When you’re juggling cargo ops across three terminals, two tug delays, and a frustrated charterer demanding answers, the last thing you want is to dig through an email thread or outdated spreadsheet to find when the gangway went down. That timestamp could be the difference between a clean invoice and thousands of dollars in unpaid time.
That’s where digital Statements of Facts (SOFs) come in.
They’re not just an upgrade—they’re a shift in how port agents, charterers, and terminals document, review, and act on real-time port events. A digital SOF provides everyone with a single, accurate, always-current log of a vessel’s time in port. When your reputation—and your margins—depend on accuracy, guesswork just isn’t good enough.
Here’s why digital SOFs matter more than ever, what makes them better than traditional methods, and how Base helps you track everything without the headaches.
What Is a Digital Statement of Facts?
A digital statement of facts is a structured, real-time log of everything that happens during a vessel’s stay in port. It replaces the old-school method of manually filling out spreadsheets or PDFs, scanning handwritten notes, and emailing versions back and forth.
Instead of cobbling together a report after the fact, you enter each port event as it happens—gangway down, cargo ops start, weather delay, tugs ordered, pilot onboard, bunkering completed, and so on. Every entry is time-stamped and listed in chronological order. There’s no need to backtrack or dig through messages to figure out what time something actually happened.
And just like your SOF, your eNOAD filing needs to be accurate and on time to avoid delays and compliance headaches. Together, these records form the backbone of a smooth port call.
So what does a statement of facts usually include?
It covers all the events relevant to the vessel’s time at berth:
- Arrival and anchorage details
- Time of pilot boarding and berthing
- Gangway down and first line ashore
- Start and completion of cargo operations
- Bunkering, inspections, surveys
- Weather delays or labor stoppages
- Departure time and pilot away
It’s not just a log for recordkeeping. An SOF is a document with valuable data that often has significant financial implications, especially when calculating laytime or defending demurrage claims.
The Problems with Traditional SOFs
Let’s not sugarcoat it—paper-based SOFs and spreadsheets come with serious baggage.
They’re slow to compile, prone to human error, and difficult to share quickly. And in a business where timing has significant financial implications, those delays can lead to lost revenue or strained relationships.
Here’s what goes wrong most often:
- Manual entry slows things down. Most agents are copying from memory after the fact. That invites avoidable mistakes.
- No audit trail. Once someone edits the document, there’s no version history. You can’t see who made changes or why.
- Limited visibility. If the SOF lives in someone’s inbox, the rest of the team is flying blind.
- Accuracy suffers. Without timestamped entries, it’s hard to confirm when specific events actually happened.
Whether it’s an innocent oversight or a tactical adjustment, these issues can undermine your documentation—and create unnecessary disputes when it’s time to reconcile laytime or handle claims.
6 Key Benefits of a Digital SOF
Port calls are fluid. Plans change. Delays stack up. If you’re relying on a static document to track a dynamic situation, you’re already behind.
Here’s how a digital SOF helps you stay in control:
1. Real-Time Data Entry
A digital SOF lets you log critical events the moment they happen. Not an hour later. Not after the ship’s already sailing.
If cargo operations begin at 14:08, that’s what gets recorded. If there’s a weather hold at 02:33, it’s in the log—no guesswork, no rounding. This level of accuracy supports more confident laytime calculations and stronger documentation for everyone involved.
2. Improved Accuracy and Audit Trail
Every timestamped entry should be tied to a user and a job. You’ll know exactly who logged what and when they did it. If someone updates a time or corrects a mistake, it’s tracked in the history. That way, there are no surprises when clients or operators review the final record. This type of audit trail is what separates a polished operation from one constantly backtracking.
3. Better Security
When SOFs are managed across paper, email, and open-access spreadsheets, it’s easy for sensitive data to end up in the wrong hands—or get altered without approval.
Digital SOFs offer controlled access and a tamper-resistant format. You know the data is accurate, intact, and only visible to the people who need to see it. That matters when you’re dealing with port times that can have major financial implications.
4. Faster Dispute Resolution
Most disputes come down to one thing: someone believes the record isn’t accurate. With digital SOFs, you can quickly verify whether cargo started on time, how long the delay lasted, or when the pilot actually boarded. The facts are already there—logged in the moment, not reconstructed later.
Clear SOFs also make life easier when you’re dealing with paperwork like custom bonds, where accurate timelines and event records can determine how quickly cargo moves or gets held up.
5. Cost Savings
Digital SOFs cut down on admin hours, prevent costly rework, and reduce the back-and-forth that eats up time and payroll. They also help protect against missed claims or overcharges by keeping critical documentation accurate and readily available. That’s money back in your pocket—not lost to bad logs or avoidable delays.
6. Increased Collaboration
Everyone involved in a port call—agents, terminals, charterers, ops managers—gets access to the same data, without waiting on someone to send the “final version.” There’s no confusion about what happened or when. Whether you’re in the office or on the dock, you’re working from the same source of truth. That kind of clarity keeps operations moving and keeps people out of each other’s inboxes.
That level of transparency helps prevent demurrage disputes and makes cost recovery faster and more defensible.
Who Benefits from Digital SOFs?
This isn’t just about making life easier for agents. Everyone in the port call ecosystem wins when SOFs are digitized. Let’s look at how:
Port Agents
Spend less time chasing paperwork and more time managing the job. You’ll have cleaner data, faster turnaround times, and fewer calls from principals second-guessing your reports.
Charterers and Vessel Owners
Get a clear, defensible account of the vessel’s stay—complete with detailed timestamps and event logs. If something went sideways, you’ll know exactly when and why.
Terminal Operators
Avoid being blamed for delays that weren’t yours. Digital SOFs make it easy to show when the berth was ready, when the ship was alongside, and when external factors came into play.
Operations Managers
Whether you’re overseeing two jobs or two dozen, digital SOFs give you real-time visibility. You don’t have to chase updates or rely on vague summaries. The information is centralized and clear.
Staying on top of timelines and records isn’t just about internal coordination—it can also affect inspections. If you’re preparing for a PSC inspection, accurate SOF records are a major asset. Read more about port state control inspections and what to expect.
Bottom line: digital SOFs give every party access to relevant information that helps them work more effectively, respond faster, and avoid unnecessary conflict.
Digital SOF in Base: How It Works
Base is built to support this process natively—no separate tools or integrations required.
Inside every job record, port agents can log timestamps for key activities like gangway down, cargo start, loading complete, inspections, delays, and more. Each entry is tied to the correct job and recorded with a timestamp for accountability.
These event logs support financial visibility and can be connected to documents like purchase orders, invoices, and other related records. Having all the relevant data in one place makes those calculations easier to verify and report on.
User permissions allow you to control who can view or update the statement. Agents can log entries, managers can review progress, and clients can stay informed without needing to request updates.
No more switching between tools, emailing spreadsheets, or chasing down PDFs. Everything lives in one connected system—ready when you need it. When your documentation is clean and traceable, it strengthens your case during claims and keeps you in line with broader maritime compliance standards.
Final Take on Digital Statement of Facts
In the shipping industry, speed and clarity aren’t just nice to have—they’re required. If you’re still managing your SOFs through Word docs and Excel sheets, you’re exposing your operations to delays, avoidable errors, and missed revenue opportunities. A digital statement of facts helps you reduce friction, protect margins, and maintain trust with clients and partners.
With Base, you don’t need to duct-tape your workflow together. Everything you need to manage, document, and validate a port call—from the first line to departure—is already in place. So if you’re still asking, “Do we have the final SOF?”—it might be time to upgrade.
Key Takeaways
- A digital SOF captures vessel events in real time with exact timestamps.
- Traditional methods like paper and spreadsheets introduce risk, slowdowns, and confusion.
- With Base, all your SOF data lives inside your existing job workflow—alongside documents, approvals, and communications.
- Port agents, charterers, terminals, and ops managers all benefit from faster access, better accuracy, and less back-and-forth.
FAQs
What is a written statement of facts called?
It’s referred to as a Statement of Facts, or SOF. This facts document serves as the official record of all the events that occur during a vessel’s port stay—critical for maritime operations and for helping the parties involved understand what took place and when.
What is an example of a statement of facts?
A typical SOF might include: “Vessel arrived 08:22, pilot boarded 08:40, gangway down 09:05, cargo operations began 10:00, completed 18:15, weather delay 15:30–16:15.” It’s used to maintain an accurate account of operations so that involved parties—from agents to charterers—can align on outcomes.
How to write a good statement of facts?
Start by listing all the events in clear chronological order, using exact timestamps. Capture delays, inspections, bunkering, and cargo milestones. A strong SOF should include valuable data that reflects reality and helps everyone stay on the same page, especially when timing impacts the supply chain. When written well, it creates trust and clarity for every stakeholder in the parties involved.
