Make the deadline unambiguous
Give the berth or terminal, not just the city. Include the departure date, local time, and UTC offset, and distinguish a confirmed departure from a provisional schedule. State whether the vessel is alongside, at anchor, or moving between locations. Attendance remains subject to written acceptance.
Describe observations, not a diagnosis
Copy the alarm wording exactly. Say when it first appeared, whether it is continuous or intermittent, and what changed immediately beforehand. “Position input missing since a sensor replacement” is more useful than “the VDR is broken.” Do not recreate a fault by interfering with operational equipment.
Name the decision-maker
Identify the person authorized to approve work and the person who can coordinate onboard access. They may not be the same person. Provide one monitored email and, where useful, a telephone number with country code. A request is not a purchase order or a confirmed dispatch.
Information to prepare
- Vessel name and IMO number where applicable
- Port, berth, ETA, ETD, and UTC offset
- System, exact alarm, model if known
- Contact, company, and approval authority