SIRE 2.0 changed what a vetting inspection measures. The inspector still checks hardware and documents, but every question now asks whether the crew understands the procedure, follows it and can explain it. Each observation is linked to hardware, process or human performance, and photographs back up what the inspector records.
That shift means the same weak spots turn up ship after ship. These are the ten we see most often during mock inspections, and the work that clears each one before the real inspection.
1. Officers who can't explain their own procedure
The inspector asks the officer of the watch how they would respond to a steering failure, and the answer is "it's in the SMS". Under SIRE 2.0 that is an observation, even if the procedure on file is perfect.
Fix it: run short, informal interviews onboard well before the inspection. Ask each officer to talk you through two or three of their key procedures in their own words. Coach, don't test.
2. Passage plans that don't match the voyage
Common gaps include no-go areas not marked, under-keel clearance calculated once and never revisited, parallel indexing planned but not used, and plans copied from the previous voyage with the wrong tidal data.
Fix it: have the master review the current plan against the company passage planning checklist, and make sure the bridge team can show where each risk is managed on the chart or ECDIS.
3. ECDIS settings nobody can justify
Safety contour and safety depth values that don't match the ship's draft and squat, alarms switched off or acknowledged without action, and officers unsure how to check the chart update status.
Fix it: write the settings and the reasoning into the passage plan, and make sure every navigating officer can demonstrate the checks on the ship's own equipment.
4. Mooring lines and snap-back awareness
Inspectors look closely at line condition, the line management plan, records of inspection and retirement, and whether the crew understands snap-back risk in the area they are working in.
Fix it: walk the mooring decks with the crew. Check that line records match the lines on the drums, and ask crew members where they would stand during a mooring operation and why.
5. Permit-to-work and enclosed space entry
Permits signed before the gas readings were taken, gas detectors past their calibration date, and rescue arrangements that exist on paper but haven't been drilled.
Fix it: review the last month of permits against the procedure, check calibration certificates, and run a realistic enclosed space rescue drill.
6. Cargo and ballast operations records
Cargo plans that don't reflect the actual sequence, stress and stability calculations missing for intermediate stages, and pressure/vacuum valve or high-level alarm tests not recorded.
Fix it: pick the last loading and discharge and trace them end to end: plan, calculations, records, alarms tested, and the officer's understanding of each step.
7. Planned maintenance that tells a different story
The maintenance system shows critical equipment as maintained while the equipment itself, or the crew's account of it, says otherwise. Overdue jobs postponed without a proper risk assessment also feature regularly.
Fix it: sample a handful of critical items, compare the system record with the equipment, and make sure every postponement has an approved justification.
8. Drills that are recorded, not practised
Drill records that look identical month after month, and crews who are unsure of their muster station duties when asked.
Fix it: vary drill scenarios, debrief properly and record what was learned. Ask a few crew members at random what their emergency duties are.
9. Pollution prevention records
Oil Record Book entries that don't match tank soundings, oily water separator alarm tests not recorded, and garbage records that don't reconcile with what's on board.
Fix it: reconcile soundings, Oil Record Book and garbage records before arrival, and make sure the engineers can demonstrate the separator and its alarm.
10. Hours of rest that look too perfect
Records showing exactly the minimum rest every day, even during port calls and cargo operations, raise immediate questions about fatigue management and record accuracy.
Fix it: compare rest records with the deck and engine logbooks for the last port call. Records should reflect what really happened, with non-conformities reported and managed.
Getting ahead of the inspector
Almost every item on this list is a people and process issue, not a hardware one. That is good news, because it can be fixed in weeks with the right preparation. A mock SIRE 2.0 inspection by an experienced master, followed by onboard coaching and a prioritised close-out plan, is the most reliable way to find and clear these gaps before they reach your vetting record.
Navium carries out mock SIRE 2.0 and CDI inspections worldwide, with a report within 48 hours. See our vetting preparation service.