SHIP’S DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATES

One of the main requirements for tanker operation is ship’s documents. Throughout this article, we will discover further regarding the mandatory documents certificate. Below items are the supporting component that must not be forgotten by every ship owner.

Below are the documents:

1.Certificate of Registry: shows the nationality of a ship (issued by Sea Communication).

To obtain a Certificate of Registry, the owner of the ship must enter his ship to the official registration of the Flag state. The flag state of a commercial vessel  is the state under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed. The flag state has the authority and responsibility to enforce regulations over vessels registered under it’s flag, including those relating to inspection, certification, and issuance of safety and pollution prevention documents. As a ship operates under the laws of its flag state, these laws are used if the ship is involved in an admiralty case.

2.International Tonnage Certificate (ITC) 1969: gives detail of gross and net tonnage of a ship (issued by Sea Communication).

ITC determined in accordance with the 1969. ITC valid permanently, except in case of alteration or upon transfer of the ship to other flag of state.

3. International Load Line Certificate (ILLC) (issued by Classification side).

The International Load Line Certificate is issued to ships which are engaged on international voyages and which have been surveyed and marked in accordance with the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 (LL66).

The main purpose of the Convention is to ensure that ships, after loading, maintain a minimum freeboard. This is materialized by applying ‘Load Line Marks’ on each side of the hull, allowing the ship to maintain a minimum ‘Reserve Buoyancy’.

4.Intact Stability Booklet: serve as accurate stability guidance for various conditions of loading (issued by Shipyard and approved by Sea communication).

Every passenger ship and every cargo ship of 24 meters (79 feet) in length and over, shall after completion, be inclined to determine the elements of its stability. These elements are entered in the ‘Intact Stability Booklet’ and supplied to the master as a reference.

5.Minimum Safe Manning Document (issued by Sea Communication).

A Document of Safe Manning is delivered to a ship to which Chapter I of the SOLAS Convention applies when it is considered to be safely manned whenever it proceeds to sea (SOLAS 74 – 1989 Amendments, Regulation V/13 (b)).

6.Certificates for masters, officers or ratings (issued by Sea Communication).

Every master, officer or rating must, to the satisfaction of the Administration, meet with the necessary requirements of service, age, medical fitness, training, qualifications and examination in accordance with the provisions of the Annex to the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW 78 and 95).

7.De-rating or De-rating Exemption Certificate (issued by Port Carantine / Sea Communication).

In agreement with the International Health Regulations, every ship must be de-rated every six months, upon which a De-rating Certificate is issued. Spaces like lockers, pantries, galleys, messes, cabins, etc. must be inspected.

8.International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate (issued by Sea Communication).

In agreement with Regulation 5 of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78, an International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate shall be issued to any oil tanker of 150 tons gross tonnage and above and to any other ship of 400 tons gross tonnage and above.

9.Document of Compliance (interim issued by Classification, fullterm by Sea Communication).

Every company which complies with the requirements of the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) shall receive a Document of Compliance

10.Safety Management Certificate (interim issued by Classification, fullterm by Sea Communication).

A certificate, called Safety Management Certificate, shall be issued to every ship by an authorized Organization, if it is satisfied that the company and its shipboard management operate in accordance with the approved safety management system as per SOLAS and ISM code.

In addition to the certificates listed above, any ship carrying noxious liquid chemical substances in bulk shall carry: International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk (NLS Certificate) and Procedure and Arrangement Manual (P&A Manual). And for any chemical tanker shall carry a Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (for chemical tankers constructed before 1 July 1986) or an International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (for chemical tankers constructed on or after 1 July 1986).

International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk should be issued after an initial or periodical survey to a chemical tanker engaged in international voyages which comply with the relevant requirements of the IBC Code. This certificate is supplemented by 2 attachments. Attachment 1, which is a continuation of the list of products and conditions of carriage and Attachment 2, which gives a tank plan with tank numbers.

In this article, only several major certificates and documents required by International and mandatory codes are listed. Port and Flag States might have another and/or more extended requirements, which must be complied case by case.