How to Prepare Your Vessel for a
RightShip RISQ 3.2 Inspection

Preparing a vessel for a RightShip RISQ 3.2 inspection is not the same as preparing for a PSC inspection. RISQ 3.2 covers 17 sections and over 610 questions — and a RightShip inspector records every negative answer. There is no discretion, no informal note, no closing meeting negotiation. Every finding goes into the report that the charterer reads.

I have seen vessels with well-maintained equipment still score poorly on RISQ because the records were not in order. I have seen vessels lose marks on Section 4 (ISM) not because the system was broken, but because the Chief Officer could not locate the last internal audit report when the inspector asked for it. In a RISQ inspection, being prepared on paper and being prepared in practice are both required — separately.

Here is how to approach this properly.

What is RightShip RISQ 3.2?

RISQ stands for RightShip Inspection Ship Questionnaire. Version 3.2, released November 2025, is the current framework. It covers 17 sections and over 610 questions. A RightShip-approved inspector boards the vessel, works through those questions, records findings for every "No" answer, and submits the report to RightShip within 72 hours.

Charterers use the RISQ score alongside the RightShip GHG rating to decide whether to approve a vessel for their cargo. A poor score does not just lose you one fixture. Every charterer who pulls your vetting record sees it. And the response you submit to RightShip after the inspection — your root cause analysis for each finding — is also evaluated. The quality of your response influences the overall outcome. Many companies do not understand this and submit generic one-line responses that damage them further.

The 17 Sections of RISQ 3.2 — What Gets Checked

The RISQ 3.2 questionnaire covers 17 sections. Understanding what each section is looking for is the first step to preparation:

1. General Information — Vessel particulars, class society status, EEDI/EEXI details, and dual-class arrangements where applicable.
2. Certification and Personnel Management — All statutory certificates valid (SMC, DOC, IOPP, MLC); crew CoCs and STCW endorsements current; rest hour records compliant.
3. Navigation — ECDIS with type-specific training for officers, radar familiarity, passage plans, manoeuvring poster with engine power limitations.
4. ISM System — SMS procedures in practice, drills recorded, enclosed space entry procedures, hot work permits, incident reporting, gas detector tests.
5. Pollution Prevention and Control — ORB/GRB maintained, ODME operational, ballast water management, garbage management plan followed.
6. Ship's Structure — Hull condition, structural integrity records, hatch cover weather-tightness, securing arrangements for deck cargo.
7. Fuel Management — Covers four sub-sections: 7A Oil, 7B LNG, 7C Methanol, 7D Ammonia. SEEMP in place, CII calculations current, biofuel management documented.
8. Cargo Operations — Six sub-sections covering: Solid Bulk Cargo, Bulk Grain, General Cargo, Cellular Container Ships, Self-Unloading Transshipment, and Heavy Lift Vessels.
9. Hatch Cover and Lifting Appliances — Two sub-sections: 9A Hatch Covers and Cranes, 9B Gantry Cranes. Hatch cover training, operational procedures, and crane cabinet inspections.
10. Mooring Operations — Mooring equipment condition, ropes within age limits, OCIMF MEG4 compliance, clear marking of mooring tools.
11. Radio and Communication — GMDSS equipment operational, radio efficacy checks, emergency communications tested.
12. Security — ISPS Ship Security Plan current, drills completed, PFSO designated and trained.
13. Machinery Space — Engine room condition, critical machinery maintenance records, steering gear, sounding pipes, portable light voltage checks.
14. General Appearance — Hull and Superstructure — Deck condition, walkways and ladders, steam lines, overall maintenance standard.
15. Health and Welfare of Seafarers — MLC compliance, potable water checks, asbestos reporting, ITF requirements, seafarer complaint procedures.
16. Ice or Polar Water Operations — Applicable only to vessels operating in ice or polar waters; Polar Code compliance.
17. Ship to Ship Operations — Applicable where STS transfers are conducted; at-sea transfer procedures, equipment, and risk assessments.

Start at Least 4 Weeks Out — Not 4 Days

I know managers who try to prepare a vessel for RISQ in the week before the inspection. With 610+ questions across 17 sections, that is not preparation — that is panic. You will miss things. The records you need to correct cannot be corrected in a week. The PMS jobs you need to close cannot be arranged in a week. The service engineers for LSA equipment need lead time.

Four weeks is a realistic minimum. Week one is a full self-assessment — go through every applicable section, identify every gap. Weeks two and three are for closing those gaps. Week four is for a final walkthrough, document verification, and briefing the crew before the inspector arrives.

If your vessel has a history of RISQ findings, add another two weeks.

Certificates — Start Here, Every Time

The inspector will check originals. Not scans, not photocopies. If the SMC original is in the DPA's office and only a copy is on board — that is a finding. I have seen this happen.

Pull every certificate, check every expiry date, and check every crew CoC against the vessel type and their station. Do this yourself — do not rely on the Master's verbal confirmation.

Anything expiring within 3 months of the inspection date — flag it to the office immediately and arrange renewal. Do not wait for the vessel to mention it.

Records — Where Most Vessels Actually Lose Marks

A RightShip inspector will spend a significant portion of the inspection on records. In my experience, this is where vessels are most unprepared — not because the work was not done, but because it was not recorded properly. An unsigned ORB entry, a rest hour record with a gap, a PMS job closed without a proper completion entry — all of these are findings.

• Oil Record Book — every entry signed and dated, no blank lines, no corrections without initials
• Rest Hour Records — compliant with MLC and STCW, no unexplained gaps
• Drill Records — monthly fire and abandon ship drills logged with all crew names
• Planned Maintenance System — critical equipment not overdue, work orders closed out
• Permit to Work — completed permits filed and accessible for inspection
• SEEMP and CII records — current, updated, and acknowledged by master

Walk the Vessel — Do Not Just Review Documents

The inspector will do a physical walkthrough of the vessel. He is not just verifying that equipment exists — he is checking condition, placement, service dates, and whether the crew knows how to use it. Your officers need to do the same walkthrough before he arrives, specifically against the RISQ sections that apply to your vessel type.

Assign this by department. Chief Officer takes the deck, LSA, and mooring. Chief Engineer takes the engine room, OWS, and machinery. Master takes the bridge, GMDSS, and ISM records. Give them the specific RISQ questions for their sections and have them report findings back to you in writing — not verbally.

• Fire extinguishers — pressure good, inspection tags current, correct placement
• Lifeboats — fall wires, release mechanisms, hydrostatic releases within service date
• Engine room — bilge cleanliness, oil leaks, equipment labels readable, SOPEP kit accessible
• Mooring deck — ropes without broken strands, no worn chafing gear, fairleads greased
• Cargo holds / tanks — hatch covers weather-tight, sounding equipment working
• Bridge — charts updated, GMDSS tested, ECDIS backup available

Brief the Officers — Properly

The inspector talks to the crew. Not just the Master. He will ask the Second Officer about passage planning and ECDIS. He will ask the Chief Engineer about the OWS and the ORB. He will ask an AB about enclosed space entry procedures.

This is not about coaching them to pass a test. If they do not genuinely know their SMS and their procedures, that is a problem that a pre-inspection briefing cannot fix — and trying to script responses makes it worse. What a briefing should do is remind officers of where documents are kept, confirm they can answer questions about their own certificates, and walk through any area where you know there was a recent gap.

Where Vessels Consistently Lose Marks

Having seen RISQ inspection reports across different vessel types, the same areas come up repeatedly:

• Rest hour records — alterations, gaps, or entries that do not add up when you cross-reference against the deck log. Inspectors are trained to check for this specifically
• ECDIS type-specific training — a generic ECDIS course is not acceptable. Each officer needs type-specific training for the model fitted on the vessel. This catches many companies out after crew changes
• SMS familiarity — the manual says one thing, the crew does something different. Enclosed space entry is a common example — the procedure exists, but when the inspector asks how it is applied in practice, the answers do not match the procedure
• PMS overdue jobs — critical equipment with maintenance jobs past due date. This is a direct finding and also raises questions about the ISM system
• ORB errors — unclosed transfer entries, missing signatures, entries that are not in the correct format. The ORB gets close scrutiny in every RISQ inspection
• SEEMP and CII — updated in format but not reflecting actual voyage data. The inspector cross-checks the SEEMP figures against the logbook. Discrepancies are findings

The Office and Vessel Need to Be Looking at the Same Thing

The preparation failure I see most often is not a vessel problem. It is a communication problem. The superintendent believes the vessel is ready. The Master believes the superintendent has reviewed everything. A finding appears in the inspection report that both of them knew about — and neither of them acted on because each assumed the other had it covered.

Good RISQ preparation requires a closed loop between office and vessel:

1. Vessel works through the RISQ questions section by section and flags every gap as a deficiency
2. Office reviews each deficiency, comments on it, and agrees a closing deadline
3. Vessel closes the deficiency with evidence — photo, service certificate, updated record
4. Office reviews the closure and signs off before the inspection date

This needs to be documented. If there is a finding in the inspection report for something you believed was closed, you need a record of who said what and when. "We discussed it" is not a record.

The companies still running this process through email and spreadsheets are working against themselves. Emails get buried. Spreadsheet versions multiply. Nobody knows which deficiency is actually closed. When the inspector boards and finds something that was supposedly dealt with — nobody can explain what happened.

Summary — Your RISQ 3.2 Preparation Checklist

RISQ inspections are manageable. The vessels that score well year after year are not necessarily the newest or the best-maintained in absolute terms. They are the ones where the superintendent is engaged, the vessel knows what is expected of them, and nothing is left to assumption. That is achievable for any fleet — but it requires starting early and treating preparation as a process, not a last-minute exercise.

If your last RISQ inspection had findings, do not wait for the next inspection to fix them. Start now.