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Bunkering checklist for masters Before, during and after delivery: the steps that prevent quantity and quality claims, and the evidence to keep.
1. Before the barge arrives Have the order to hand: grades, ISO 8217 edition ordered, quantities, port, supplier and agent. Check the supplier's Certificate of Quality against the order before delivery starts. Since 1 January 2026, the supplier must give the ship, before bunkering, a signed declaration that the fuel meets the SOLAS flashpoint limit (at least 60°C). Ask for it if it hasn't arrived. Plan the receiving tanks: sound them and record what is on board, keep a safe ullage as per the ship's procedures, and keep the new fuel apart from fuel already on board. Line up the valves for the nominated tanks only, and have a second person check the line-up. Hold the pre-transfer meeting with the barge: grades and sequence, quantities, pumping rate and maximum pressure, how you will communicate, signals and the emergency stop. Complete the bunkering safety checklist together. Plug the scuppers, set drip trays, have the spill equipment (SOPEP) and fire equipment ready, show the bunkering signals, and enforce no smoking and no hot work. Check the moorings, fenders, hose, its support and the manifold connection. 2. On the barge, before pumping (a ship's officer attends) 3. During delivery Start at a low rate and confirm the fuel is going into the nominated tank before increasing to the agreed rate. The MARPOL sample is taken continuously by drip throughout the delivery, at the ship's inlet bunker manifold, witnessed by the ship and the supplier, with the sampler sealed during delivery. Monitor tank levels, transfer rate and pressure, hoses and connections throughout. Stop at once if there is a leak or any doubt. Watch for air in the fuel ('cappuccino' bunkers): foam or bubbles on the sounding tape, the hose jerking, a gurgling sound at the manifold, or a slower rate than agreed. If you see any of these, record it, protest in writing and tell the operator straight away. Keep a log of start and stop times, rates, pressures and any interruption, with the reason. Reduce the rate when topping off each tank. 4. After delivery A ship's officer goes back on board the barge to witness the closing soundings and temperatures of every barge tank, before the barge casts off. Sound the ship's tanks too: have the ship upright and on an even keel if possible; otherwise apply the trim and list corrections from the ship's tables. Work out the quantity received: volume corrected to 15°C (ASTM D1250 Table 54B) × density at 15°C from the BDN, minus 1.1 kg/m³ for weight in air. Compare with the barge's figure. The MARPOL sample: at least 600 ml, the bottle filled to 90% (± 5%). A tamper-proof seal is fitted by the supplier's representative in front of the ship's representative. The MARPOL sample label shows: where and how it was drawn, the date delivery began, the barge's name, the ship's name and IMO number, the names and signatures of both representatives, the seal number and the product name. Store the MARPOL sample outside the accommodation, somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight, under the ship's control until the fuel is substantially used, and for at least 12 months. Seal and label the other samples (the ship's, the supplier's, any for a laboratory) in the same way, and record every seal number. Before signing the BDN, check it shows: the ship's name and IMO number, the port, the date delivery began, the supplier's name, address and telephone, the product, the quantity in tonnes, the density at 15°C, the sulphur content, the flashpoint (or a statement that it is 70°C or above), the supplier's signed declaration, and the MARPOL sample's seal number. Don't sign for figures you haven't verified: note any disagreement on the BDN or in a letter of protest. Keep the BDN on board for three years. Record the bunkering in the Oil Record Book. Sound the tanks again once the fuel has settled. A clear drop in level suggests air was in the fuel: tell the operator at once. Send a sample for testing if the ship has a fuel testing programme and, where possible, keep the new fuel apart and don't use it until the results are in. 5. If something is wrong Issue a letter of protest before the barge leaves, about the quantity, the samples, the seals, the documents or delays. Ask the barge master to sign it; if they refuse, note the refusal on your copy. Tell the operator and the supplier at once, in writing. Supply terms set deadlines for claims, sometimes as short as 24 or 48 hours; the BIMCO Bunker Terms allow 14 days for quantity and 30 days for quality. Ask the operator or the P&I correspondent for an independent surveyor, ideally before the BDN is signed. Keep the evidence: soundings and calculations, temperatures, densities, the timesheet, photos or videos where safe, sample receipts, seal numbers and all messages. For a quality problem, have the ship's sample tested by an accredited laboratory. In a dispute, the samples are tested again under ISO 8217, which allows for test precision (ISO 4259): for example, a single result up to about 0.53% sulphur can still count as meeting a 0.50% limit commercially. For MARPOL compliance, the delivered sample is judged against the limit itself. If the fuel is suspect, keep it segregated and don't burn it until the operator agrees.
6. Record sheet
Vessel: ______________________ IMO: ____________ Port: ______________ Date: __________
Ship's tanks
Tank Opening sounding / ullage Opening temp. °C Closing sounding / ullage Closing temp. °C Volume at 15°C (m³)
Barge's tanks
Tank Opening sounding / ullage Opening temp. °C Closing sounding / ullage Closing temp. °C Volume at 15°C (m³)
Mass flow meter reading: opening __________ closing __________ Seals intact: yes / no
A reminder of good practice, not legal advice. It does not replace the ship's safety management system, the supplier's procedures or local port regulations.
Sources
IMO, MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.18 (2024), Guidelines for the sampling of fuel oil for determination of compliance with MARPOL Annex VI and SOLAS chapter II-2
MARPOL Annex VI, regulation 18 and appendix V (bunker delivery note); SOLAS regulation II-2/4.2.1 (flashpoint)
P&I club guidance on bunker quantity disputes and "cappuccino" bunkers (Britannia, West, UK Defence Club)
BIMCO Bunker Terms 2018, clause 9 (claims); ISO 8217 and ISO 4259 (test precision)
MPA Singapore, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Antwerp-Bruges (mass flow meters)
Need to work out a quantity? Use our bunker calculator (ASTM Table 54B).
