Maritime Wiki
One entry for each of the 205 operational topic pages: the current source description and a direct link to the full page. The list is rebuilt from the source topics.
Available entries
Oil Record Book — Part I (Machinery Space Operations)
Prescribed ORB Part I operations: codes, weekly inventory, signatures and record retention.
Sludge Management
Oil-residue collection and disposal, weekly inventory and consistency between tanks, ORB and receipts.
Bilge Water Management
Bilge discharges: geographical conditions, OWS, alarm and automatic stopping, checks and records.
Garbage Record Book
Garbage management and records, accidental losses and discharge conditions; Red Sea requirements active since 2025.
SOPEP — Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Oil-spill response preparation: approved plan, updated official contacts and ship–shore coordination.
Incinerator Operations
Permitted materials, operating limits and temperature monitoring; relevant records and ash management.
Ballast Water Management
The BWM Convention: scope, approved plan, standards, records, failures and conditions for alternative measures.
Change Over Fuel (Fuel Oil Changeover ECA)
Separate fuels, already-compliant fuel or approved equivalents: plan ECA transitions and record relevant events.
MARPOL Annex VI — Prevention of Air Pollution
Annex VI fuel, engine and emission requirements, with distinct scopes and dates for NOx, SOx, SEEMP, DCS and CII.
Managing a Non-Conformity (NC)
How a non-conformity is opened, classified and formally closed within the Safety Management System — the heart of the ISM Code's continuous improvement cycle.
Reporting a Near Miss
A near miss is the most valuable and hardest-to-collect piece of information: how to build a reporting culture that does not punish the person who reports.
Designated Person Ashore (DPA)
The link between ship and senior management: the DPA’s functions, direct access and the support the Company must provide.
ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System)
Carriage requirement, back-up arrangement and ENC updating: the most common errors that turn ECDIS from a safety tool into a source of PSC deficiencies.
Passage Planning
The four phases — appraisal, planning, execution, monitoring: how to build a berth-to-berth passage plan that truly holds up against the reality of the route.
Musters and Abandon Ship Drill
The muster list, new crew familiarization and the frequency of abandon ship drills: the first thing a PSC inspector checks on boarding.
Ship Risk Profile and New Inspection Regime (NIR)
Under the Paris MoU, Ship Risk Profile governs selection and inspection windows; a more detailed inspection requires clear grounds and one detention does not automatically make a ship High Risk.
Detention and Banning
Detention and refusal of access follow the applicable regime, with distinct thresholds and conditions; not every deficiency leads to detention, and lifting a ban is not automatic.
Enclosed Space Entry
The seemingly simplest operation that continues to cause fatalities on board: why the drill mandatory every two months since 2015 exists, and how to make it genuinely useful.
Bridge Resource Management (BRM)
BRM applies communication, task allocation, challenge and response, and shared situational awareness to control human factors in bridge operations.
Blackout and Failure Management
The emergency-source maximum time is a performance criterion of the applicable SOLAS arrangement, not a universal monthly stopwatch test; method, simulation and records follow the approved arrangement, maker, class and PMS/SMS.
Bottom Survey and In-Water Survey (IWS)
Cargo and passenger ships follow distinct bottom-inspection regimes; an ordinary IWS depends on Administration/RO acceptance and UR Z3 and is not Extended Dry-Docking.
Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC)
HSSC coordinates surveys under the instruments within the system without making certificate durations, checks and extensions identical.
Condition of Class and Recommendations
A condition of class must be managed against the Society’s wording, deadline and closure requirements. Completed work is not yet class-accepted closure.
CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator)
How to read annual CII and the A–E rating, establish applicability and respond to three consecutive D ratings or one E with a corrective-action plan in SEEMP.
EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime
EU ETS, MRV and FuelEU have distinct scopes: in 2027 ETS adds offshore ships ≥5,000 GT; 400–4,999 remains proposal/review, while FuelEU concerns ships above 5,000 GT.
Sewage Management — MARPOL Annex IV
Sewage discharge conditions: approved plant, distances, discharge rate and additional Baltic, polar and local requirements.
Bunker Delivery Note and MARPOL Sampling
BDNs and samples: distinguish conventional and gas/low-flashpoint fuels, required data, custody and MARPOL/SOLAS checks.
Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Plan
Having a written emergency plan is not enough: the ISM Code requires proof, through regular drills, that the crew could really carry it out.
Handling Seafarer Complaints (MLC 2006)
Every ship subject to the MLC must have a fair, effective and expeditious on-board complaint procedure. The MLC sets no deadlines in days: the flag State's law and the company procedure do, and those are what a PSCO checks against.
Permit to Work System
A Permit to Work is the documented method by which the SMS controls high-risk work under the applicable procedure and risk assessment.
Ship Security Plan and the ISPS Code
The validity of the SSO's STCW VI/5 Certificate of Proficiency is checked under issuing-Administration and flag rules; its absence is a clear ground, not an automatic detention.
Life-Saving Appliances: Liferafts, EPIRB and SART
Beyond lifeboats, a ship's real survival basket depends on equipment that is rarely checked and taken for granted to work: liferafts, EPIRBs and SARTs.
USCG Port State Control
USCG uses multifactor targeting; flag eligibility is only the first condition and an individual vessel must be accepted and enrolled in QUALSHIP 21 to receive its incentives.
Tokyo MOU: Regional Specificities
The 2025 BWM CIC is historical; the 2026 joint Paris/Tokyo campaign concerns Cargo Securing, while BWM compliance remains permanent.
Ro-Ro Cargo Securing
A ro-ro configuration must be covered by the approved Cargo Securing Manual or a case-specific arrangement prepared by competent personnel and accepted or approved as required; an improvised onboard calculation does not replace the Manual.
Reefer Container Monitoring
Telematics monitors and alerts: it does not authorise crew to change set point, ventilation, humidity or atmosphere settings without documented instructions or an approved emergency procedure.
Managing Cargo Claims
An unqualified bill of lading may be prima facie evidence of the stated apparent order and condition, but it does not automatically create carrier liability for every pre-existing damage.
Passage Planning in Polar Waters (Polar Code)
From 1 January 2026 MSC.532(107) and MSC.538(107) extend navigation and voyage-planning requirements to added non-SOLAS categories; ships constructed before that date must comply by 1 January 2027.
Electronic Navigation and GNSS Resilience
Multi-band, multi-constellation, RAIM, authentication and CRPA may mitigate GNSS risk but do not guarantee a valid fix during jamming or spoofing: plausibility checks and independent sources remain necessary.
VTS Traffic Management
Participating ships take information, advice and warnings into account; VTS requirements and instructions issued within the applicable framework are complied with unless contradictory safety or marine-environment-protection reasons exist.
Boiler Operations
Boiler protections and safety valves are tested only at intervals and by methods, authorisations, personnel and precautions prescribed by maker, PMS/SMS and flag/class; no improvised live lifting test.
Refrigeration Plant
Where Regulation (EU) 2024/573 applies, shipboard plants follow general release-prevention and prompt-repair duties; leak checks, records and certification do not automatically extend to every plant, while reefers are a separate mobile category.
Operational Energy Efficiency in the Engine Room
Engine-room measures can contribute to CII and SEEMP, but the choice must be demonstrated across the whole energy system: engine load, heat recovery and electrical generation have no universal outcome.
Anchor and Chain Cable Survey
Anchors and chain cables are ranged/examined at Special Survey; gauging is required from Special Survey No.2 onward or where class Rules/surveyor require, not link-by-link every cycle.
Cargo Hold Survey for Bulk Carriers (ESP)
Bulk-carrier survey extent follows the 2011 ESP Code and Z10.2/Z10.5; UR Z11 concerns notations and does not authorise drone surveys. RIT needs case-specific class acceptance and is not generally recognized by ESP since 2025.
Shipyard Waste Management during Dry Dock
Coating residues, spent abrasives and wash water must be contained, characterized and managed by composition, yard law and applicable requirements; hazard classification does not follow from the name alone.
Safety Construction, Equipment and Radio Certificate
Safety Construction, Equipment and Radio cover distinct scopes. Check thresholds, certificates actually issued, records and endorsements; a combined Cargo Ship Safety Certificate may be provided.
ISPS Certification (International Ship Security Certificate)
The ISSC records verification of ship security within SOLAS XI-2 scope; validity depends on timely verifications and endorsements.
MLC Certification (Maritime Labour Certificate and DMLC)
The Maritime Labour Certificate and DMLC connect certification with actual measures for working and living conditions on board.
Ballast Water Management Convention In Depth
From the BWM plan to discharge: system operation, commissioning, records and exemptions, distinguishing applicable obligations from changes still under development.
Biofouling Management
The Biofouling Guidelines are voluntary and create no IMO-certified provider: before in-water cleaning, check port/coastal-State rules and assess the service technically.
Underwater Radiated Noise (URN)
MEPC 84 agreed in principle to extend the URN experience-building phase to end-2028; the Revised Guidelines remain voluntary.
Anti-Fouling Systems (AFS Convention)
AFS Convention: TBT and cybutryne controls, treatment of existing coatings and ship-specific documentation.
VOC Management Plan
Crude-oil vapour emissions: approved VOC plan contents, shipboard responsibilities and separate port requirements.
Management of Change (MoC)
Assess a change before introducing it: risks, approvals, people and documents, using a process proportionate to the change.
Dangerous Goods Manifest and Notification to Port Authorities
SOLAS VII/4.2 governs dangerous-goods documentation and the copy available before departure; pre-arrival notification, timing, channels and reporting party instead depend on the individual port regime.
CTU Code: Packing and Stowage of Cargo Transport Units
The packer checks and documents internal packing; terminal, carrier and ship perform external acceptance inspection of a sealed CTU without claiming to have checked its interior.
IBC Code and Operations on Chemical Tankers
Product acceptance follows the Certificate of Fitness, Code and ship-specific limits; the Administration-approved P&A Manual governs Annex II procedures and Category X prewash occurs after unloading, before departure.
Lithium Batteries: Thermal Runaway and Fire Response on Board
Lithium-battery fire response follows the UN entry, EmS schedule and ship-specific procedures; SP376 separates the critical P911/LP906 branch from other damaged/defective P908/LP904, without improvised onboard diagnosis.
EmS Guide and MFAG: Responding to Emergencies Involving Dangerous Goods
The IMDG Code requires appropriate emergency information immediately available; the EmS Guide and MFAG are recognised IMO tools, while specific carriage duties depend on flag, law and SMS.
Liquefied Gases and Operational Notes on the IGC Code
Boil-off management uses systems approved for ship and cargo; venting is not a routine substitute for reliquefaction. MSC.523(106) has been in force since 1 January 2026, while the MSC 111 IGC package awaits formal adoption.
IMDG Training and Crew Education
IMDG Chapter 1.3 governs shore-based personnel; crew competence follows STCW, ISM/SMS, flag requirements, duties and any applicable specialised training.
Watertight Doors and Compartment Integrity
Watertight-door operation depends on ship type, door category and the applicable arrangement: SOLAS II-1/21–22 applies to passenger ships, while cargo ships follow II-1/13-1 and their approved configuration.
Helicopter Operations and Helideck Safety
Helicopter operations require dedicated firefighting personnel during refuelling, safety devices on the helideck and rigorous coordination with the flight crew: an area often neglected in general crew training.
Black Sea MOU: Regional Specificities
The Black Sea MoU 2025 BWM CIC has ended; current priorities come from the 2026 calendar and circulars, not the past campaign.
Indian Ocean MOU: Regional Specificities
Ended campaigns remain historical and applicable instruments depend on the IOMOU list, ratification or acceptance by each Authority and national law.
Heavy Lift Cargo and Project Cargo
Heavy lift and project cargo require reliable data and an engineering package consistent with the CSM and ship limits; Annex 13 authorises neither autonomous crew calculations nor a universal independent sea-fastening survey.
BNWAS and Anti-Collision Alert Systems
BNWAS monitors watch activity and calls assistance if the OOW does not respond. It must operate whenever the ship is underway at sea; MSC.1/Circ.1474 advises against using the automatic mode linked to autopilot.
Predictive Maintenance based on IoT Sensors
Predictive and condition-based maintenance are voluntary class- and Company-driven approaches; they replace time-based tasks only within an approved scheme with adequate data and sensors.
Boiler Water Treatment
Parameters, sampling points, limits, frequencies, chemistry, conductivity/TDS and blowdown must follow the maker/supplier-specific programme incorporated in PMS/SMS; there are no universal six daily tests or 1,000 µS/cm limit.
Managing Shipyard Repair Contracts
The repair specification, tender and contract must follow project complexity, risk, market and ship due dates; REPAIRCON 2018 is a contract form, not a universal docking timeline.
Managing Surveys under Dual/Multiple Classification
Double class and dual class describe different arrangements. Survey responsibilities must follow the participating societies’ documents.
Statement of Compliance for Ships in Temporary Lay-up
Lay-up does not create one universal certificate or survey regime: the warm/cold arrangement, duration, class status, treatment of statutory certificates and recommissioning scope must be agreed for the ship with flag and class.
Digitalization of Statutory Certificates
FAL-LEG-MEPC-MSC.1/Circ.1 is the current joint reference for electronic certificates; the 2016 text remains only for historical context or cross-reference.
Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS)
OCCS is an emissions-abatement technology, not a fuel or energy source; CII/EEXI/NZF accounting, testing, survey and certification remain to be established by applicable instruments.
Shore Power and Cold Ironing (Onshore Power Supply)
Preparing a shore-power port call: AFIR and FuelEU duties, timelines, ship–shore compatibility and the evidence to retain.
Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS)
WAPS can reduce propulsion power and fuel use in favourable conditions, but benefit depends on the ship, route, wind, arrangement and auxiliary loads and must be verified against a comparable baseline.
Dangerous Solid Bulk Cargoes: the IMSBC Code, Liquefaction and Self-Heating
The IMSBC Code covers Groups A, A and B, B and C, excluding grain; the shipper supplies information and test certificates, while the onboard can test is only a complementary indication.
MARPOL Annex III: Harmful Substances Carried in Packaged Form
Package and CTU marking follows specific IMDG provisions, including the 5 L/5 kg package exception; spill reporting follows MARPOL Article 8/Protocol I and is coordinated with SMS and safety reporting.
Discharges in Polar Waters: MARPOL Requirements and Polar Code Part II-A
Oil, sewage and garbage discharges in polar waters: prohibitions, exceptions, ice and land distances and the HFO regime.
Contractor and External Supplier Management
Anyone who comes aboard without being crew brings a risk somebody must have assessed: how external suppliers are qualified and monitored, and for which category of them approval is not the Company's choice.
Whistleblowing and Anonymous Reporting of Non-Conformities
Reporting safety concerns needs accessible channels, confidentiality and clearly defined safeguards. MLC complaints, SMS reporting and whistleblowing may overlap, but they do not automatically share the same legal scope or a universal anonymity requirement.
Immersion Suits and Thermal Protection
One immersion suit for every person on board on cargo ships; three per lifeboat plus thermal protection for the rest on passenger ships. It is the count, not the suit, that changes with the ship.
Fixed Firefighting Systems: CO2 and Water Mist
Checking a fixed system includes its charge, controls, alarms, distribution and periodic tests. CO2, water mist and water monitors have different maintenance programmes and operating conditions.
Means of Escape and Emergency Escape Routes
Verify independent, usable escape routes against the approved arrangement. Ship type, space location and Administration dispensations determine the applicable requirements.
Managing an Appeal against a Detention
Appeal time limits, authority, form and effect depend on the notification and port-State law; flag, RO and P&I provide support only within the applicable procedure.
Coordination between Flag State and PSC
A.1206(34), adopted on 3 December 2025, adds Appendix 20 on security and coordination with the existing DAO function under SOLAS XI-2/9; it neither creates the DAO nor has a convention-style entry-into-force date.
Break Bulk Cargo: Stowage, Dunnage and Damage Prevention
For break bulk, weight, dimensions and centre of gravity come from reliable data and are verified according to risk; the evidence package follows cargo and contract and does not require draft surveys at every stage.
Charter Parties and Cargo-Specific Clauses
Laytime, demurrage and despatch normally belong to voyage chartering; safe port/berth, always safely afloat and NAABSA are distinct terms to be read in the wording actually incorporated.
Icebreaker-Assisted Convoy Navigation
Icebreaker and convoy-control instructions are essential, but the Master and bridge team continuously assess safety against the ship's actual capabilities and conditions and immediately communicate any inability to comply.
Datum Shift and Chart Reference in ECDIS
A charted feature may be uncertain even when the GNSS fix is precise: horizontal position, sounding datum, height datum and quality/CATZOC are distinct issues to assess without improvised manual offsets.
Integrated Automation Systems and Unmanned Machinery Space (UMS)
Before UMS, complete the approved-procedure checks and confirm no defect, isolation, inhibition or alarm invalidates unattended operation; alarm/call/safety tests follow approved methods and intervals.
Digital Twin for the Engine Room
A digital twin is a voluntary tool: value and reliability depend on the use case, data, model, validation and decision risk; industry guidance and assurance frameworks help define and verify its use.
Managing Post-Repair Warranties (Warranty Claims)
A post-repair defect becomes a supportable warranty claim when contract, notice, cause, exclusions, mitigation and evidence are handled within the applicable terms.
Dry Dock Scheduling for Sister Ships (Sister Ship Scheduling)
Evidence from a sister ship can improve the next docking, but every data point and work item must be revalidated against the individual ship’s configuration, condition, due dates and history.
Interim Certificates
Interim DOC, SMC, ISSC and Maritime Labour Certificates are distinct mechanisms with their own conditions and durations; they attest interim conditions, not completed definitive verification.
Coordination between Class Surveys and Statutory Surveys (RO)
Class and statutory certification remain distinct systems: a recognized organization acts under flag delegation, while HSSC harmonizes statutory instruments and does not determine the class cycle; a coordinated attendance is possible only where scope, windows and authorization align.
Methanol and Ammonia Bunkering: Infrastructure and Real Cases
Methanol/ammonia bunkering availability is route- and port-specific: verify supplier, transfer mode, approval, technical standard and emergency arrangement directly.
Just Transition and the Social Impact of Decarbonization
The transition requires competence tied to the actual fuel, technology, role and arrangement: STCW.7/Circ.25, .26 and .27 provide interim guidance, while MJTTF frameworks remain non-mandatory resources.
Review of the EU MRV Framework in Light of the EU ETS
The 2026 EU review produced COM(2026) 620 final: it is a legislative proposal, while current MRV scope remains governed by consolidated Regulation (EU) 2015/757 until a final act is adopted.
IMO DCS: Transport Work and Advanced Granularity from 2026
DCS: ordinary enhanced granularity from 2026, 2025 early-implementation or delivery branches, transport work, data gaps and access.
Prevention of Violence and Harassment Onboard
From 1 January 2026, mandatory PSSR training includes for the first time a specific competence on preventing and responding to violence, sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault on board.
Master's Authority and Safety Culture
The Master's authority is not a hierarchical formality: the ISM Code requires it to be explicitly defined, documented and recognized as overriding any other pressure, including commercial ones.
Ro-Ro and Vehicle Spaces: New Fire Detection and Protection Requirements (2026)
For new passenger ships from 2026, SOLAS II-2/20 requires individually identifiable detection in the relevant spaces. Cargo and existing ships follow different provisions: check category, date and space type together.
Shipboard Lifting Appliances: The New SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-13 Regime
From 1 January 2026 SOLAS regulates shipboard lifting appliances within the Regulation II-1/2.30 definition — cargo cranes included — with testing, thorough examination and SWL marking under the applicable regime. The four exclusions are exhaustive.
Mediterranean MOU: Regional Specificities
Thirteen member States from 2026, with France and Albania just joined: the Mediterranean PSC regime is expanding just as detentions record a 20% increase.
Bulk Carriers: PSC Risk Profile and Recurring Deficiencies
DNV Q1 2026 data aggregate container, bulk carrier and general cargo ships: ISM, maintenance, fire safety, structure and access are complementary areas to check, without assigning bulk carriers an unpublished causal ranking.
BLU Code: Safety in the Loading and Unloading of Bulk Carriers
SOLAS VI/7 contains the Convention requirements for bulk-carrier loading and unloading; the BLU Code is linked operational guidance and the IMSBC Code governs solid bulk cargo under a distinct framework.
Mandatory Reporting of Containers Lost at Sea (SOLAS 2026)
From 1 January 2026 SOLAS V/31–32 distinguishes loss and observation of freight containers: recipients, Company fallback, fields and updates are not the same.
Cargo Record Book (Record Book for Noxious Liquid Substances)
MARPOL Annex II requires the Cargo Record Book for every ship certified to carry NLS in bulk, with defined signatures, availability and retention, and prewash control by the surveyor authorised by the competent Government.
Cargo Securing Manual and Cargo Lashing
The Cargo Securing Manual follows SOLAS applicability and cargo type, not the cargo-ship label alone; the 2026 CIC checks compliance with existing requirements and creates no new ones.
Draft Survey and Determining Cargo Quantity
No universal international draft-survey tolerance or general independent-surveyor duty exists: protocol, tolerance and appointment depend on contract, cargo, risk and applicable procedures.
IMDG Code — Carriage of Dangerous Goods in Packaged Form
The new 2024 edition (Amendment 42-24), mandatory from 1 January 2026: what changes for the classification, packaging and stowage of dangerous goods in packaged form.
Loading/Discharging Plan
The SOLAS VI/7 and BLU Code ship/shore plan concerns bulk carriers handling solid bulk cargo; other operations follow their specific regime, approved manuals, SMS and applicable procedures.
Tank Cleaning
Crude Oil Washing applicability follows MARPOL Annex I criteria, certificates and the approved manual; it does not arise from generic tanker size or the informal presence of an equivalent system.
Simulator Training: the Ongoing STCW Review
The comprehensive STCW review is in its revision phase: simulator use is under consideration, but no new universal substitution of sea service is in force without an IMO instrument and Administration requirements.
MASS Code: the New IMO Framework for Autonomous Ships
The MSC.595(111) MASS Code is a non-mandatory instrument effective from 1 July 2026; the EBP and future mandatory Code follow an expected roadmap, not already adopted obligations.
Methanol Engines: Reliability and Spare Parts Management in a Still-Young Technology
Reliability, failure modes, spare criticality and lead times for methanol engines vary by design, maker and fleet; strategy follows documented service experience, maker and ISM risk assessment, not unproven causal statistics.
Fire Safety of Onboard Battery Rooms (BESS)
BESS response follows the approved emergency plan and installed design: alarm, segregation only as designed, ventilation control and approved fixed suppression/cooling from a safe position; no entry until explosion/toxic risk is assessed and authorised.
Hong Kong Convention: Inventory of Hazardous Materials and Green Passport
The Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) must follow the individual ship and its modifications. For existing ships within HKC scope, the general deadline is 26 June 2030 or before recycling if earlier; check EU obligations separately.
Next-Generation Coating: Planning the Dry Dock Choice
Select the external anti-fouling system against AFS compliance, operating profile and planned maintenance. Advertised coating life does not change bottom-survey and docking due dates.
Hot Work Permit at the Shipyard: Ship-Dock Coordination
The hot-work permit must coordinate ship and yard: permission to enter a space does not mean welding or cutting is permitted inside it.
Change of Flag and the Shadow Fleet: What Changes for Surveys and Certificates
At a flag transfer the printed expiry date of old certificates cannot be relied upon: each instrument has its own transfer provision and new-Administration documents must be effective when required.
Coordination between the HSSC Cycle and SIRE 2.0 Vetting Inspections
SIRE 2.0 maintains readiness across the applicable Question Library, but each inspection uses a ship-specific CVIQ with core and selected rotational questions; personnel answer for their duties.
CII: 2027-2030 Reduction Factors and New SEEMP Granularity
CII factors for 2027–2030, the enhanced DCS data timetable and SEEMP updates: connected topics with distinct rules and dates.
Carriage of Radioactive Materials: IMDG Class 7 and the INF Code
Class 7 package type, label category, Transport Index and Criticality Safety Index are distinct dimensions; TI appears on Category II-YELLOW and III-YELLOW, not Category I-WHITE.
Dangerous Goods in Holds on Non-Containerised General Cargo Ships
Segregation on a conventional cargo ship follows exact UN entries, hazards, DGL codes, segregation groups and Table 7.2.4; neither a generic class nor a CTU shell alone determines the required level.
Safe Return to Port: The Design Principle for Passenger Ships
Safe Return to Port applies to passenger ships constructed from 1 July 2010 above the stated thresholds; in May 2026 MSC 111 approved the non-mandatory Explanatory Notes MSC.1/Circ.1369/Rev.1.
Passenger Musters at Embarkation: Before Departure, No Longer Within 24 Hours
Whenever new passengers embark, III/19.2.3 requires a safety briefing immediately before or after departure. If scheduled time aboard exceeds 24 hours, III/19.2.2 also requires a muster before or immediately upon departure; the briefing may be included in the muster. These duties are not alternatives.
Evacuation Analysis on Passenger Ships: Simplified and Advanced Method
SOLAS has two limbs: ro-ro passenger ships constructed from 1 July 1999 with no passenger threshold, and other passenger ships constructed from 1 January 2020 carrying more than 36 passengers.
Damage Stability of Ro-Ro Passenger Ships (SOLAS 2020)
SOLAS 2020 applicability follows three alternative triggers; regular services to or from EU ports also engage Directive 2003/25/EC as amended by Directive (EU) 2023/946.
Managing a Gastrointestinal Outbreak on Board
Each AGE case is identified and managed promptly under the applicable plan; in VSP, 2% triggers a special report and 3% or an unusual pattern triggers outbreak/investigation criteria, separately for passengers and crew.
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. The Regulation sets no frequency: the twelve months come from the guidelines, and they are a ceiling with a presumption of compliance, not an annual obligation.
Persons with Reduced Mobility: Accessibility on Board
Physical accessibility, assistance rights and digital services follow different instruments: MSC/Circ.735 is guidance, EU Regulation 1177/2010 governs assistance and non-discrimination, and the EAA only specified service elements.
Passenger Ship Safety Certificate: The Twelve-Month Renewal Survey Regime
The Passenger Ship Safety Certificate is valid for no more than twelve months and is renewed through a renewal survey every twelve months; only the Administration may grant the exceptional extensions under SOLAS I/14.
Gangway Operations: Safety of the Accommodation Ladder
The revised guideline distinguishes design, fall protection and operational measures: PPE, safety net and access control depend on configuration, risk, Administration and SSP/SMS.
Tender Operations: Service Boats for Passenger Transfer
MSC.1/Circ.1417 recommends controls for ship-carried craft transferring more than 12 passengers from a stationary ship to shore and back; binding effect and extension depend on implementation and the SMS.
Passenger Accounting: The Accuracy of the Roll-Call after Costa Concordia
SOLAS III/27 governs counts and information before departure; during an emergency, the accountability method comes from the ship's approved procedure and SMS.
Crowd Management: Managing the Flow to Assembly Stations
STCW V/2.7 crowd management covers masters, officers, qualified ratings and other designated personnel; verify training, familiarization and updating against each role and voyage regime.
Cabin Safety: Stateroom Security Requirements under the CVSSA
The Act asks for a peephole «or other means of visual identification»; the 25mm and the metal frame come from a Coast Guard policy letter, and are the threshold beyond which an installation must be justified, not the minimum to be met.
The Onboard Medical Centre: Between MLC and Voluntary Standards
The MLC minimum operates alongside applicable national medical duties. US sections 3507 and 3509 also incorporate ACEP within their respective scopes; distinguish these duties from CLIA commitments and voluntarily adopted standards.
Turnaround Operations: Managing Simultaneous Operations in Port
SIMOPS is a company method that may be integrated into the SMS: authority, interfaces and stop-work responsibility must be clear, while role titles, toolbox talks and ALARP depend on the adopted framework.
New North-East Atlantic ECA: SOx, PM and NOx (MEPC 84)
North-East Atlantic ECA: boundaries and ship/engine criteria; applicable Tier III from 1 September 2027, SOx/PM from 1 September 2028.
Integrated Bilge Water Treatment System: the New Regulation 12B
IBTS: existing guidance for separating and managing bilge water; future regulation 12B approved as a draft, not yet in force.
IMO 2026 Strategy on Marine Plastic Litter and the Future Pellet Code
The MARPOL plastic-discharge prohibition is already in force. The 2030 strategy, voluntary pellet guidance and future code remain distinct.
NOx Technical Code: Certification of Ammonia and Multi-Fuel Engines (MEPC 84)
NOx: modification and recertification, phased multiple-profile requirements, the non-carbon fuels project and the separate EEDI track.
New 2026 ECAs: Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea
Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea: applicable Tier III from 1 March 2026 with distinct criteria; SOx/PM from 1 March 2027.
Crew Fatigue: The IMO 2026-2027 Review Process
Fatigue management is already part of safe operations: adequate manning, effective rest and reliable records. The ongoing IMO review examines the effectiveness of the existing framework; it does not defer present duties until 2027.
Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA)
The action that truly closes the loop: what the ISM Code actually requires — corrective action under Section 9 — and where the CAPA cycle used by many Companies comes from instead.
Cyber Risk Management in the SMS (MSC.428(98))
The ISM Code has never had a dedicated cyber risk chapter: Resolution MSC.428(98) affirms that an approved SMS should take it into account under the objectives and functional requirements of the Code, and encourages Administrations to check it from 2021.
Document of Compliance (DOC) and Safety Management Certificate (SMC)
The two certificates that make ISM compliance tangible: what they attest, who issues them, when they must be renewed, and what happens if they expire or are suspended.
Crew Familiarisation and Training
From qualification to ship-specific knowledge: familiarisation before assigned duties and essential instructions before sailing.
Internal SMS Audit
How to plan and conduct the internal audit the ISM Code requires at intervals not exceeding twelve months — and how to make it a useful tool, not just a formality.
Management Review
The periodic evaluation through which the Company checks SMS effectiveness and decides how to improve resources, procedures and results.
Autonomous Ships (MASS): the Company's Responsibility under the SMS
Autonomous or remote operations need explicit roles and operating conditions: the Company, Master and remote centre are not interchangeable. The non-mandatory MASS Code provides a framework to coordinate with ISM, authorisations and the ship's concept of operations.
TMSA: the Company's self-assessment, not the ship's
TMSA is OCIMF's Company management self-assessment: 13 elements, 266 KPIs and four cumulative levels. Declared attainment must reflect actual implementation, not just available documents; sharing with third parties requires the relevant permissions.
Pilot Transfer Arrangements: The New SOLAS V/23 Performance Standard
The pilot ladder is no longer just a technical requirement in the text of the regulation: MSC 110 moves it into a new, standalone mandatory performance standard, with a long implementation timeline that nonetheless needs planning now.
Ship Fuel Safety: Flashpoint Declaration
For ships to which SOLAS II-2/4.2.1.6 applies, fuel documentation must state the flashpoint or prescribed declaration under a standard acceptable to IMO.
Emergency Generator Test
The periodic emergency generator test and the black-out test: the difference between a successful start in a routine test and one that is truly reliable in an emergency.
Fire Drill and Fire Safety
The minimum frequency of fire drills, equipment inspection, and the mistakes that turn a routine exercise into a PSC deficiency.
GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System)
The system that connects a ship in distress to the whole world: what changed with the modernisation in force since 2024, and how to stay compliant with the new RMSS terminology.
Lifeboat Inspection (Inspection and Maintenance of Life-Saving Boats)
Weekly, monthly and the annual thorough examination of lifeboats: where most serious injuries during drills originate, and how to prevent them.
Fraudulent Certificates and Registrations: Paris MoU Guidance under Development
In May 2026 the Paris MoU decided to develop practical guidance on suspected fraudulent registrations and certificates; until published, prescribed procedures or indicators cannot be anticipated.
Pre-PSC Checklist
Practical preparation in the hours and days before a Port State Control inspection: what to check, in what order, and why doing it well in advance changes the outcome.
Communicating with the PSCO
Cooperation and truthful answers are good practice: only objective evidence of non-compliance or lack of familiarisation establishes clear grounds, and an unsatisfactory drill does not automatically cause detention.
Concentrated Inspection Campaigns (CIC)
Thematic campaigns of reinforced inspection: how to know in advance what Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) will focus on over the coming months, and prepare accordingly.
Documentation Required on Board
Certificates and documents must be valid and available; each record book is completed promptly when the required operation, event or communication occurs, without retrospective reconstruction.
Managing Deficiencies
Each deficiency is technically described, rectified and evidenced under authority instructions; formal closure and any release remain port-State decisions.
PSC documentary preparation — passenger / ro-ro ship
An operational bridge between general PSC documents, passenger-ship requirements, the ro-ro/HSC regime and evidence of validity and rectification.
VDES and NAVDAT: the Next Generation of Digital Maritime Communications
VDES extends existing AIS/VHF data exchange and was adopted as a future shipborne alternative to AIS from 2028; NAVDAT remains a separate MF/HF broadcast system under development, without a SOLAS carriage requirement.
Next-Generation ECDIS: the S-100 Framework
MSC.530(106)/Rev.1 makes the revised S-100-capable standard voluntary for new ECDIS installations from 2026 through 2028 and required for all new installations from 1 January 2029, without universal retrofit.
Anchoring and Anchor Watch
Anchoring is not a pause from navigation: the choice of chain to pay out, monitoring for dragging, and the anchor watch itself remain safety activities in their own right.
COLREG in Practice
COLREG applies to all vessels in the waters identified by Rule 1, not only vessels under way; the non-mandatory MASS Code was adopted at MSC 111 and took effect on 1 July 2026 without amending COLREG.
Pilotage and Under Keel Clearance in Restricted Areas
SOLAS V/34 requires the voyage plan; A.893(21) develops the UKC criterion, while minimum margin and method follow authority/port requirements, Company policy, current data and ship-specific procedures.
VDR (Voyage Data Recorder)
The ship's 'black box': what it actually records, when it must be checked, and why its proper maintenance is often neglected until it is needed — too late.
Navigation in Restricted Visibility
Rule 19 applies to vessels not in sight of one another in or near restricted visibility. For a radar-only contact, Rule 19(d) qualifies the course alterations to avoid so far as possible, including the exception for a vessel being overtaken.
Watchkeeping
Navigational watchkeeping requires fit personnel, an effective lookout, clear handover and continuous monitoring. Pre-departure steering-gear tests are a separate check, with a waiver only when granted by the Administration.
Ammonia Engines: Safety and Reliability of the First Units in Service
For ships using ammonia as fuel, distinguish MSC.1/Circ.1687 from the IGC/MSC.1/Circ.1702 route for gas carriers using cargo as fuel. Consider STCW.7/Circ.27 for training and the ship’s approval conditions.
Bunkering Operations and Fuel Quality Control
MARPOL VI/18 governs the BDN and representative sample, not a universal checklist; from 2026 SOLAS requires the supplier declaration/test method and a BDN with measured flashpoint or a statement measured at or above 70°C.
Cyber Risk Management of Automation Systems
UR E26 Rev.1 and E27 Rev.1 apply to new ships within scope contracted for construction on or after 1 July 2024; existing ships remain under MSC.428(98), SMS and specific requirements. Current IMO guidance is MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3/Rev.4.
Critical Spare Parts Management
Once critical equipment has been identified, the question becomes: if it fails today, is the spare part really on board? Critical spare parts management answers exactly that.
Planned Maintenance System (PMS) and Auxiliary Machinery
Critical classification requires ship-specific reliability measures and regular testing of relevant stand-by arrangements; ISM 10.3 sets no universal intervals or inventories.
Fire Pumps and Fixed Systems in the Engine Room
The emergency fire pump is designed to work precisely when the main engine room is inaccessible: its maintenance therefore requires a discipline independent from that of the main machinery.
Purifiers and Separators (Fuel Oil / Lube Oil Purifiers)
The first line of defence against contaminated fuel and oil: why an incorrect purifier setting ripples through everything, from the main engine to the sludge balance.
Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT): Drone and ROV Inspections
Drones, ROVs, thickness measurements and surveys without a surveyor on board require different checks. Before appointing a supplier, define the activity, limitations and class acceptance and, where required, flag acceptance.
Coating and PSPC (Performance Standard for Protective Coatings)
MSC.215(82) covers, within its construction-date scope, ballast tanks on ships ≥500 GT and double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers ≥150 m; MSC.288(87) separately covers crude-oil cargo tanks.
Dry Dock Entry Planning
Dry-dock planning starts from statutory and class due dates, ship condition and yard capability; timing, scope and contingencies must be built for the specific project.
Thickness Measurement (Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement, UTM)
The ESP Code and UR Z10 govern specific bulk-carrier/tanker categories; for other ships UTM extent, diminution limits and acceptance criteria follow applicable class Rules.
Survey in Dry Dock
Class Special Survey and statutory renewal surveys are distinct regimes often coordinated at one docking; UR Z17 Rev.21 is current, while Rev.22/23 are future from 2027/2028.
Tail Shaft Survey
Propeller-shaft survey method, interval, withdrawal and any extension follow UR Z21 as incorporated in class Rules; condition monitoring creates no autonomous CMS tail-shaft regime.
Rudder and Sea Chests (Sea Chests and Sea Valves)
Rudder, sea-chest and shell-valve examinations follow UR Z3/class Rules and surveyor scope; opening extent and IWS/EDD alternatives do not follow a universal instruction.
The IP Code: the Industrial Personnel Safety Certificate
SOLAS XV uses the aggregate of industrial personnel, special personnel and passengers; application and transition distinguish new ships, pre-2024 cargo ships and high-speed cargo craft.
Annual Survey
An Annual Survey checks continued maintenance of conditions relevant to the certificate. Plan it within its window, with documents, access and tests ready.
Intermediate Survey
An Intermediate Survey replaces one annual survey: the windows surround the second or third anniversary, rather than forming one continuous interval between them.
International Load Line Certificate
The Load Line certificate connects assigned freeboard, marks and ship condition. Validity also depends on surveys and maintained fittings, not only structural alterations.
Remote Survey Guidance: Remote Survey, ISM Audits and ISPS Verifications
MSC-MEPC.5/Circ.17 of 18 June 2026 distinguishes remote HSSC surveys, ISM audits and ISPS verifications. Eligibility, physical attendance and flag authorization depend on the activity; remote ISPS verifications are considered only in extraordinary circumstances.
Renewal Survey and Certificate Renewal
Renewal requires a completed survey and correct certification. An extension is conditional authorisation, not an automatic allowance after expiry.
Tonnage Certificate and IMO Number
The Tonnage Certificate records GT and NT; the IMO number permanently identifies the ship. Tonnage and identity are distinct data that must remain consistent across documents.
IOPP Certificate: the Supplement is the document that matters
Read the IOPP certificate and supplement together: the former records certification, the latter describes construction and equipment relevant to oil pollution prevention.
CDI-M: the Ship Inspection Report for chemical tankers, gas carriers and beyond
The CDI-M SIR, a voluntary industry scheme in its 10th Edition applicable since 5 February 2024, uses a common questionnaire and ship-type Chapter 5; customers or terminals may require it contractually, but the inspection alone does not determine charter eligibility.
IMO Net-Zero Framework
The IMO Net-Zero Framework remains an unadopted draft: MEPC 84 arranged further work toward MEPC 85 and possible resumption on 4 December 2026, not finalized detailed guidelines.
Alternative Fuels and Operational Readiness
Readiness starts from the actual fuel approval route: mandatory IGF provisions for natural gas; for other fuels SOLAS II-1/55, applicable interim guidance and flag/RO requirements.
EEXI and Engine Power Limitation (EPL)
How to verify EEXI and manage EPL/ShaPoLi: calculation, technical file, power reserve and manoeuvring documents, keeping technical efficiency separate from annual CII.
SEEMP Part II and Part III
SEEMP connects energy management, DCS data collection and CII planning through three parts with distinct scopes, verification and update requirements.
Environmental Vetting and GHG Rating
RightShip GHG Rating A–E is distinct from Safety Score, inspection age trigger and charterer policies; nomination consequences require a current attributable policy.
Last substantive revision: 16 September 2026 · page fingerprint a83e3cca82b1