Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# SAR Cooperation Plan on Passenger Ships

Knowing who to call in an emergency is not enough: the cooperation plan with search and rescue services must be built together with those services, kept up to date, and exercised at least once every twelve months.

SAR Cooperation Plan SOLAS V/7.3 search and rescue ISM

## Operational Explanation

SOLAS Regulation V/7.3 requires every passenger ship subject to SOLAS Chapter I (in practice, every passenger ship engaged on international voyages) to have on board a cooperation plan with the search and rescue services appropriate for the area in which it operates, to be activated in the event of an emergency.

The plan is not a generic document: it must be developed in cooperation between the ship, the Company (as defined by SOLAS IX/1) and the competent search and rescue services, per MSC.1/Circ.1079/Rev.1. It must provide for periodic exercises to verify its effectiveness, at a frequency not exceeding once every twelve months, and must be kept up to date through the review and audit process required by the Safety Management System (SMS) under the ISM Code.

## Regulatory Reference

SOLAS Regulation V/7.3: obligation for a cooperation plan with search and rescue services for every passenger ship subject to Chapter I; MSC.1/Circ.1079/Rev.1: guidelines for preparing the plan, developed in cooperation between the ship, the Company and SAR services; periodic exercises required at a frequency not exceeding once every 12 months; integration into the SMS review and audit process under the ISM Code.

## Scope of Application

Every passenger ship subject to SOLAS Chapter I, engaged on international voyages.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Develop the SAR cooperation plan in coordination with the Company and the competent search and rescue services for the ship's operating area, per MSC.1/Circ.1079/Rev.1.
2. Keep the plan up to date, with periodic review integrated into the audit cycle of the Safety Management System (SMS) required by the ISM Code.
3. Conduct periodic exercises to test the plan's effectiveness, at a frequency not exceeding once every 12 months.
4. Ensure the crew knows the plan's content and their own roles in the event of activation, not just its formal existence on board.
5. Verify the plan's consistency with any changes in the ship's operating area or route over time.

## Practical Example

Example: a passenger ship changing its usual operating area coordinates with the Company an update to its SAR cooperation plan, including the search and rescue services of the new area, and schedules an exercise within the following 12 months to verify its practical effectiveness.

## Real Cases

A SAR cooperation plan not updated after a significant change in operating area risks referring to search and rescue services no longer relevant to the ship's actual context, undermining the plan's practical usefulness precisely when it would be most needed: a risk that integrating the plan's review into the ISM audit cycle is designed to prevent.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
SAR cooperation plan developed only once and never updated afterward | Plan no longer consistent with the actual operating area or the SAR services actually available | Integrate periodic review of the SAR plan into the Safety Management System audit cycle
SAR plan exercises not conducted at the required frequency (not exceeding 12 months) | Plan effectiveness not practically verified, with the risk of gaps discovered only during a real emergency | Schedule SAR plan exercises at a frequency not exceeding 12 months, tracking them in the SMS calendar

## PSC Observations

PSCOs may check that the SAR cooperation plan is on board, the date of the last recorded exercise, and the plan's general consistency with the ship's operating area.

## Operational Tips

- Integrate the SAR plan review into the ISM audit cycle: that way it does not depend on the memory of a single person on board.
- Schedule SAR plan exercises in the annual calendar together with the other required drills, not separately.
- Update the plan whenever the ship's operating area or usual route changes significantly.

## Checklist

- SAR cooperation plan developed with the Company and the competent search and rescue services
- Plan updated and integrated into the Safety Management System review/audit cycle
- Plan exercise conducted at a frequency not exceeding 12 months
- Crew informed on the plan's content and their own roles in the event of activation
- Plan's consistency verified against the ship's current operating area

## FAQ

Which ships must have a SAR cooperation plan on board?
Every passenger ship subject to SOLAS Chapter I, engaged on international voyages, per SOLAS Regulation V/7.3.
How often must the SAR cooperation plan be exercised?
At a frequency not exceeding once every 12 months, according to the ship's operating circumstances.
Who takes part in developing the SAR cooperation plan?
The ship, the Company (as defined by SOLAS IX/1) and the competent search and rescue services for the operating area, per the MSC.1/Circ.1079/Rev.1 guidelines.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

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