Cash to Master is ordinary ship business and it deserves ordinary discipline. Masters need funds for crew and for expenses that a transfer will not cover in time. Owners need to know the amount that left their side is the amount the Master received. The gap between those two facts is where informal handovers live: a pouch left with a launch driver, a sum passed to “the agent’s man”, a receipt that appears the following week. Most of that gap closes if a few points are confirmed before the money moves.
Confirm the principal first. Who is authorising the delivery, from which entity, and who may change the amount or the time? A request that arrives from a personal mailbox, with no vessel and no reference, is not ready. The reply should go back to a named company address. Confirm the beneficiary as well. The funds are for the Master of a named ship, or for a named officer the Master has authorised in writing. “Whoever is on the gangway” is not a recipient.
Amount, currency and the exchange
State the amount and the currency in figures and in words. If the ship needs a mix of currencies, list each one. Agree the exchange basis before the delivery, including who carries the difference if the rate moves between quote and handover. A surprise currency on the day helps no one count accurately. Ask whether the port has any declaration or carrying limit that changes the method. If the planned movement does not fit those rules, change the method. Do not rely on the courier to improvise at the terminal.
Decide what “delivered” means. Counted with the Master in a suitable space, and acknowledged on a page that shows the amount, currency, date, time and the officer’s name, is a clear standard. A photograph of that page can travel the same day. The original can follow. A voice message saying the cash was handed over is not a record. If a sealed pouch is used, record the seal and break it only with the receiving officer present. Do not open it early to “just check” and then reseal it without a new note.
Tie the slot to the ship
A delivery window should name the berth or the anchorage, not only a date. If the ship may sail, or may shift to anchor, say which alternative is authorised and which is not. Chasing a vessel with cash because nobody wanted to postpone is how a controlled delivery becomes a loose one. Banking cut-offs are real. A request made after the cut-off is a request for the next available slot, and it should be described that way to the Master so the ship does not wait on board for funds that are still in the bank.
Limit who knows the sum. The boat crew, the terminal gate and a wide email copy list do not need it. They need the vessel name, the meeting point and the name of the officer. On board, count away from unrelated visitors. If the Master delegates, the written delegation should be in the courier’s hand before the count starts. After the signature, send the acknowledgement to the principal and file it with the voyage accounts. If the amount is short or the officer refuses a bundle, stop, note what was accepted, and return the balance through the same controlled path. Do not leave the difference “to be sorted in the next port” without a record.
A short checklist
Before anyone leaves for the ship, you should be able to answer yes to each of these. The authorising company is known. The vessel and the receiving officer are named. The amount and currency are agreed, and so is the exchange. The berth or launch plan matches the latest ETA. The port’s rules have been considered. The acknowledgement you expect is already described. If one answer is no, the delivery is not late. It is not ready.
VERKAN MARITIME coordinates Cash to Master deliveries with documented handover and exchange arrangements confirmed in advance. Send the vessel, the window, the amount and the currency to the Singapore desk. The team will confirm the timing and the handover steps before funds are moved.