⚓ When a Superintendent Boards Your Ship:

⚓ When a Superintendent Boards Your Ship:

Why One LOI Protects the Vessel — and the Other Only Protects Paper

Introduction: A Quiet Risk Most Ships Carry 🚢

The ship is alongside.
Cargo plans are exchanged.
Emails are flying between Owners, Charterers, agents, and surveyors.

Then comes one simple line:

“Charterers request a superintendent / supercargo to remain onboard.”

On paper, it sounds routine.
In reality, it is one of the highest hidden risk moments in ship operations.

Because once a third party steps onboard — and stays — the ship becomes their workplace, and Owners inherit the risk, whether they asked for it or not.

This article is not legal theory.
It is written from real shipboard experience, P&I claims exposure, and operational lessons learned the hard way.

Let’s talk about LOIs, not as documents — but as risk boundaries.

 

1️⃣ Big Picture First: Risk Does Not Board With the Charterer ⚓

When any third party — superintendent, supercargo, riding squad — boards and stays onboard, the risk does not follow the request.
It stays firmly with the Owners and the vessel.

In practical terms, this means:

• A slip on deck becomes an Owner’s injury exposure
• A medical evacuation becomes Owner’s deviation cost
• A PSC inspection becomes Owner’s compliance headache
• A claim alleging unsafe systems becomes Owner’s legal defence

And here’s the uncomfortable truth many learn too late:

👉 An LOI does not stop a claim. It only decides who pays — and how hard that payment will be to recover.

That is why wording matters more than goodwill.

⚓ #ShipOperations #MaritimeRisk #PAndI #Seamanship #OwnerMindset

 

2️⃣ LOI-A: Charterers’ LOI — Helpful, But Not Protective Enough 📄

At first glance, the Charterers’ LOI looks reasonable.

It usually says:

• “We request the boarding”
• “We will indemnify Owners”
• “English law applies”

All of this sounds comforting — until something goes wrong.

Because what this LOI does not do is more important than what it does.

There is:

• ❌ No personal assumption of risk by the individual
• ❌ No protection if Owners’ negligence is alleged
• ❌ No clear coverage for deviation, medevac, or repatriation
• ❌ No requirement for the person to carry personal insurance

In real life, that means:

• The injured person can still sue the Owners directly
• Courts may allow claims to proceed despite the LOI
• Owners fight first, recover later — if at all

In simple shipping language:

LOI-A reacts after damage is done. It does not prevent the damage from becoming an Owner’s problem.

⚓ #CharterParty #OperationalRisk #ShippingReality #ClaimsExposure #ShipLife

 

3️⃣ LOI-B: Owners’ / P&I LOI — Built From Claims Experience 🧭

The Owners’ / P&I LOI feels stricter — and that is exactly why it works.

This wording is not written in a boardroom.
It is written in response to injuries, deviations, court cases, and rejected claims.

What it does right:

• ✅ The individual accepts all risks, including injury or death
• ✅ Owners are protected even if negligence is alleged
• ✅ Deviation, medical, and repatriation costs are covered
• ✅ Third-party claims caused by the individual are included
• ✅ Personal insurance is mandatory
• ✅ Safety compliance is explicitly required

This LOI does not wait for things to go wrong.
It closes doors before claims can enter.

In simple terms:

LOI-B does not just pay for trouble — it prevents trouble from attaching to the ship.

That is why P&I Clubs insist on it.
Not because they are difficult — but because they have seen the consequences.

⚓ #PandI #ShipSafety #OwnerProtection #MaritimeLeadership #RiskManagement

 

4️⃣ Comparison in Plain Language: What Really Protects the Ship 📊

Here is the difference that matters at sea — not in emails:

• LOI-A acknowledges responsibility
• LOI-B allocates and contains risk

One reacts.
The other prevents.

One protects paperwork.
The other protects the vessel, crew, and Owners.

And when something goes wrong — as shipping professionals know it eventually will — only one of these will stand quietly and firmly in your defence.

⚓ #ShippingLessons #OperationalWisdom #MaritimeMentor #SeafarerMindset #ShipOps

 

5️⃣ Best Practice: What Experienced Owners Quietly Insist On ⚓

From real operations — not theory — the safest approach is clear:

• Owners should require P&I-acceptable wording
• Charterers’ LOI, if issued, should be supplementary
• Risk must be addressed before boarding, not after injury

This is not about mistrust.
It is about professional boundary setting.

Good operations are not aggressive.
They are clear, calm, and prepared.

⚓ #BestPractice #ShipManagement #MaritimeExperience #OperationalDiscipline #LeadershipAtSea

 

🧭 Final Thought

LOI-B protects the ship.
LOI-A protects paperwork.

And in shipping, when things go wrong, only one of those truly matters.

 

🤝 Call to Action

If you’ve ever dealt with:

• A superintendent onboard
• A last-minute LOI debate
• P&I-driven pushback
• Or an incident that changed how you view “routine requests”

👉 Share your experience in the comments.
👉 Like and repost to help fellow seafarers and operators.
👉 Follow ShipOpsInsights with Dattaram for grounded, real-world shipping wisdom — from someone who understands both the bridge and the boardroom.

Because shipping lessons are best learned before the claim arrives.