It makes sense for time-saving reasons, it’s environmentally sensible (not sending documents around the world by courier), it’s more compliant and it is cost-efficient.

However just because voyage documentation processes have increasingly changed from analog to digital, it is still fascinating how much documentation follows any voyage. This photo illustrates this by showing actual documents from two regular voyages, one by a tanker vessel and one by a dry bulk vessel. The combined page count for fixture documentation, port- and cargo documents and disbursement accounts: a huge 491 PAGES.

May such piles of paper never land on your desk!