Ship Management

What Is Ship Management During Lay-Up?

When a vessel is laid up, it doesn’t manage itself. Without systematic oversight, even a well-preserved vessel can deteriorate rapidly — through undetected corrosion, machinery degradation, anchor system issues, or safety failures. Ship management during lay-up is the structured, ongoing oversight programme that prevents these outcomes.

At International Shipcare, ship management during lay-up encompasses everything from technical inspection, routine maintenance, machinery exercises and preservation monitoring to crew management, procurement, statutory compliance, and emergency response. It is the operational backbone that makes every lay-up programme — whether cold or warm — function as designed and to make sure vessels under ISC’s care can set sail immediately after reactivation.

With 50 years of experience managing laid-up vessels at Brunei Bay, ISC has developed one of the most comprehensive ship management frameworks in the industry, aligned with Lloyd’s Register guidelines and ISO 9001 certified. Becoming pioneer of lay-up ISC have published a Ship Lay-up Guide book in collaboration with BIMCO, laying out a comprehensive guide on industry best practices for ship lay-up.

Technical Management & Superintendency

Dedicated Technical Superintendent

Every vessel under ISC management is assigned a dedicated Technical Superintendent responsible for the vessel’s condition throughout the lay-up period. The Superintendent:

Conducts the initial vessel survey and develops the customised Lay-Up Inspection Checklist
Leads the ISC team assigned to the vessel
Oversees all onboard inspections and preservation activities
Reports directly to vessel owners and managers with documented findings

Inspection Programme - An agreed Routine Maintenance Checklist

A checklist made and confirmed during the initial visit. Then to proceed with handover. After handover the vessel management is under ISC care. All inspections cover:

Engine room and machinery spaces
Accommodation and enclosed spaces
Deck and structural condition
Hull and mooring systems
Dehumidification equipment performance
Safety and emergency systems

All inspection findings are fully documented and submitted to owners and managers as part of ISC’s regular reporting cycle.

Anchor Activity Management

Anchor activities are conducted every 12–16 weeks to prevent anchor chain twist, fouling, or seabed entanglement. This is a critical but often overlooked aspect of lay-up management — anchor chain problems can prevent safe departure when reactivation is required and create serious safety risks.

HSSE Management

Safety is non-negotiable at ISC. Our HSSE management framework covers every person and operation connected to a laid-up vessel.

Permit to Work System

All operations onboard laid-up vessels require a valid work permit from Port Authorities. ISC manages the full permit-to-work and risk management process, ensuring every task is planned, authorised, and executed safely.

Watchman Management

Permanent ISC watchmen are stationed onboard during lay-up for 24/7 monitoring of vessel condition, maintaining consistent communication with the Comms Office, ensuring safety and security, and are assigned to both cold and hot lay-up vessels.

Environmental & Safety Monitoring

Environmental monitoring for laid-up vessels
Fire watch and flood monitoring
Gas free inspection and enclosed space entry management
Life saving apparatus and fire fighting equipment servicing
Scheduled Waste to remove onboard waste systematically

Emergency Response

ISC’s Emergency Response Team — staffed by former Chief Engineers, 2nd Engineers, and ETOs from LNG carriers — is available 24/7 and trained to respond to anchor dragging, collision, fire, water ingress, severe weather, intruder, and medivac emergencies.

Crew Management Services

Managing the crew transition into lay-up — and back out again on reactivation — requires careful coordination between vessel owners, flag state authorities, and local port requirements. ISC’s in-house crew management services cover:

Crew reduction planning aligned with Flag State Safe Manning Certificate
Crew repatriation coordination (cold lay-up)
Watchkeeper sourcing and assignment for cold lay-up vessels
Crew logistics: transfers via ISC’s dedicated offshore boat fleet
Visa, travel, and customs coordination for crew movements

On reactivation, ISC coordinates the crew reinstatement process to support ISC’s target reactivation timeline of 14 days for cold lay-up vessels.

Statutory & Regulatory Management

Lay-up involves ongoing compliance obligations with multiple authorities. ISC acts as the vessel owner’s representative with all relevant regulatory bodies throughout the lay-up period.

Statutory Services Include:

Liaison with Sabah Port & Harbour Authority on lay-up slot applications and clearances
Liaison with Royal Malaysian Customs on vessel clearance
Liaison with Marine Department and Labuan Corporation
Vessel clearance management
Husbandry services

ISC’s established relationships with these authorities — built over 50 years of operations at Brunei Bay — streamline the approvals and compliance process for vessel owners and managers.

Ship Maintenance During Lay-Up

ISC’s in-house technical team provides a full range of ship maintenance services to address condition findings, prevent deterioration, and prepare vessels for reactivation.

Preservation & Corrosion Control

Lay-up preservation programmes for all machinery and systems
Corrosion monitoring and remedial treatment
Structural inspection and zonal maintenance
Humidity Control via blanking, sealing source of water, DH Machine and trunking

Engineering Solutions

Ship and tank management
Deck maintenance
Equipment repairs and maintenance

Fabrication & Structural Solutions

Structural repair and zonal maintenance
Renaming and marking works

Underwater Maintenance

Hull inspection (including ROV and drone-assisted inspection)
Hull cleaning
Propeller polishing

ISC has performed specialist technical work for major operators including MISC, Woodside, Santos, and MODEC — including N2 purging for LNG cargo tank preservation, debunkering and tank cleaning, and zonal deck corrosion work.

Integrated Procurement & Warehousing

ISC operates as a one-stop centre for all laid-up vessel procurement needs, eliminating the complexity of coordinating multiple suppliers while a vessel is at anchorage.

Procurement Services:

Bunker supply: diesel oil and fuel oil
Fresh water bunker
Provisions
Professional and technical services supply
Spare parts and machinery replacement

Warehousing:

Covered warehouse space
Open yard storage
Logistics coordination for offshore delivery

All procurement is coordinated through ISC’s Operations Base at the Asian Supply Base, Rancha-Rancha Industrial Estate, Labuan — with direct offshore delivery to vessels at Brunei Bay anchorage.

Ship Management for Reactivation

Successful reactivation is the ultimate proof of a well-managed lay-up programme. ISC’s ship management process is designed from day one to enable efficient, reliable reactivation when the owner requires the vessel back in service.

ISC targets a 14-day cold lay-up reactivation for vessels under its management programme. This timeline is achievable because:

Machinery has been preserved correctly and documented throughout
Preservation equipment is systematically removed on a planned schedule
ISC coordinates crew reinstatement in parallel with technical reactivation
Classification society and flag state surveys are coordinated by ISC

Vessels managed under ISC’s programme have consistently returned to service on schedule. Vessels managed without professional preservation — or with inadequate preservation programmes — routinely require emergency repairs and towing after lay-up, a failure ISC’s clients do not experience.

Why ISC for Ship Management

Capability	ISC
Years of Experience	50 years
Vessels Managed	1,500+
LTI-Free Hours	9 million
DH Units Owned	250+
Anchorage Capacity	152 vessels
Offshore Boat Fleet	8 vessels (incl. 1 DSV)
Communications	24/7, 4-hourly check-ins
Certification	ISO 9001, Lloyd’s Register approved

Frequently Asked Questions — Ship Management During Lay-Up

Q: What does a ship management company do during vessel lay-up?

A lay-up ship management provider handles the full operational oversight of a laid-up vessel — including preservation monitoring, technical inspections, crew management, statutory compliance, procurement, HSSE management, and emergency response. ISC provides all of these services in-house from its base at Brunei Bay, giving owners a single point of accountability for their vessel’s condition.

Q: How often does ISC inspect laid-up vessels?

ISC conducts onboard inspections on a weekly and monthly basis, following a customised inspection checklist developed for each vessel. All findings are documented and reported to owners and managers. Additionally, the 24/7 communications centre performs 4-hourly radio check-ins with every vessel at anchorage.

Can ISC manage a vessel that is not at Brunei Bay?

ISC’s primary lay-up management operations are based at Brunei Bay, Sabah, Malaysia. For inquiries about management of vessels at other locations, contact ISC directly to discuss options.

What is a Technical Superintendent in vessel lay-up?

A Technical Superintendent is the senior ISC officer assigned to manage all technical aspects of a specific vessel’s lay-up programme. They are responsible for the initial scoping, inspection scheduling, preservation oversight, and direct reporting to vessel owners throughout the lay-up period.

Does ISC provide ship management for both cold and warm lay-up?

Yes. ISC provides comprehensive ship management for both cold and warm lay-up programmes. The scope and intensity of management activities differ between the two lay-up types, but ISC’s core services — Technical Superintendent oversight, inspection programmes, HSSE management, procurement, and 24/7 monitoring — apply to both.

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