Inspections are of vital importance to ensure the safety and security of vessels, their crew members and to maintain the integrity of the seas. They should be carried out regularly to assess the condition of vessels in terms of: structures, equipment, management, quality, safety, security, risks, among others.
It aims to determine the condition of the vessel at the time of the inspection.
Approximately 90 items are covered, including: a general description of the condition of the vessel, hull, machinery, propulsion, steering, stability, regulations, management information, safety, navigational condition, pollution prevention, among others.
Recommendations are issued, in some cases structural, necessary to provide a minimum guarantee of its condition, both for shipowners and insurers.
It aims to establish the general and particular conditions of the vessel at present, to then evaluate all aspects and variables that compose it in terms of operability, ownership, legality, flag status and others, to give a value that reflects and places it in the market values, taking as a reference, the values of similar vessels in terms of characteristics and conditions.
We are qualified to give a commercial market value, an insurable value and a replacement/new build value, as appropriate.
It aims to describe in detail the condition of the hull and machinery of a vessel, reporting on the maintenance programmes used by the owner and his crew, giving details of the maintenance history and indicating in detail the current condition of the hull (including internal steel structures) and of the equipment and machinery (from the propeller and rudder, through the main engine, to the service equipment and machinery).
We can initiate this prior to the vessel purchase and/or underwriting process or at an intermediate stage, in order to guarantee in terms of quality and reliability the standards required by the classification societies, flag regulations and port authorities of the country where the vessel is located.
It aims to identify hull and machinery risks, based on the reference regulations that apply to minimise the possibilities of accidents to the ship and human life in all areas of influence, such as grounding, fire, fire fighting, sinking, loading conditions, stability conditions, seaworthiness conditions, human and ship safety.
From the point of view of risk, the wide range of accessories and parts of which a ship is composed, the basic hull and machinery items and aspects specific to the type of vessel are evaluated.
It aims to identify and reduce risks to third parties and crew members (collisions, personal accidents, etc.), providing the P&I club association managers with a clear idea of the potential risks (direct and indirect) that the insured object may present and in the adoption of preventive measures.
Depending on who has contracted the service, the report will be made in a format prepared by us or in formats specified by the client, such as those used by Hydor, British Marine and West of England Insurance Services.
Its objective is to assess from a technical point of view the feasibility of using a tug and its towing accessories to carry out the manoeuvre of transferring another vessel. Technical calculations are performed, compliance with all applicable regulations is assessed and best practice recommendations are issued to ensure a safe towing manoeuvre.
The ship and the sea or dock conditions are inspected as appropriate to assess both the mooring and the mooring components to ensure safety in all planes.
The living conditions of the personnel on board are determined if applicable and the regulations of the location, bay, dock, port and country, where the vessel is stationed, are considered.
We carry out investigations and surveys of maritime accidents (of any complexity) for insurance companies, mutual companies, P&I Clubs, underwriters, shipping companies, port authorities and maritime terminals.
Our main purpose is to provide a strong and safe response (complying with the guidelines of each club or insurance company), by means of which the insurers are perfectly informed about every detail so that they can reach well-supported conclusions and be able to make the right decisions.
When a maritime accident occurs, our main objective is to establish the nature, causes and extent of the damage following the accident, casualty, damage, or other circumstances affecting the crew, cargo, the vessel itself or other companies involved in the operation of the vessel. Investigations include:
⦁ Investigation of vessel groundings.
- Collisions between vessels.
- Collisions with fixed or floating objects.
- Pollution incidents.
- On-board industrial accidents.
- Non-compliance with port and maritime regulations.
We are specialists in independent claims and as loss adjusters we assist in the fair and equitable settlement of claims, including complex or contentious claims, on behalf of insurance companies, developing and investigating chronologically the facts of a given accident, looking for the origin and possible causes, until we find the verifications that determine what happened.
Our functions as insurance adjusters are: to estimate the value of the objects before the occurrence of the accident, to investigate the causes of the accident, to give an opinion as to whether the accident is covered by the policy, to establish the amount covered by the policy, to indicate the amount that should be compensated in accordance with the conditions of the policy and to establish the value of the salvage of the wreckage.
We constantly monitor the case from its genesis to its conclusion, assisting in the process of repairs and the corresponding evaluations, compiling all applicable costs associated with the case to be carried out.
We prepare the necessary reports for the insurance company, determining the validity of the claim and the appropriate payment recommendation.
We offer advice on:
- Claims in the areas of hull and machinery.
- Bulk cargo claims
- Liquid cargo claims
- Heavy cargo claims
- Crew claims and legal matters.