RightShip has revised its timeline for implementing its vessel inspection age trigger. It will now reduce its threshold from 14 to 10 years in a four-phased approach.
In October 2024, the maritime safety platform RightShip said that it would introduce a two-stage approach to require inspections of vessels at an earlier age.
Members of the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) were quick to raise concerns over the decision, with its members stating that the steps were taken without prior consultation.
In a press release issued on December 11, RightShip said that it had constructive dialogue with its customers and industry associations – including Intercargo, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the Union of Greek Shipowners – to help align its approach with operational realities.
In response to industry concerns – including the need for more time to negotiate budgets with vessel owners, adjust office staffing to manage inspections, significant efforts for vessel preparation and crew training, challenges of aligning inspections for 10-year-old vessels with the second special survey dry dock, and capacity to handle inspection volumes – RightShip has introduced a number of updates.
Notably, the rollout has been expanded to four-phases, which aims to give vessel owners and operators more time to adjust budgets, train crew, and plan for inspections. All vessels now have at least 12 months’ notice from the initial announcement before safety score impacts take effect. This phased approach also allows RightShip to accredit additional inspectors.
For Phase 4, inspections for vessels aged 10 years will now align with the second special survey dry dock, with a three-month buffer post-completion before inspection requirements take effect.
Moreover, RightShip will introduce an early inspection inventive. Vessels built after October 1, 2011 that complete inspections between January and June 2025 are eligible for a USD1,000 inspection fee credit, encouraging early participation and reducing peak inspection volumes, it said.
RightShip will require vessels of less than 8,000 dwt to undergo similar inspection making the safety standard more consistent across the global dry bulk and general cargo fleet.
Christopher Saunders, chief maritime officer at RightShip, said: “Our updated approach directly addresses some of the key stakeholder concerns, balancing inspection workloads and providing flexibility while maintaining rigorous safety standards. We’ve also committed to enhanced transparency in our processes to offer greater clarity through industry dialogue going forward. Our goal is to continue to support vessel owners, operators, and crews in adapting smoothly, without compromising the quality required to uphold maritime safety.”
