FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What is a draft survey?
- A draft survey is a method of determining the weight of bulk cargo loaded or discharged by measuring the change in a vessel's displacement before and after cargo operations.
- How accurate are draft surveys?
- Industry-accepted accuracy is approximately ±0.5%. Our calibrated process consistently delivers ±0.05–0.3% on suitable vessels and conditions.
- What documentation do I receive?
- A signed PDF survey report, calculation worksheets, draft mark photos with timestamps, hydrostatic table excerpts, and bunker/ballast soundings.
- Are my reports encrypted?
- Yes. We use Curve25519 (X25519) sealed-box encryption client-side so only the authenticated case parties can decrypt photos and reports.
- How do I find a historical case?
- Use the searchable archive — filter by vessel name, IMO, case number, cargo material, or port.
- What ports do you cover?
- Port Arthur, Beaumont, Houston, and Lake Charles — the heart of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast petrochemical and bulk cargo corridor.
- How fast can you dispatch a surveyor?
- 24/7 on-call dispatch with typical on-deck arrival inside two hours within our core Gulf Coast coverage zone.
- Do you survey liquid bulk cargoes?
- Yes — fuel oils, gasoil, and chemicals via ullage measurement and shore-tank comparison.
- What if there's a quantity dispute?
- Our calculation worksheets and time-stamped photo evidence stand up to charter-party arbitration and underwriter review.
- Can multiple parties access the same case?
- Yes. Each party receives a per-party encrypted key; access can be revoked from the case dashboard.
- Do you provide bunker surveys?
- Yes — pre- and post-bunkering quantity verification with sounding tables and temperature correction.
- How do I open a new case?
- Authenticated clients can open a case from the dashboard; new clients can submit an encrypted intake request from the Services page.
- What is Curve25519 and why does it matter?
- Curve25519 is a modern elliptic-curve cryptography primitive. It enables fast, secure key exchange and is the foundation for sealed-box encryption used by Signal, WireGuard, and modern TLS.
- Is 2FA available?
- Yes — Google SSO, TOTP authenticator apps, email OTP, and SMS OTP are supported.
- What formats are reports delivered in?
- Signed PDF + a machine-readable JSON sidecar for ERP integration.
- Do you support API access?
- Yes — authenticated REST endpoints with per-client API keys for case lookup and report download.
- What ZIP codes do you serve?
- All U.S. Gulf Coast ZIPs with on-site capability; remote-review services available nationwide.
- How is pricing determined?
- Quoted per-case based on vessel type, cargo, port, and turnaround. Use the encrypted quote form for an itemized estimate.
- Do you handle on/off-hire condition reports?
- Yes — full charter-party condition surveys with bunker ROB and hold cleanliness assessments.
- How long are records retained?
- Encrypted records are retained for a minimum of seven years per industry best practice, longer on request.