RightShip Rev 4.0: general cargo added, 'unknown' ship records on the platform rated Unacceptable

RightShip has published Revision 4.0 of its Dry Bulk Vessel Vetting Baseline Criteria, dated 1 October 2026. RightShip says the latest versions of its vetting criteria take effect from 1 October 2026, and its help centre now lists this one as current. Under the new text, general cargo ships are in scope alongside dry bulk carriers. A ship whose DOC company, classification society, flag or P&I club is listed as unknown on the RightShip platform is rated Unacceptable. Three or more PSC detentions in 24 months also lead to an Unacceptable rating, and a RightShip Inspection will normally be needed before a positive recommendation. After a newbuild delivery or a change of DOC company, the MoC/VTOP questionnaire is now due within 1 month, down from 3.

RightShip is a commercial vetting company and its criteria have no legal force. Charterers and terminals that use RightShip vetting consider the criteria when deciding whether to accept a ship. RightShip describes them as its “recommended minimum Baseline Criteria” and says each vetting customer can customise them. A charterer may therefore apply stricter rules.

What changed in Revision 4.0

RightShip’s revisions log on page 25 lists the October 2026 changes. The criterion numbers below follow the document body.

Criterion	Under RightShip’s Rev 4.0	Outcome under RightShip’s criteria	New or changed?
Scope	Dry bulk “and general cargo” vessels		Changed: scope expanded to general cargo
1	Name/IMO number, DOC holding company, classification society, flag or P&I club listed as unknown on the RightShip platform	Unacceptable until the details are verified, corrected on the platform and supported by acceptable evidence from the source: operator, DOC company, class, flag or P&I club	New
2	3 or more PSC detentions in the last 24 months	Unacceptable; a RightShip Inspection will normally be required before any positive recommendation	PSC section revised
3	2 PSC detentions in the last 24 months	Subject to review and may be Unacceptable, depending on severity, deficiency profile, trend and close-out quality; a RightShip Inspection will normally be required before a positive recommendation	PSC section revised
4	1 PSC detention in the last 12 months	Subject to review; no positive recommendation until the detention is closed out	PSC section revised
6	No PSC inspection in the last 24 months	Subject to review; a valid RightShip Inspection from the last 24 months is normally required. RightShip may consider a recent flag State inspection or other recognised assurance report without adverse findings	PSC section revised
7	PSC deficiencies in the last 24 months that present a high-risk condition	Unacceptable until corrected	PSC section revised
10 to 13	Incidents: two or more Category A in 24 months is Unacceptable unless non-fault is proven; Category A/B in 24 months and C/D in 12 months go to review; recurring incidents may be Unacceptable	As stated	Restructured
16	RightShip Inspection age trigger: 11 years and above from 1 July 2026, 10.5 years and above from 20 January 2027	A ship over the trigger without a valid RightShip Inspection is Unacceptable	Updated
45 and 46	MoC/VTOP questionnaire after newbuild delivery or DOC change	Due “up to 1 month” from delivery or change, unless an exemption applies	Changed: from 3 months to 1 month; exemption widened

The log also expands flag, class and regulatory-compliance criteria 19 to 30; strengthens sanctions and ownership-transparency criteria 35 and 36; and broadens guidance on structures, machinery and operations. Those sections run from 37 to 42 in the document body, while the log numbers them 37 to 41. Revision 4.0 also replaces the DryBMS self-assessment item with registration with the Dry Bulk Centre of Excellence under criterion 53, for information only.

The log calls some sections “comprehensively revised”. This report does not compare their individual thresholds with Revision 3.0 because RightShip’s Revision 3.0 text could not be retrieved.

Two points in the current text also apply:

• Exemptions from MoC/VTOP (45, 46). The questionnaire is not required if the DOC company holds a valid RightShip DryBMS Verification Assessment at Advanced Level or higher in Subject Area 26, or if the ship has completed an acceptable RightShip Inspection. After a DOC change, that inspection must sit under the new DOC company. Revision 4.0 adds the inspection route.

• P&I (43). A ship above 8,000 DWT must be entered with an International Group club. At 8,000 DWT and below, RightShip accepts a non-IG club with a reputable S&P rating.

For the operator

Who should read this: DOC companies, technical managers and owners of dry bulk and general cargo ships trading with charterers or terminals that use RightShip vetting. General cargo operators enter the document’s scope for the first time.

Checks to run now, in this order:

1. Open the ship’s record on the RightShip platform. Confirm that the name/IMO number, DOC company, class, flag and P&I club appear. Under criterion 1, any item shown as unknown makes the ship Unacceptable until the operator corrects it and supports it with evidence from the source.
2. Count PSC detentions in the last 24 months and the last 12 months. Two detentions in 24 months put the ship under review; three or more make it Unacceptable under RightShip’s criteria. Our PSC section and analysis of 2025 engine-room detentions cover detention data and related deficiencies.
3. Close out each PSC deficiency from the last 12 months. Under criterion 9, RightShip’s review typically covers a close-out submission with deficiency details, root cause analysis, corrective actions, preventative measures and evidence. The item remains open until RightShip receives and closes the submission. The PSC deficiency checklist generator can help prepare the file.
4. Review incidents on the same basis: Category A and B over 24 months, C and D over 12 months. Close each case with an investigation, root cause, corrective actions and preventative actions.
5. Plan MoC/VTOP before the event. Prepare the questionnaire before a newbuild delivery or DOC change. The 1-month window is short. Check whether either exemption applies.
6. Calculate the age trigger. Identify when the ship reaches 10.5 years. From 20 January 2027, that age triggers the inspection requirement. Our RightShip age trigger checker does the arithmetic, and our report on the phased age triggers explains the revised dates.
7. Confirm P&I entry against criterion 43, particularly for ships above 8,000 DWT outside the International Group.
8. Ask the charterer which rules apply. The baseline can be customised, so the charterer’s vetting rules determine the outcome for that fixture.

For ship preparation, see the RISQ inspection preparation checklist and the RightShip readiness reference. Apeks Marine has a page on preparing for a RightShip inspection; Apeks Marine is not a RightShip inspector and is not affiliated with RightShip.

What is still open:

• RightShip does not publish how many ships changed status under Revision 4.0.
• The document has no transition clause. RightShip’s update note gives 1 October 2026 as the date the new versions took effect, but neither source says how it treats vets already in progress that day.
• The preamble lists class, flag, P&I and DOC-company details as “subject to clarification through the vetting process”, while criterion 1 sets Unacceptable for any listed as unknown. RightShip does not explain how it applies the two provisions together. Affected operators should ask RightShip or their charterer.
• The preamble’s list of conditions that always lead to Unacceptable treats a ship over the age trigger as Unacceptable only if it lacks a valid RightShip Inspection “or evidence that a RightShip Inspection has been completed or is scheduled”. Criterion 16 does not mention a scheduled inspection. Operators with a ship near the trigger should ask whether RightShip accepts a booked inspection.
• RightShip publishes a separate Revision 4.0 for oil, gas and chemical vessels. This report covers the dry bulk document only.

Background

Our RightShip requirements guide covers platform data, Safety Score, inspection and the age trigger. The RightShip and RISQ inspections page collects related coverage. Flag and class surveys covers the class and statutory items in criteria 22 to 28.

Source: RightShip, Dry Bulk Vessel Vetting Baseline Criteria, Revision 4.0, 01 October 2026; the RightShip Help Centre page on vessel vetting criteria; and RightShip’s note on updates to the criteria. Criterion numbers follow the document body. RightShip is a commercial vetting provider; its criteria are not statutory requirements and may be revised again.