A P&I survey is instructed under a shipowner’s protection and indemnity cover and deals with third-party liability — cargo, pollution, personal injury, damage to property — rather than damage to the insured vessel. The club correspondent handles local representation and liability; the surveyor establishes technical fact and quantum.
P&I versus hull and machinery
| P&I cover | Hull & machinery cover | |
|---|---|---|
| Responds to | Third-party liabilities | Damage to the insured vessel |
| Typical incidents | Cargo claims, pollution, crew injury, damage to berths and buoys, wreck removal | Collision damage to own vessel, grounding damage, fire, machinery breakdown |
| Who instructs the surveyor | Club or correspondent, on the owner’s behalf | Hull underwriter or owner |
| Focus of the survey | Causation, third-party loss, quantum of the liability | Extent of damage to the vessel, repair specification and cost |
Who does what
- The club correspondent is the club’s local representative: liaison with authorities, port and terminal, arranging security where cargo or the vessel is arrested, and coordinating lawyers.
- The technical surveyor attends the vessel or cargo, records evidence, establishes what happened and quantifies the loss.
- The lawyers handle liability, defences and time bars.
- The owner and master preserve records, secure the scene and avoid admissions.
The first 24 hours
- Secure the vessel and stop further loss — that duty exists under almost every policy.
- Notify the club immediately. Late notification is one of the few things that genuinely prejudices cover.
- Preserve records before anything is overwritten: deck and engine logs, bell book, alarm printouts, ECDIS and AIS data, CCTV, VDR where fitted.
- Photograph everything before it is moved, cleaned or repaired.
- Take crew accounts factually and separately, as statements of fact rather than conclusions.
- Do not admit liability, and do not sign terminal or third-party documents accepting fault.
- Get an independent surveyor aboard as early as physically possible.
Cargo claims specifically
Most Indonesian P&I work is cargo. The decisive evidence is condition at outturn, recorded before the cargo leaves the terminal, together with the hatch, ventilation and stowage record that shows whether the damage is consistent with the carriage. Notice periods are short — apparent damage at delivery, non-apparent damage within three days under most regimes — so joint survey during discharge beats a thorough report a fortnight later.
Frequently asked questions
Does the owner choose the P&I surveyor?
Usually the club or correspondent appoints, with the owner’s agreement. An owner can appoint their own technical surveyor in addition, and sometimes should.
Can one surveyor cover both hull damage and P&I liability?
Sometimes, where the same incident produces both and there is no conflict. The instructing parties must agree it in writing and each receives the report.
What happens if we cannot get a surveyor aboard quickly?
Preserve everything yourself: photographs with timestamps, soundings taken and recorded, logs secured. A well-preserved scene lets a later surveyor do real work.