⚓ Never Sign a Blank SOF : A Master’s Quiet Warning to Every Vessel

 

⚓ Never Sign a Blank SOF : A Master’s Quiet Warning to Every Vessel

The cargo is discharging.
Shore cranes are moving steadily.
Agents stand near the gangway with documents in hand.

Someone says calmly:

“Captain, please sign — office is asking.”

It feels routine. Administrative. Procedural.

But the Statement of Facts (SOF) you sign today may determine tomorrow’s demurrage claim.

Over the years, one recurring pattern appears in shipping disputes.
Not poor seamanship.
Not slow discharge rates.
But weak documentation discipline.

Let us step back and examine this practically and professionally.

 

1️⃣ Never Sign an SOF with Blanks — Ever.

An incomplete SOF may appear harmless.

Blank discharge completion times.
Missing draft survey entries.
No sailing time recorded.
Quantities shown as zero.
Hatch timings left incomplete.

In a busy port environment, these are often dismissed as:

“We will update later.”

But legally, blanks create ambiguity.
And ambiguity rarely protects Owners.

Your responsibility is straightforward:

• Ensure all operational milestones are recorded.
• Verify times against the deck logbook.
• Confirm quantities against the joint draft survey.
• Cross-check sailing and pilot movements.
• Confirm ROB as per Chief Engineer’s statement.

If any data is genuinely pending, insert a clear remark:

“Times and quantities to be inserted as per vessel’s official records.”

Once signed, the SOF becomes primary evidence in laytime calculations.

At sea, we navigate by charts.
In claims, we navigate by documents. ⚓

 

2️⃣ Be Alert to Restrictive Laytime Language

Additional wording sometimes appears in SOFs, such as:

• Laytime to count on prorata basis per hatch.
• Laytime to cease upon completion of discharge.
• Receivers not responsible for pre-berthing delays.

These phrases may appear procedural.
But commercially, they can significantly alter exposure.

If the Charter Party provides reversible laytime, or if the vessel offered all holds ready for operation, shore-side limitations do not automatically reduce Owners’ entitlement.

Operational constraints caused by:

• Shore equipment availability
• Labour arrangements
• Terminal planning
• Receiver hatch allocation

…should not be interpreted as vessel inefficiency.

The professional response is factual and measured:

• Record that all holds were offered.
• Clarify shore-side restrictions if any.
• State that laytime counts strictly as per Charter Party.

No confrontation.
No emotion.
Only documentation. 📊

In shipping, wording matters.

 

3️⃣ Pre-Berthing Delays — Understand the Contractual Position

A vessel may arrive fully ready at anchorage.
Berthing may be delayed due to:

• Port congestion
• Draft or beam restrictions
• Daylight navigation requirements
• Pilot availability
• Traffic sequencing

The key question is not operational.
It is contractual.

If the Charter Party contains clauses such as WIPON, WIBON, WIFPON, or WICCON, readiness may be legally valid before berthing.

However, SOFs sometimes include language excluding pre-berthing delays from receivers’ responsibility.

This is commercially sensitive.

The appropriate response is clarity:

“Delay between arrival and berthing due to port and pilotage regulations. Laytime to count as per Charter Party terms.”

Anchorage time is not automatically “dead time.”
It may be legally active time.

Understand the contract.
Protect the record. 🧭

 

4️⃣ Hatch Availability vs Shore Working Arrangement

Receivers may choose to work selected hatches only, based on:

• Terminal configuration
• Shore crane reach
• Storage yard planning
• Split cargo receivers

But the critical distinction remains:

Was the vessel capable of working all holds?

If yes, this capability must be clearly recorded.

Reduced working due to shore arrangements should not be interpreted as vessel limitation.

An appropriate remark would read:

“Vessel was capable of working all holds simultaneously. Any operational limitation was on shore/receivers’ account.”

As Master or Operator, your role is not to debate.
It is to document.

Months later, during laytime calculations in a meeting room far from the berth, your remark may determine the financial outcome.

Facts written today prevent disputes tomorrow. 🚢

 

5️⃣ Quantities, ROB & ‘Without Prejudice’ Protection

An SOF without final discharge quantity is incomplete.

Before signing, confirm:

• Final joint draft survey figures
• Hatch-wise completion times
• Documentation completion time
• Sailing time
• Pilot onboard and disembarkation times
• ROB on sailing (as per Chief Engineer)

And importantly, insert:

“Statement of Facts signed without prejudice to Owners’ rights and strictly subject to Charter Party terms.”

This phrase is not decorative.
It preserves legal position.

Shipping is operational at sea.
But documentary in arbitration. ⚖

Professionals who understand both disciplines build sustainable careers.

 

✅ A Quiet Checklist Before Signing Any SOF

☐ No blank entries
☐ All times verified with logbook
☐ Hatch-wise operations recorded
☐ Final quantities inserted
☐ ROB stated
☐ Protective remarks added
☐ Unagreed wording clarified

This is not about distrust.
It is about professional discipline.

 

🤝 Final Reflection for the Shipping Community

Every Master has stood at the gangway holding an SOF while shore staff wait.

There is pressure.
There is fatigue.
There is urgency.

But remember:

Safe navigation protects the ship.
Careful documentation protects the voyage.

If this resonates with your experience:

• Reflect on your last SOF signing.
• Share lessons with your team.
• Encourage documentation discipline onboard and ashore.

Let us sail not only safely —
But intelligently. ⚓