SIRE 2.0 · Tanker vetting

SIRE 2.0 inspection checklist: all 12 chapters, what the inspector checks and what to have ready

SIRE 2.0 is OCIMF’s tanker inspection programme. The inspector works from a tablet, the questions change with your ship and your answers, and every chapter looks at three things: the hardware, the process (your procedures and records) and the human side (how people actually do the job). This checklist walks the 12 chapters in plain words so the whole crew knows what is coming.

Updated 7 October 2026 · Written by SeaReady in our own words. Not affiliated with OCIMF, RightShip, CDI, any MoU or any administration — always check the current official documents.

Before the inspector boards: the pre-boarding package

Most SIRE 2.0 trouble starts before anyone climbs the gangway. Have all of this complete and current about four days (96 hours) before boarding:

HVPQ — vessel particulars checked line by line against the certificates on board.
PIQ — the pre-inspection questionnaire answered honestly. Every “yes” brings extra questions, so never declare what you cannot show.
Certificates — the full statutory set uploaded, legible, with the current endorsement pages.
Photographs — the OCIMF photo template filled: 36 photos for most tankers and gas carriers, 42 for shuttle tankers. See the photo repository guide.
Master’s declaration — at least 48 hours before the inspection, ideally 96. A late declaration can cost you the inspection.

The 12 chapters at a glance

Chapter	What the inspector is really looking for
1 General information	Ship particulars, inspection logistics and the documents read before boarding.
2 Certification & documentation	Certificates, class status, conditions of class and document control. An expired endorsement colours everything that follows.
3 Crew management	Manning, qualifications, familiarisation, workload and rest — explored by talking to people, not only by reading papers.
4 Navigation & communications	Bridge teamwork, passage planning, ECDIS set-up, equipment and radio.
5 Safety management	The SMS in practice: risk assessments, permits, drills and emergency readiness.
6 Pollution prevention	Oil Record Book, garbage, emissions, fuel changeover and ballast water.
7 Maritime security	Ship security plan, access control, security drills and ship hardening.
8 Cargo & ballast systems	Cargo plans, inert gas, venting, crude oil washing, the cargo control room.
9 Mooring & anchoring	Line condition, the mooring line management plan, brake tests and anchoring.
10 Machinery spaces	Engine room condition, planned maintenance, critical equipment and engine room teamwork.
11 General appearance & condition	The ship as found compared with the photos you declared.
12 Ice operations	Only for ships trading in ice: ice navigation, cold-weather precautions, polar requirements.

Chapter checklist: the questions to ask yourself

Certificates (ch. 2): Is every certificate full-term and endorsed in its window? Are conditions of class and exemption letters filed with the certificate they belong to?
Crew (ch. 3): Can a new joiner explain their familiarisation in their own words? Are rest-hour records real — not suspiciously perfect? (rest-hour rules)
Navigation (ch. 4): Can the OOW explain why the ECDIS safety contour is set where it is, and what alarms will sound on the next leg?
Safety (ch. 5): Pick the last permit to work — who asked, who checked, what nearly went wrong? Are drills producing lessons, not just signatures? (drill intervals)
Pollution (ch. 6): Does the ORB match the sounding records? Can the engineer explain how the 15 ppm alarm and auto-stop are tested?
Security (ch. 7): What happens when a convincing stranger in uniform arrives at the gangway at 2300 without ID?
Cargo (ch. 8): Who checked the stresses in the current cargo plan, and when is the operation most critical?
Mooring (ch. 9): Are line records, brake test results and the line management plan consistent with what is on deck?
Machinery (ch. 10): What is the most critical machinery right now, and what is its maintenance status? Will the emergency generator start — and what is the second means of starting?
Appearance (ch. 11): Does the ship still look like your declared photos?

Inspection day

Opening meeting with the Master: scope, the ship’s programme for the day and the order of interviews.
Wi-Fi and a working printer ready — the observation declaration is printed and signed by both the Master and the inspector before the inspector leaves.
Crew are interviewed one by one — ratings, the ETO and the cook as well as senior officers. Brief people to answer from their own job, not from a script.
Note every observation word for word as it is made. Your comments are much easier to write when the wording is exact.

For a week-by-week plan for the run-up, read our SIRE 2.0 preparation guide for Masters. For the interviews themselves, see SIRE 2.0 questions by rank.

After the inspection: the clocks start

Clock	What it means
72 hours	The inspector sends the completed report.
14 days	The operator comments on the draft report; then it is published. Give a root cause for every negative observation.
Next inspection	Negative observations on core questions are visible to the next inspector and checked again.

Questions seafarers ask

How many chapters does SIRE 2.0 have?

Twelve: general information, certification and documentation, crew management, navigation and communications, safety management, pollution prevention, maritime security, cargo and ballast systems, mooring and anchoring, machinery spaces, general appearance and condition (the photo comparison), and ice operations, which only applies to ships trading in ice.

Is there an official SIRE 2.0 checklist PDF?

OCIMF publishes the SIRE 2.0 Question Library and its question programming attributes; the inspector’s tablet builds a question set for your ship from them, so there is no single fixed checklist. A preparation checklist like this one, organised by chapter, is how crews make sure nothing is missed.

When must the pre-boarding documents be in?

OCIMF recommends the Master’s declaration is made at least 48 hours, and ideally 96 hours, before the inspection. Work to 96 hours: HVPQ, PIQ, certificates and the photo template all complete and current by then.

What happens after the inspection?

The inspector submits the report within 72 hours. The operator then has 14 calendar days to comment before the report is published. Negative observations on core questions are seen by the next inspector and checked again, so close them with evidence.

Work through every chapter on your phone

SeaReady lists all 12 chapters with our own preparation questions, maps each one to the place on the ship where it is checked, and works offline at sea.

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Free toolkit, no card. Works offline at sea once installed.

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