Marine Forensics is the technical investigation of any vessel situation where the cause is unclear, the stakes are high, or the standard answer isn't good enough. Engine won't perform. Insurance claim contested. PSC detained you and you don't know the real reason. Maker says it's not their fault. We find out what actually happened — and we document it.
Marine Forensics covers every category of technical problem a vessel owner, operator, insurer, or buyer can face. Our current active focus is pre-purchase inspection and delivery supervision — and everything else below extends from the same forensic discipline.
The spec sheet is what the seller wants you to read. The class records, Loading Manual, Cargo Securing Manual, and maintenance history are what the vessel can actually prove. In almost every S&P transaction that moves quickly, due diligence is shortened — the spec sheet is taken at face value, the class records are summarised by someone working off a brief, and the Loading Manual is never opened.
We read the primary source. Every time. Our founding MD reviews every pre-purchase finding personally before it leaves the office — because the kind of discrepancy that costs a buyer serious money is usually in a document that the broker summary never mentioned.
Recent example: an AHTS where the bollard pull listed on the spec sheet was 400 tonnes. The certified figure in the actual documentation was 120 tonnes. That is the difference between a vessel fit for the intended trade and one that is not — and it would have gone undetected if the certification itself had not been checked directly. Read the full case study →
Request a PPI →The moment of delivery is when a buyer's technical protection is at its most vulnerable. The deal has been agreed, the money is moving, and everyone wants the formalities done quickly. This is exactly when a discrepancy between the vessel's agreed condition and its actual condition at delivery gets missed — and once the vessel has been accepted, recovering that ground is difficult.
We attend delivery on behalf of the buyer. Bunker quantity survey — independent verification of the fuel and lube oil quantities being transferred. Condition verification against the purchase agreement and the pre-purchase inspection findings. Taking-over checklist completed with the seller's representative present. Any items found to be in a different condition from what was agreed are documented before sign-off, creating a record that protects the buyer's position.
We also manage the complete handover documentation — certificates, class records, manuals, SMS, historical maintenance files. A vessel's paper trail is as valuable as its machinery, and an incomplete handover is a problem that surfaces months later when a class surveyor asks for a record that was never received.
Discuss delivery supervision →Main engine not performing. Turbocharger surging. Bearing failed again. Fuel pump recurring issue. We investigate the root cause — not just the symptom — and produce a documented finding with the evidence trail.
Vessel burning more fuel than the charter party allows. Speed not achieved. Underperformance claim being made by charterer. We analyse engine logs, noon reports, and weather routing to establish what the vessel can actually prove.
Pre-charter, pre-layup, post-incident, on-hire / off-hire. We establish the condition of the vessel at a specific point in time with a documented, witnessed record that holds up when it is challenged later.
Equipment maker claiming warranty void. Repair yard denying responsibility. Supplier claiming wrong grade was ordered. We investigate the technical record and produce findings that establish where responsibility actually lies.
Legal proceedings, arbitration, or dispute resolution requiring a qualified technical expert. Written expert opinions referenced to primary evidence — suitable for LMAA, SCMA, or court proceedings. Available as expert witness where required.
PSC root cause investigation. Newbuilding PDI. Sea trial attendance. Flag state conversion assessment. Cargo compatibility. Tank coating failure. Noise and vibration. Crew negligence vs. equipment failure. If it is a vessel technical problem — bring it to us.
H&M claim where the insurer's surveyor found something you dispute. P&I club investigating an incident. Counter-survey needed. Independent technical findings referenced to the primary record for claim negotiations or legal proceedings.
Grounding, collision, flooding, fire, cargo damage. We assess technical causation — what happened, why it happened, what the evidence shows and doesn't show. Used in legal proceedings, class investigation, or flag state inquiry.
Not sure if your situation qualifies? Tell us what is happening and we will tell you whether Marine Forensics is the right engagement — or point you to the service that is. There is no charge for the initial assessment of whether we can help.
Describe your situation →Every engagement follows the same discipline — read the primary source, verify the facts, document the finding. The output is always referenced to a specific document, page, and source.
You describe the situation — what happened, what you know, what you need to establish. We confirm what we can investigate, in what timeframe, and at what cost.
We request the relevant primary documents. Maintenance records, class surveys, performance logs, certificates, SMS records, ORB, voyage data. We read the original, not the summary.
Physical inspection where needed. Document analysis. Cross-referencing of multiple sources. Identification of what the evidence proves, what it suggests, and what is missing.
Written report with every conclusion anchored to a specific source, page, and document. Clearly separates what is proven from what is inferred. Suitable for insurance, legal, or commercial use.
12 years at sea. The founding MD has personally maintained, signed off, and been inspected on the same systems he now investigates. That context cannot be replicated by a desk-based expert.
We do not read what someone else summarised. We read the original maintenance record, the original class survey, the original ORB entry. That is where the discrepancy either exists or doesn't.
Every finding cites the source document, page, and section. A finding that cannot be referenced to a primary source is marked as unverified — which is itself an important finding.
We work for you. Not the insurer, not the maker, not the class society. We have no relationship with the other parties in your dispute that could compromise what we find and what we report.
The most important forensic finding is often the absence of a record — the maintenance entry that should be there but isn't. Most technical assessors miss what isn't there. We specifically look for it.
Post-incident investigation, casualty assessment, and insurance claim support often have tight deadlines. We take urgent mandates and are direct about what can be completed in the time available.
Machinery keeps failing. Fuel consumption is above budget. The same deficiency keeps coming back. Your current technical manager gives you reports but no root cause. We investigate and give you a documented answer.
The deal is moving fast. The spec sheet looks good. You need an independent technical view — referenced to the class records, Loading Manual, and maintenance history — before money changes hands.
The owner says the damage was pre-existing. The maker says the failure was misuse. The surveyor's report is being challenged. We provide independent technical findings referenced to the primary record.
LMAA arbitration. Court proceedings. Dispute resolution. We provide written expert technical opinion, referenced to primary evidence, and are available as expert witness where the proceedings require it.
Tell us the situation — machinery, insurance, casualty, performance, or pre-purchase. We will tell you what we can investigate and what a forensic engagement would involve.
Bring us your problem →