SHIPS CERTIFICATES

All cargo ships are required to be registered with concerned Administration as per Merchant Shipping Act. The Registrar issues the Certificate of Registry. In India ships can be registered in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The Principal Officer of M.M.D in each above individually acts as the Registrar of Indian Ships under Act.

STATUTORY CERTIFICATES AND DOCUMENTS FOR MERCHANT SHIPS

Cargo Ships Foreign going (all in original)

CERTIFICATES VALIDITY CONVENTION SURVEY ISSUANCE

International Tonnage Certificate (1969)

Valid for lifetime unless major change in construction.

International Tonnage Convention 1969

Surveyed by Class, measurements are taken, computed.

Issued by Registrar or others assigned for such job as per M.S Act

International Load line Certificate (1966)

Valid five years with annual and intermediate surveys

ILLC 1966 and protocol of 1988

Surveyed by Class

Issued by Head quarters of Classification Society

International Load line Exemption Certificate

Same as above

Same as above

Surveyed by Class

Same as above

Minimum Safe Manning document

Valid for lifetime unless major change in constrn.

SOLAS 1974 (1989 amendments)

M.M.D

Issued by The Principal officer M.M.D

Certificates of masters, officers and ratings

As applicable under competence

STCW 1995 code

M.M.D

Issued by The Principal officer M.M.D

Tonnage Computation Booklet

Valid for lifetime unless major change in construction.

International Tonnage Convention 1969

Surveyed by Class, measurements are taken, computed

Checked by M.M.D and finally approved by D.G.S (Indian Ships)

Intact Stability Booklet with damage calculations

Valid for lifetime unless major change in construction

SOLAS 1974 regulation II-1/22 including calculations part B 25 regn 1-10

Same as above

Same as above

For oil tankers above 150 GRT and other ships above 400 GRT

IOPP Certificate + Record of construction as per Regulation

Valid five years with annual and intermediate surveys

MARPOL 73/78

annex I regulation 5

Surveyed by Class

Issued by the Principal officer (Registrar) of M.M.D

Oil Record Book

Continuous record document

MARPOL 73/78

annex I regulation 20

Same as above

As approved by the Flag State

Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (3copies) SOPEP

As governed by IOPP

MARPOL 73/78

annex I regulation 26

Same as above

Same as above

In addition to all above cargo ships including tankers must have following in original

Safety Construction Certificate (SAFECON)

Valid five years with annual and intermediate surveys

SOLAS 1974 as amended and GMDSS

Surveyed by Class

Issued by the Principal officer (Registrar) of M.M.D

Safety Equipment Certificate (500 GRT and above)

Valid Five years & annual (HSSC effective since year 2000)

SOLAS 1974

Chapter II-2, III and COLGEG 1972

Surveyed by M.M.D Surveyors

Issued by the Principal officer of concerned M.M.D

Safety Equipment Plan and Record of Safety Equipment

Record issued every Full term survey

Same as above

Scrutiny and check by M.M.D Surveyors

Plan approved by D.G.S and Record issued with Safety Equipment Certificate.

Safety Radio Telegraphy/Telephony or GMDSS

Valid Five years & annual (HSSC effective since year 2000)

SOLAS Chapter IV

as amended

Surveyed by Radio Inspector of M.M.D

Issued by the Principal officer of concerned M.M.D

Exemption certificate Safety Equipment

If required as per SEC and valid same term

SOLAS 1974 Regulation I/12

Surveyed by M.M.D Surveyor

Issued by the Principal officer of M.M.D

DOC Special requirement for ships with dangerous cargo

As and when required to carry dangerous cargo

SOLAS 1974 Regulation II/54

Dangerous goods Manifest

Stowage Plan as required

SOLAS 1974 Regulation VII, MARPOL annex III/4

Document of authorization for carriage of Grain

As required where grain is required to be carried

SOLAS 1974 as amended Chapter VI Regulation 9

Certificate of Insurance or other financial security in respect of civil liability

As per terms of agreement with regard to oil pollution damage TOVALOP

CLC 1969 article VII

Enhanced Survey Report file

SOLAS 1974 Chapter XI/2, MARPOL annex I Regulation 13G

In addition to all above ships carrying noxious liquid chemicals in bulk shall carry

International pollution prevention certificate for carriage of noxious liquid in bulk (NLS)

Valid five years subject to annual and intermediate surveys as applicable

MARPOL 73/78

Annex II

Regulation 12/12a

Surveyed by Class Surveyor

Certificate issued by The Registrar of ship

Certificate of fitness for carriage of NLS in bulk

Same as above

BCH code Section 1.6

Same as above

Same as above

OR International certificate of fitness

Same as above

IBC code Section 1.5

Same as above

Same as above

Cargo Record Book

In support of above

MARPOL Annex II/9

Same as above

Same as above

For Gas Carriers

Certificate of fitness for carriage of liquefied gasses in bulk

Valid five years subject to annual and intermediate Surveys

GC code Section 1.6

Surveyed by Class Surveyor

Certificate issued by The Registrar of Ship

OR International Certificate of fitness

Same as above

IGC code Section 1.5

Same as above

Same as above

For passenger ships

Passenger Ship Safety Certificate

Valid one year only

SOLAS/MARPOL/ILLC all combined as required

Surveyed by MMD and Class Surveyors

Certificate issued by The Registrar of ship

Passenger Ship Exemption Certificate

Same as above

SOLAS 1974 Regulation I/2 as amended

Surveyed by MMD Surveyors

Same as above

Special Trade Passenger Ship Certificate

Same as above

STP agreement 1971 Regulation 6

Same as above

Same as above

Special Trade Passenger Ship Space Certificate

Same as above

SSTP agreement 1973 Regulation 5

Same as above

Same as above

For high-speed crafts as defined by M.S Rules requires a SAFETY CERTIFICATE in compliance with Chapter X of SOLAS as amended

With reference to Chapter IX of SOLAS as amended ships to which ISM applies

Document of compliance (Certified copy) DOC

Valid five years subject to annual and intermediate audits

SOLAS 1974 Chapter IX + ISM provisos as amended

Audit conducted by competent lead auditor/s as approved by the flag state

Flag State or a competent authority on behalf of Flag State

Safety Management Certificate SMC

Same as above

Same as above

Same as above

Same as above

All such ships must possess elaborate SAFETY MANNUAL as document on board

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the nucleus for origination of all shipping Regulations by way of holding conventions. Various maritime countries all over the globe are signatory members to IMO. These countries usually send representatives to IMO’s conventions when held. All such valid signatory members of IMO are also termed as Flag States. For example, India is signatory member of IMO, so India is a Flag State. All Indian ships, obviously will fly Indian flag whether sailing high seas or in port.

Each country has administrative body set up by the Government of that country to look after Shipping. For example, Government of India has Ministry of Shipping and Transport, a division under which the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) has been established to control merchant shipping operation. For the purpose of legal proceedings M.S ACT 1958 has been formulated as key Instrument for merchant shipping and its alliances in India.

Class Society (Classification Society) is an autonomous body established for the benefits of shipping, and promoted by the concerned Flag State for the activities in the field of shipping industry. Every Flag State can have one or more Classification Societies for the purpose of conducting ship related Surveys and monitoring internationally. Names of a few major Classification Societies: -

CLASS SOCIETY

HEADQUARTERS

SCOPE OF SURVEYS/ JOB

Lloyds Register of Shipping LRS

United Kingdom (London)

Ships, Industry, Testing house, Construction, ISO, ISM, Plan approval, Researches, Seminars

American Bureau of Shipping ABS

United States (New Jersey)

Same as above

Det Norske Veritas DNV

Norway (Oslo)

Same as above

Bureau Veritas BV

France (Paris)

Same as above

Indian Register of Shipping IRS

India (Mumbai)

Same as above

Classification Society is a non-profit organization and operates under the vested guidelines of IACS (International Association of Classification societies) in liaison with Flag States. Merchant ship individually needs to be classed with any of international Class Societies as stated above right from the building yard. Ship-owners at their option can switch over to another Classification Society if they can satisfactorily prove their reason to do so. Whenever a merchant ship is proposed to be taken under class the Society arranges Its surveyor/s to board the ship for a First entry survey which is very exhaustive and may take a longer time depending on condition of ship and her equipments. After completion of first entry survey satisfactorily the ship is assigned with class notation like 100A1 and machinery class LMC (both are for Lloyds, + is added if the ship was originally built to LRS specifications). From that particular day when the ship is assigned with class notation, the ship’s class surveys start. All hull items are normally surveyed as per Special Survey sequences which is of 5 years interval having Intermediate Survey 2.5 + 0.5 yrs and Annual Survey having window period 3 months either side. All items need to be surveyed by 5 years. Machinery items are coded in a survey book and they are surveyed in continuous basis called CSM (continuous survey of machinery).