MERCHANT SHIPPING NOTICES
No.14 of 2001
Subject : Notice to Shipowners, Ship
Operators, Surveying Authorities and Surveyors on inspection of
the outside of the passenger ships' bottom and validity of passenger
ships' certificate
1. Regulation 7, Chapter 1, Part B of SOLAS 1974
as modified by 1988 Protocol to SOLAS 1974 requires inspection
of the outside of the ships' bottom besides other surveys at the
time of initial and renewal (periodical) surveys of a passenger
ship.
2. As per the existing provisions of rule 170 of Merchant
Shipping (Construction and Survey of Passenger Ships) Rules, 1981,
a passenger ship has to be examined in dry-dock at the time of
each renewal (periodical) survey as against the requirement of
inspection of the outside of the ships bottom under SOLAS provisions.
3. Taking into consideration, the practice being followed
by other maritime administrations, and the provisions of sub-section
2 of Section 284 of Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, the Chief Surveyor
with the Government of India, has decided to accept the following
alternative arrangements in respect of the dry-docking surveys
of the passenger ships:
(a) For passenger ships of less then 15 years in age,
only two renewal surveys over any period of five years, will be
required to be carried out with the ship inspected in dry-dock
provided that the maximum interval between any two dry-docking
surveys shall not exceed 36 months. At the time of other intermediate
renewal surveys, the ships bottom and other under-water part of
the hull can be inspected in water through CCTV under supervision
of MMD Surveyors in reasonably clear waters where such inspection
can be carried out satisfactorily.
(b) The passenger ships of over 15 years in age shall
be required to be put up for dry-docking survey at every alternate
renewal surveys i.e. for the other renewal surveys the ships'
bottom can be seen in water through CCTV under MMD Surveyor's
supervision.
(c) In-water survey shall only be permitted when no
hull repairs requiring ship's dry-docking are due or the ship's
structure has not suffered deterioration to such an extent that
in the opinion of the surveyor dry-dock inspection is necessary.
(d) All those cases where any extension of surveys
including inspection of the outside of the ships bottom or dry-dock
etc. are granted due to some unavoidable circumstances, shall
be governed by the principles of harmonized system of survey and
certification under the provisions of 1988 Protocol to SOLAS 1974
i.e. the dates of validity of certificates and dates of renewal
and other surveys shall not change even if extensions have been
granted for the same while considering the subsequent dates of
said surveys and validity of the certificates etc. except as permitted
under the provisions of the 1988 Protocol to SOLAS, 1974.
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