PSC deficiencies, ORB documentation, MARPOL compliance, MLC contract disputes, and career decisions. Not a lawyer reading from a maritime textbook — a Chief Engineer who has signed the Oil Record Book, stood in front of a port state inspector, and knows exactly what the inspector is looking for and what creates personal exposure for the officer, not just the company.
A PSC detention creates personal exposure for the Master and responsible officer, not just for the company on the certificate. A MARPOL violation carries criminal penalties in US and EU jurisdictions that reach individual officers. An Oil Record Book entry made incorrectly under pressure to satisfy the superintendent can become the central document in a prosecution two years later.
Most seafarers in these situations do not have access to someone who has faced the same situation, knows the documentation from the officer's perspective, and can give a direct answer about what the exposure actually is — not a general answer about what the regulation says.
Seavantek's founding MD holds Chief Engineer certification with 12 years at sea across multiple vessel types. Advisory is provided on the basis of that experience, combined with knowledge of how PSC inspections are conducted, what inspectors actually look for, and how ORB and SMS documentation is evaluated in regulatory proceedings.
PSC Detention & Deficiency — what the deficiency means, what the exposure is, how to respond
ORB Documentation — Oil Record Book entries, corrections, and regulatory compliance
MARPOL Compliance — bilge water management, garbage records, air pollution
ISM & SMS — Safety Management System implementation and audit preparation
MLC Disputes — unpaid wages, contract disputes, repatriation rights
Abandonment situations — legal rights, ITF contacts, escalation path
STCW & Certification — certificate compliance, upgrade path, flag state requirements
Career decisions — rank progression, company selection, flag change implications
Pre-joining risk assessment — vessel history, operator reputation, contract review
Use the contact form to describe your situation in as much detail as you can. All information is treated as strictly confidential. The more specific you are, the more useful our response will be.
We review your situation within 24 hours — faster for urgent PSC or detention cases. We confirm what advice we can provide, what the scope of the consultation is, and what the fee will be.
By phone, WhatsApp, or written response depending on the nature of the situation and your preference. Direct answers — not general guidance about what the regulation says.
Where a situation develops over time, we remain available for follow-up questions within the scope of the original consultation. Complex situations may require an extended engagement.
12 years at sea across multiple vessel types and flag states. The ORB, the SOPEP, the SMS, the maintenance record — maintained and signed by the person giving the advice.
We know what a port state inspector looks for because we have been the officer being inspected. That is a different perspective from reading the Paris or Tokyo MoU guidelines.
PSC detentions and imminent inspections are treated as urgent. Initial review within 24 hours, faster where the situation requires it. We do not put urgent seafarer situations in a queue.
Everything you share with us is treated as strictly confidential. We do not share information about seafarer advisory clients with shipping companies, manning agents, or any third party.
We know the MLC framework and the ITF escalation path. If you are in an abandonment situation or a wages dispute, we can help you understand your rights and the fastest route to resolution.
If you are looking for your next vessel, applying to our seafarer pool is completely free. Consultations on specific advisory situations are chargeable — confirmed before any billable work begins.
US and EU port state inspections take MARPOL documentation seriously, and the consequences land on individuals, not just companies. Most cases don't start with the violation itself — they start with the paperwork around it.
When the US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on 28 February 2026, the IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz closed within hours — and 20,000 seafarers on approximately 2,000 vessels were instantly trapped. Indian sailors were among the worst affected: on 1 March, two Indian crew members were killed when the tanker Skylight was struck by a projectile near Oman's Musandam Peninsula. Three more Indian nationals died in a US strike on a Palau-flagged tanker in June. Seafarers stranded at Iranian ports reported living on potatoes, onions, and flatbread. The ITF documented crew going 8 to 11 months without wages. When geopolitics moves, seafarers have no flag to run to — only the quality of their documentation, the clarity of their contracts, and the speed of whoever is fighting for them ashore.
Worst year on record — 1,125 Indian nationals among them, with US$25.8M in unpaid wages across 410 vessels.
Four Indian seafarers stranded off Nigeria, wages unpaid, contracts expired — one father missed his daughter's birth. "Worse than hell."
A power blackout led to the bridge collapse and 6 deaths. Every maintenance log and SMS entry was read by NTSB investigators afterward.
ISM failures were the leading cause. One week's detention costs USD 50,000+. Three detentions in 36 months means a Paris MoU ban from European ports.
Tell us your rank, what happened, and how urgent it is. The initial review is free — we confirm the scope and fee before any billable work begins.
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