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Marine surveyors and consultants · Piraeus, since 2006

Three readings of one fact.

Marine surveyors and casualty investigators for owners, insurers and lawyers.

+30 210 428 2956-8piraeus@margetis.comPiraeus since 2006

Concept imagery

Illustrative example

The same photograph, read three ways.

Each client asks a different question of the same damage. The observations do not change; what we report, and where our opinion stops, does.

This page does not assess cover, liability or cause - a surveyor does, on instruction.

Port of Piraeus with ships alongside, used as a placeholder image Margetis surveyor in white coveralls inspecting deformed steel structure at a shipyard
Approved case photo - slot AObservation ADeformed plating BObservation BFracture edges CObservation CDisplaced pipework
Illustrative example · placeholder image: Port of Piraeus (Wikimedia Commons) · markers show where observations will sitIllustrative example · Photo: Margetis survey team

The following observations are hypothetical and are not visible in the placeholder photograph.

Reading 1 · H&M underwriter

What is the damage, how far does it extend, and what caused it?

Observed
Hypothetical observation at A: plating deformed over an area. Location and extent measured and photographed.
Checked
Deformation against the surrounding structure and coating. Signs of older wear or earlier damage in the same area.
Deliverable
Survey report on nature, extent and probable cause, with photographs and measurements.
Limit
The report gives nature, extent and probable cause. Cover is decided under the policy, not by the surveyor.

Reading 2 · Technical manager

What failed at B, what must be renewed, and in what order?

Observed
Hypothetical observation at B: fracture edges, part bright, part corroded.
Checked
Material thickness, adjacent frames, class records.
Deliverable
Repair scope, renewal list, notes for class and yard.
Limit
This example illustrates a proposed repair scope, subject to confirmation by the instructing party and any applicable class and yard requirements.

Reading 3 · Lawyer

What can be shown, and by whom?

Observed
Hypothetical observation at C: pipework displaced from its mounting. Position photographed and recorded before anything is moved.
Checked
Who attended, when, and in what state the item was found. Anything removed for testing is logged with its chain of custody.
Deliverable
Attendance record and, if instructed, an expert report written for the court or tribunal.
Limit
Opinion is confined to technical matters. Weight is for the tribunal; legal questions stay with counsel.

Illustrative P&I question: what technical evidence is relevant to a third-party claim? This example does not determine cover. 1 / 3

Context

East Mediterranean casualty figures

In 2025, 622 shipping casualties (vessels over 100 GT) were reported in the East Mediterranean & Black Sea - the most of any region.

Machinery damage or failure accounted for 53% of reported casualties worldwide.

Source: Allianz Commercial, Safety & Shipping Review 2026.

Context for the region we work in. It is not a measure of our own work.

Concept imagery

Method

How a report is built.

This illustration separates observations, hypotheses, checks, and conclusions with their limits.

  1. Observations

    What was seen, measured and photographed, with date and place.

    It is not an opinion. Nothing is concluded at this step.

  2. Hypotheses

    The explanations that fit what was observed.

    It is not a finding. A hypothesis stays open until it is checked.

  3. Checks

    Each hypothesis tested against records, measurements and, where needed, tests.

    Not every check is possible on site. What could not be checked is stated.

  4. Conclusions & limits

    What the evidence supports, and how firmly.

    It is not a ruling on cover or legal liability. Those sit with others.

Door 01

A casualty has happened.

+30 210 428 2956-8

Call or write to Piraeus. Give what you have; "unknown" is an acceptable answer.

piraeus@margetis.com

Call Piraeus Email Piraeus

Illustrative call - what we will ask you

  1. Vessel name and IMO numberIf you have it.
  2. Where she is nowPort, anchorage or position. Unknown is fine.
  3. What happenedA few plain sentences. No need to explain cause.
  4. Who instructs usOwner, manager, insurer or lawyer.
  5. Contact for updatesOne name, one phone or email.

Initial contact does not confirm acceptance of an instruction; scope and availability require confirmation.

Door 02

Seven divisions.

For planned work, tell us the vessel and the purpose.

Ask about a planned survey

  1. 01

    Survey & Consulting

    Marine surveys and technical consulting. Casualty investigation sits here too.

  2. 02

    Yachting

    Technical work on yachts. See door 04.

  3. 03

    Repairs & Conversions

    Technical matters around ship repairs and conversions.

  4. 04

    Offshore

    Work for offshore assets.

  5. 05

    ESG & Environmental

    Environmental and ESG questions for owners and managers.

  6. 06

    Training Courses

    Maritime training courses.

  7. 07

    Cyber Security

    Cyber security for maritime operations.

Door 03

Dispute & expert witness.

George D. Margetis

Marine surveyor since 1994. Technical expert witness.

  1. 1994Marine surveyor.
  2. 2006Margetis Maritime Consulting founded in Piraeus.
  3. 2019Associate, AAA.
  4. 2023-24Stanford LEAD.

BSE, University of Michigan. Two master's degrees, MIT.

For a proposed expert instruction, identify the forum, the technical questions and the applicable requirements.

Angeliki Chomata-Margeti, Vice Chairman

Discuss an expert instruction

Initial contact does not confirm acceptance of an instruction; scope and availability require confirmation.

Teak deck of a yacht with open sea beyond

Door 04

A different deck.

Yachting is one of our seven divisions. What was observed is written apart from what is concluded, as on any other vessel.

Ask about a yacht survey

Offices

Eleven offices, west to east.

Write to the office closest to the vessel. The telephone number is Piraeus.

  1. VancouverCanadavancouver@margetis.com
  2. HoustonUSAhouston@margetis.com
  3. SplitCroatiasplit@margetis.com
  4. AdriaticBijela, Montenegroadriatic@margetis.com
  5. PiraeusGreece HQpiraeus@margetis.com
  6. MarmarisTürkiyemarmaris@margetis.com
  7. IstanbulTürkiyeistanbul@margetis.com
  8. DubaiUAEdubai@margetis.com
  9. MumbaiIndiaindia@margetis.com
  10. SingaporeSingaporesingapore@margetis.com
  11. ShanghaiChinashanghai@margetis.com

Associates worldwide, including Constanta.

Around the Globe, Around the Clock

Margetis Maritime Consulting 67 Akti Miaouli, 18537 Piraeus, Greece +30 210 428 2956-8 piraeus@margetis.com

Report a casualty

Concept imagery