Hello,
What are the new regulations for in-service inspection and maintenance for mooring equipment and lines that all existing ships must comply with, and what type of documentation is required to prove compliance?
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Hello Ahmed,
As part of the latest changes to SOLAS regulation II-1/3-8 regarding towing and mooring equipment, new guidelines (MSC.1/Circ.1620) for mooring equipment inspection and maintenance, including lines, have been introduced. These amendments will become effective on or after January 1, 2024.
The retroactive requirements set forth in MSC.1/Circ.1620 will apply to all new vessels and all vessels in operation after January 1, 2024.
For vessels built before 2007, compliance with SOLAS mooring requirements was not mandated. Therefore, some information like SWL and MBL may not be readily available. In such cases, new calculations may need to be carried out by the company or a third party. These calculations might reveal that reinforcement of the support foundations for mooring fittings is necessary to achieve an acceptable MBL and SWL. Any modification to the hull structure must be approved by the class.
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Similar to the above, for a Vessel with Keel Laying date before 1/1/2007, where the SWL of the mooring equipment is mentioned in the Emergency Towing Booklet, what do you need to do?
It is mentioned that the local surveyor shall check on board that the ship is fitted with a consolidated document gathering the information and describing how this information is filed and collected.
What is this “consolidated document” ?
Hello @Theodoros,
Following MSC.1/Circ.1175/Rev.1, paragraph 4.6.2, the SWL, in tonnes, of each shipboard fitting should be marked (by weld bead or equivalent) on the fittings intended for mooring. For fittings intended to be used for both mooring and towing, TOW, in tonnes, according to 3.6, should be marked in addition to SWL.
Brief steps to note:
A. Required documentation onboard
From January 1, 2024, all vessels will need to maintain management plans for the inspection and maintain of mooring equipment on board.
B. Markings on mooring fittings
For ships with the keels laid on or after 1 January 2007, each fitting or item of equipment provided under this regulation SOLAS Chapter II-1 Regulation 3-8 (i.e., bollards, fairleads, rollers, and mooring winches) shall be clearly marked with any limitations associated with its safe operation, taking into account the strength of the supporting ship’s structure and its attachment to it.
Circ.1620 - paragraph 4.4.2: Maintenance should include the preservation, by appropriate means, of the clear marking of information on equipment and fittings, including Safe Working Load (SWL) and winch control instructions.
C. Records of inspection
Circ.1620 - paragraph 4.4.3: Records of inspection and maintenance of equipment and fittings should be available on board.
Circ.1620 - paragraph 6.1: Records of inspection and maintenance of mooring equipment and inspection and replacement of mooring lines should be retained on board. Such records should be kept for a period determined by the Company, but in any event the records should be kept until the completion of the next annual survey.
For existing ships (i.e., bulk carriers), at the first annual survey for endorsement of the Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate after 1 January 2024, points A and B will need to be confirmed by the surveyor (as applicable). Afterward, during periodic surveys, the surveyor should also verify point C concerning the records of inspections.
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