Wednesday, 04 February 2009 12:11

IMO is in the process of considering some proposals that would add more equipment requirements for SOLAS vessels. Nothing is set in stone yet, but approval is likely within the next six months. Draft regulations to make mandatory the carriage of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) and Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System (BNWAS), under SOLAS chapter V Safety of Navigation, were agreed to by the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV) at its, 54th session. The proposed new regulations will be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) for approval and adoption by MSC 86 in May 2009.

ECDIS carriage requirements

The draft amendment to SOLAS regulation V/19 would require ships engaged on international voyages to be fitted with ECDIS according to the following timetable (the dates in square brackets were agreed in principle (i.e. they could change) by the Sub-Committee):

• passenger ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2012];
  
• tankers of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2012]; cargo ships, other than tankers, of 10,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2013];
  
• cargo ships, other than tankers, of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 10,000 gross tonnage constructed on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2014];
  
• passenger ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2012], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2014];
  
• tankers of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2012], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2015];
  
• cargo ships, other than tankers, of 50,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2013], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2016];
  
• cargo ships, other than tankers, of 20,000 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 50,000 gross tonnage constructed before [1 July 2013], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2017];
  
• cargo ships, other than tankers, of 10,000 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 20,000 gross tonnage constructed before [1 July 2013], not later than the first survey on or after a proposed date of [1 July 2018].

The Sub-Committee also agreed on an amendment of existing regulation V/19.2.1.4 to reflect that ECDIS is an acceptable alternative to nautical charts and nautical publications, yet retaining the proviso that in a number of cases (for example ships not on international voyages, ships exempt from the carriage requirements because they were to be taken out of service permanently and cargo ships on international voyages but below the agreed tonnage limit), it could be appropriate to use only nautical charts and nautical publications.

Bridge navigational watch alarm system regulation

The draft amendment to SOLAS regulation V/19 will require carriage of a BNWAS, complying with IMO performance standards, on ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irrespective of size, with a phased carriage requirement for existing ships, as follows (the dates in square brackets were agreed in principle (i.e. they could change) by the Sub-Committee):

• ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irrespective of size constructed on or after [1 July 2011];
• passenger ships irrespective of size constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2012];
• ships of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2012];
• ships, of 500 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 3,000 gross tonnage, constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2013];
• ships, of 150 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 500 gross tonnage constructed before [1 July 2011], not later than the first survey after [1 July 2014].

The bridge navigational watch alarm system is required to be in operation whenever the ship is underway at sea.

Members with ship construction planned for post-2010 may want to ensure that designers/builders are aware of these proposals if the vessels will be built to SOLAS standards.