST WEDNESDAY [8/JULY] WE HAD 2X GREAT BUNKER FINDINGS:
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ITAQUI, BRAZIL
VLSFO: 720.535 MT / LSMGO: 216.308 MT – BUNKER SURVEY FIGURES.
VLSFO: 704.389 MT / LSMGO: 196.714 MT – ENGINE LOGBOOK FIGURES.
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VLSFO: (+) 16.146 MT / LSMGO: (+) 19.594 MT – DIFFERENCE.
VITORIA, BRAZIL
VLSFO: 892.464 MT / LSMGO: 191.477 MT – BUNKER SURVEY FIGURES.
VLSFO: 878.200 MT / LSMGO: 191.420 MT – ENGINE LOGBOOK FIGURES.
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VLSFO: (+) 14.264 MT / LSMGO: (+) 0.057 MT – DIFFERENCE.
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TWO IMPORTANT RECOVERIES TO OUR CLIENTS ON THE REDELIVERY.
THE OFF-HIRE BUNKER SURVEY IS AN OPPORTUNITY OF FINDING CONCEALED BUNKERS ON BOARD [BUNKERS NOT DECLARED IN THE ENGINE LOG BOOK] AND HAVE A GOOD RECOVERY ON THE REDELIVERY.
EXAMPLE: IF THE SURVEYOR FINDS +10MT OF VLSFO AND +5MT OF LSMGO, THAT REPRESENTS A SAVING OF APPROXIMATELY: USD 8,000 TO THE CHARTERER [10 X USD 650 + 5 X USD 950 = USD 11,250]. SOMETIMES WE FIND 30 MT… 40MT…
OUR CURRENT RECORD OF 2026 UP TO NOW IS: VLSFO: (+) 109.349 MT / LSMGO: (+) 27.179 MT [OFF HIRE BUNKER SURVEY PERFORMED IN VITORIA PORT, BRAZIL IN 21/FEB/2026].
A MASSIVE RECOVERY TO OUR CLIENT, THE CHARTERER [APPROX. USD 96,896.05]
ON HIRE SURVEY [BE CAREFULL]
ON HIRE BUNKER SURVEY -> IS DONE TO QUANTIFY THE TOTAL OF BUNKERS ON BOARD BY AT THE EXACT MOMENT A VESSEL BEGINS A CHARTER [WHEN THE VESSEL IS DELIVERED FROM THE OWNER TO THE CHARTERER] -> MASTER ISSUES A DELIVERY NOTICE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT -> IF YOU ARE THE CHARTERER, MINIMIZING BUNKERS ON THE ON-HIRE SURVEY = GOOD RESULTS ON THE OFF-HIRE SURVEY.
IN THE EXAMPLE BELOW, THE SURVEYOR MAXIMIZED THE BUNKERS ON DELIVERY, WHICH WAS A VERY DISADVANTAGEOUS RESULT TO THE CHARTERER:
AS CAN BE SEEN, THE BUNKERS ON DELIVERY NOTICE DECLARED BY THE MASTER WERE:
VLSFO: 363.910 MT / LSMGO: 153.650 MT.
THE ON-HIRE SURVEYOR CERTIFIED THE BUNKERS ON DELIVERY AS:
VLSFO: 377.327 MT / LSMGO: 153.650 MT.
THAT MEANS THE SURVEYOR MAXIMIZED THE BUNKER QUANTITIES (+) 13.417 MT.
THIS IS A VERY DISADVANTAGEOUS RESULT TO THE CHARTERER.
WHEN THE CHARTERER APPOINTED US TO DO THE OFF-HIRE SURVEY, HE SHARED WITH US THE CERTIFICATES OF ON-HIRE BUNKER SURVEY.
WE NOTED THAT THE SURVEYOR HAD MAXIMIZED BUNKERS ON THE ON-HIRE, WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE MINIMIZED AND ADVISED THE CLIENT/CHARTERER.
ALWAYS HIRE A COMPETENT SURVEYING COMPANY, THAT UNDERSTANDS THE CLIENT’S POSITION IN THE CHARTER PARTY, IN ORDER TO GRANT FAVORABLE RESULT -> A DISADVANTAGEOUS RESULT ON BUNKER SURVEY EQUALS HUGE FINANCIAL LOSS.
SOME NICE PHOTOS OF SURVEYS PERFORMED LAST WEEK
MOTIVATION
WHEN YOU DEVIATE FROM THE NORM, YOU MIGHT FACE SKEPTICISM FROM OTHERS.
BUT ENDURING THAT FRICTION IS USUALLY A NECESSARY STEP TOWARD ACHIEVING SOMETHING REMARKABLE.
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WISH YOU ALL A SUCCESSFUL WEEK AHEAD,
CHEERS,
SEATECH MARINE & CARGO SURVEYS
SEATECH / LLOYD’S SUB-AGENTS
MARINE & CARGO SURVEYS
ENGR. RAFAEL AZEVEDO – MOBILE: +55 27 99644.0750 (24 HRS)
ENGR. DANIEL AZEVEDO – MOBILE: +55 27 99805.2664 (24 HRS)
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