Cargo Shortage and Draft Survey Disputes at Chittagong, Evidence Before Argument
Shortage claims are common on bulk calls. The file that wins is the one that preserved survey method, timings, seal status and who attended, not the loudest email after sailing.
Bulk and bagged cargoes at Chattogram frequently generate quantity discussion between ship, receiver, surveyor and commercial parties. The local pattern is familiar: packing-list quantity versus surveyed quantity, seal status, and whether the draft survey conditions were accepted in time. Preserve evidence early; notice periods and survey practice depend on the fixture and local procedure for that incident.
What belongs in the evidence pack
Survey report with method records and times of attendance; Draft readings and density assumptions where relevant; Seal numbers and condition at opening; Tally or shore figure comparison with clear units; SOF entries for commence/complete cargo and stoppages; Photos or field records when condition affects count.
Why timing matters
A survey report issued after the vessel sailed can still be valid, but late attendance instructions create avoidable gaps. If the principal wants an independent figure, the appointment should be clear before cargo work reaches a point where the method is compromised.
Superseded survey reports should be labelled as such. Corrected quantity records need a clear link to the field evidence that justified the correction.
Before operational reliance
Confirm who appoints the surveyor, who receives the report, and whether receiver figures will be acknowledged on the SOF. Those three decisions prevent most post-fixture arguments from starting with an empty folder.
Draft survey quality depends on conditions: swell at outer anchorage, barge movement during lighterage, and whether ballast changes were logged. Method records in the survey report matter as much as the final figure.
If shore and ship figures diverge, preserve both without forcing an early ‘agreement’ on the SOF that the Master does not actually accept. Factual dual entries beat a forced single number.
Building a Voyage Estimate for Bangladesh?
Send the relevant charterparty or MOA, notices, SOF, invoices, claim correspondence, vessel schedule and P&I or insurer contact. CPA can preserve records and coordinate local attendance; legal advice, security and court action remain with appointed counsel and insurers.