SHIP’S DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATES (PART II)

In operating and for its commercial purpose, a trading vessel needs to be supplied with certificates issued by various institutions. The certificates will act as prove of a vessel’s worthiness to be used in a commercial activity. These certificates have various survey items and serve their own purpose. Below is some of the certificates owned by BLT’s vessels.

1. Classification Certificate
This certificate contains ship classification and issued by Classification Society. Vessel classifications described in this certificate are Classification Number, Vessel Ownership, Flag State, Ship Particular, Vessel Builder, and the compliance with the Society rules and regulation of the classification characteristics.
This certificate is valid for 5 years and annual survey will be held in 3 months prior or after its anniversary date.
The purposes of the certificate are commercial, vessel standard, insurance, and mandatory regulation from flag state. Commercial purpose is to inform the charterer of vessel type and types of cargo that vessel can carry. Vessel standard means that vessel is certified by Class for its quality and capacity. Insurance purpose means that vessel is insured by the Class. Flag State Control also demands for vessel to be under Class Society and this certificate is issued to serve the same

2. IAPP (International Air Pollution Prevention)
This certificate is valid for 5 years and annual survey will be held in 3 months prior or after its anniversary date. The purpose of this certificate is to ensure that vessel already comply with SOLAS regulation 5 Annex VI of air pollution prevention. Vessel fitted with this certificate means that vessel is fully complying of the requirement in terms of on board equipment, arrangement, and material used. IAPP certificate also has supplement that describe the Main Engine, Aux Engine, and the types of bunker to be used inside and outside ECA

3. ISPP (International Sewage Pollution Prevention)
This certificate is valid for 5 years and annual survey will be held in 3 months prior or after its anniversary date. The certificate is issued in accordance to SOLAS regulation 4 Annex IV of the marine pollution prevention of water. If a vessel is fitted with this certificate, means that vessel already comply in terms of structure, arrangement, system, and material used for preventing pollution. Inside this certificate, the sewage treatment plant installed on board is also described.

4. ISSC (International Ship Security Certificate)
This certificate is issued in accordance to ISPS regulation Chapter A/19.4.2 and valid for 5 years. Annual survey also held in 3 months prior or after its anniversary date. Vessel fitted with this certificate must have a consistent compliance for its SSP (Ship Security Plan)

5. SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea)
A. Ship Safety Construction
This certificate is valid for 5 years and annual survey will be held prior or after its anniversary date. Issued in accordance to Convention Regulation I/10, this certificate contains the content of structure and machinery equipment. Ship Safety Construction stated that vessel is fully complies with Convention Chapter II-1 and Chapter II-2. The supplement for this certificate is Form C.

B. Ship Safety Equipment
This certificate is valid for 5 years and annual survey will be held prior or after its anniversary date. The certificate is issued in accordance to Convention Regulation I/8. The list of the safety equipment on board is stated in Form E. The equipment listed are fire safety system, fire control plan, LSA, life boat equipment, life raft, rescue boat, line throwing equipment, etc.

C. Ship Safety Radio
This certificate is valid for 5 years and annual survey will be held prior or after its anniversary date. The certificate contain is the installation of radio used for life saving appliances and comply with Convention Regulation I/9. The content is listed in Form R of the communication system and equipment on board related to life saving.

D. Exemption of Immersion Suit
This certificate is mandatory for all vessel used in trading area which has more than 2 seasons. Not every vessel has this certificate since not all vessels serve the same trading route.

E. COF (Certificate of Fitness)
This certificate is valid for 5 years and annual survey will be held prior or after its anniversary date. The certificate is issued in accordance to Appendix 4 of the Marpol 73/73 as a prerequisite to Regulation 14 Annex II. The list of all cargoes that vessel can carry on board is listed in this certificate. If a cargo is not listed it means that the vessel cannot carry the cargo. If owner is sure that this particular cargo can be carried on board, owner can ask for Class to amend the COF so that vessel is confirmed to carry the cargo

6. NLS (International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the carriage of Noxious Liquid Substance)
This certificate is issued in accordance to Marpol 73/78 regulation and Annex II regulation 11 and 12A. Basically, this certificate has the same purpose with COF. NLS is mostly used by Oil Tanker while COF is used for chemical tanker. If a chemical tanker already owns COF, NLS is no longer required

7. CLC (Civil Liability Certificate)
This certificate is issued in accordance to CLC Convention 1992 Article VII. This document certified that vessel is well insured if any oil cargo pollution occurred at sea. Vessel with more than 2,000 MT of Oil cargoes on board must have this certificate.

8. CLBC (Civil Liability Bunker Certificate)
This certificate is issued in accordance to CLC Convention 2001 Article VII. The difference between CLC and CLBC is that CLBC is for pollution caused by bunker oil while CLC is for oil as a cargo. Both CLC and CLBC is issued by Flag State

9. Ship Station License
This certificate is issued by the authorized party which depend on the flag that vessel use on board. The purpose of this certificate is to license the installment and the use if radio on board. This certificate also describe the frequency that vessel is allowed to use.

10. DOC (Document of Compliance)
This certificate is to certify that vessel has implemented SMS (Safety Management System) that refer to the ISM Code for International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention. DOC is issued by Class. DOC also describe the type of cargo that vessel can carry on board (Oil/Chemical/Gas). The copy of the document must be kept available on board to show that annual survey is done.