Marine surveys, inspections and certificates · IME
On-hire and off-hire surveys
IME records the vessel's condition and the fuel on board when she enters or leaves a charter. The report establishes any damage beyond fair wear and tear and gives both parties independent evidence for what the charter party says each one owes.

Where we attend
Each office attends the ports of its region 24 hours a day, and appointed surveyors attend the ports between them. Choose the port to see who attends.
Panama City
Head office
- 24/7+507 314-1756
- Mobile and WhatsApp+507 6676-8505 WhatsApp
Istanbul
Black Sea Regional Office
Dubai
Middle East Regional Office
Shanghai
Far East Regional Office
- 24/7+86 21 5075 3730
- Mobile+86 133 1169 1350
Hai Phong
Vietnam office
- 24/7+86 21 5075 3730
- Mobile+86 133 1169 1350
When you need it
- 01
The vessel is delivered into a time charter
Owner and charterer each record her condition and her bunkers at the start of the charter, often in a joint survey.
- 02
The vessel is redelivered
At the end of the charter the same record shows what changed and who answers for it.
- 03
Damage or a shortfall is disputed
The two surveys are the evidence the charter party relies on to settle it.
What the survey covers

01
Structure and spaces
Structure, accommodation and passenger areas, cargo spaces and machinery spaces.
02
Safety equipment and records
Safety equipment, certificates and classification records.
03
Bunkers and maintenance
The quantity of bunkers on board and selected items of the planned maintenance.
04
Cargo spaces
The cleanliness and condition of the cargo spaces, when the charter requires it.
05
Crew
Selected spaces and brief interviews with the crew, where they apply.
To arrange it, send us
- 01The vessel's name and IMO number
- 02The port and the date of delivery or redelivery
- 03On-hire, off-hire or both
- 04The party you represent and the charter party clauses that apply
What you receive
A survey report with the condition found, the bunkers on board and the photographs, so that delivery and redelivery can be compared item by item.
- Response
- We reply to every request within 24 to 48 hours at the latest.
- Report
- Preliminary report within 24 hours of the inspection; final report within 10 days.
Who provides it
International Marine Experts
Marine surveys, cargo inspections and marine chemist services.
Independence
IME attends as an independent surveyor. Findings are recorded as they are, and reports are prepared to stand on their own before third parties. IME's surveys and Bierman Pautt's legal work are contracted, staffed and reported separately.
What backs it
Membership
Listed surveyor for CESAM, DPS and TNM
- Issued by
- CESAM, DPS and TNM
- Scope
- IME is named on the surveyor panels of all three.
Held byInternational Marine ExpertsMembership
Member of the TIC Council
- Issued by
- TIC Council
- Scope
- The international association for the testing, inspection and certification industry.
Held byInternational Marine ExpertsCertification
ISO 9001:2015 certification

- Issued by
- GCL International, under UKAS accreditation
- Reference
- ISO 9001:2015, 86Q15045
- Scope
- Quality Management System against the provisions of ISO 9001:2015 International Standard.
- Validity
- Valid from 18 April 2025 to 18 April 2028
Held byInternational Marine Experts

Arrange an on-hire or off-hire survey
Send the port and the date of delivery or redelivery. The office of that region answers 24 hours a day.
- +507 314-1756(24/7)
- +507 6676-8505 WhatsApp(Mobile and WhatsApp)
Related services
- IMEBunker quantity surveysIME attends the delivery of fuel to a vessel for whoever buys it. The surveyor gauges the tanks before and after, supervises the sampling, follows the delivery and documents the quantity delivered, so a dispute over quantity has an independent record behind it.See the service
- IMEPre-purchase and condition surveysInternational Marine Experts (IME) surveys a vessel for the buyer, the broker or the bank before the money moves. The report sets out its current condition, class status and history, tanks, hull, machinery, outstanding repairs and areas of concern, with photographs, so the price and the loan rest on what the surveyor found.See the service
- IMEDraft and deadweight surveysIME determines the weight of bulk cargo loaded or discharged by measuring the vessel's displacement before and after the operation. The calculation accounts for water density, ballast, fuel, fresh water, trim, list, the vessel's deformation and the weather, and gives the parties an independent figure for the cargo.See the service