Unit 5: Sea Safety and Regulations

Chapter 1: Fire Fighting Methods

Chapter 2: Life saving appliances

Chapter 3: Manning Regulations of fishing vessels

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 Chapter 1: Fire Fighting Methods

Fire fighting
Fire on board is one of the major hazards in a vessel. A navigator should always be
alert about the possibility of a fire. Prevention is better than fighting the fire. In the situation
where there is fire accident the crew of the vessel must work together as a team to fight and
survive. The navigator must know the type of fire and method of fire fighting to select the
right type of extinguisher and extinguishing agent. This chapter briefly gives an idea about
the fire and fighting methods.

Chemistry of fire
In the oxidation process a substance combines with oxygen and form new chemical.
Burning is the rapid oxidation of millions of vapour molecules. The molecules oxidize by
breaking apart into individual atoms and recombining with oxygen into new molecules.
During the process of oxidation, heat energy is released to the environment. As the
combustion is rapid oxidation the fuel combines with oxygen at a very high rate. Energy is
released in the form of heat and light. This is called as fire.

Fire triangle

Three things are essential to create a fire and continuous burning, they are

1. Fuel (some inflammable material to vaporize and burn)

2. Heat (to raise the temperature of the fuel vapour to its ignition temperature)
3. Air (Oxygen to combine with fuel vapour)

This is called a Fire Triangle. There will be fire, if this triangle is complete. Fire will
not be formed, if any one side of this triangle is removed.
This technique is followed in fire fighting. Fire could be extinguished by break the
fire triangle. If fuel, oxygen, or heat is removed, the fire will be off.

• Remove the heat that cools down fire

• Remove the oxygen that smoothes the fire
• Remove the fuel that starves the fire

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Types of Fires
Fire could be classified in to four types
1. Class "A" fires (or Alpha) involve common materials. Something made from wood,
paper, cloth, rubber, and certain plastics. These objects produce an ash when burned.
2. Class "B" fires (or Bravo) involve flammable or combustible liquids, flammable gases,
grease, pretty much anything that is a petroleum product.
3. Class "C" fires (or Charlie) involve electrical wire or instruments or equipments.
4. Class "D" fires (or Delta) involve combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, and
sodium

Extinguishing agents
An extinguishing agent is a substance that will remove any one side of fire triangle,
causing the collapse of the triangle. Once the fire triangle is collapsed the fire will be under
control and finally put off. Every extinguishing agent has specific action on fire, and one
must be very careful while selecting the extinguishing agent for fire fighting. The action of
extinguishing agent could be classified in to

1. Cooling - reduces the temperature of the fuel below its ignition temperature. This is a
direct attack on the heat side of the fire triangle.
2. Smothering -separates the fuel from the oxygen. This can be considered as an attack
on the edge of the fire triangle where the fuel and oxygen sides meet.
3. Oxygen dilution.-reduces the amount of available oxygen below that needed to sustain
combustion. This is an attack on the oxygen side of the triangle.

Fire Extinguishing Agents

The following are the common fire extinguishing agents
1. LIQUIDS
A) Water
Water will act as cooling agent that absorbs the heat and cools the burning materials.
Water is the commonly available extinguishing agents.

B) Foam
Foam is a mass of bubbles that cover the fire like blanket and extinguishes the fire by
smothering. Mixing water and a foam-making agent (foam concentrate) produces bubbles.
Chemical foam could be produced by mixing an alkali (usually sodium bicarbonate) with an
acid (usually aluminium sulphate) in water. When chemical foam was first introduced, these
substances were stored in separate containers. These two chemicals are packed separately in a
sealed, airtight container. When these chemicals are intentionally mixed, they react and foam
or froth of bubbles filled with carbon dioxide gas are produced.

2. GASES
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide extinguishes fire by smothering. It dilutes the air surrounding the fire
until the oxygen content is too low to support combustion. For this reason, it is effective on
Class B fires, where the main consideration is to keep the flammable vapours separated from
oxygen in the air.

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3. SOLID (DRY CHEMICAL)
Sodium bicarbonate is commonly used dry chemical extinguishing agent. It is widely
used because it is the most economical extinguishing agent. It is particularly effective on
animal fats and vegetable oils because it chemically changes these substances into non
flammable soaps.

Fire Fighting Appliances

Various fire extinguishers exist for use on different fire sources. When dealing with a
fire which is being fuelled by burning wood or paper, you may act very differently from the
way you would on an electrical fire. Obviously water cannot be used on an electrical fire as
water conducts electricity and could put you in grave danger if mixed with live electrics. This
means you must choose a suitable fire extinguisher for the job in hand – even in the most
perilous of emergency situations. Every fire extinguisher has a colour-coded band that gives a
quick reference as to what is in the container. It is essential that you learn these codes and the
situations in which they are suitable to be used.

The principal precautions necessary to prevent fires on board fishing vessels are as
follows:
Ø Awareness and training for fishermen about basics of fire and fire prevention.
Ø Keeping the fire extinguishers in suitable location.
Ø Maintenance of engine room and oil system free from leaks.
Ø Periodical checking of the bilge for oil and grease leaks.
Ø Clean the spilled fuel or oil immediately and properly disposes the wastes.
Ø Be alert for suspicious odours and fumes.
Ø Check for abrasions, cracked wiring, or pinholes in fuel and lube oil lines

Fireman’s Outfits
 Fireproof asbestos suit
 Boots and gloves
 A rigid helmet
 An electric safely lamp
 An axe
 A smoke helmet or smoke mask

Chapter 2: Life saving appliances

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Introduction
Every seagoing person is expected to know basic knowledge on life saving appliances
and safety practices. Safety of life at sea should be given top most priority while planning for
any sea trip. The minimum safety equipments to be carried on board a vessel are given in the
regulations for each class of vessel including fishing vessel. Thorough knowledge on
operation and maintenance of life saving appliances, fire fighting appliances, tackling the
emergency situations especially during bad weather, is also required for a successful mariner.
As far as fishing vessels are concerned emergencies may include fouling of gear and its effect
on the stability of the boat, handling huge catches, man overboard, fire, engine breakdown,
leak, grounding, and distress and so on. Negligence or ignorance in this regard, will lead to
great loss of life and property during emergency or distress at sea. Rules and regulations are
framed for each class of vessel regarding the type and number of life saving appliances is to
be carried on board a vessel. Life saving appliances should be made of good quality material
and workmanship to meet the requirement of the regulations and standards prescribed by the
certifying authorities. Every person in the vessel shall be suitably trained on usage of life
saving appliances.

Life-saving appliances
The following are the important points to be remembered while selecting the life
saving appliances for any type of vessel

1. The life saving appliances should be constructed with proper materials and workmanship
2. The material should withstand the air temperature range -30°C to +65°C during storage
3 They should withstand the seawater temperature range -1°C to +30°C;
4. The appliance is made from rot-proof, corrosion-resistant, and not be affected by seawater.
5. The outer colour of appliances should be bright (red, orange yellow) and highly visible for
easy detection during search.
6. Reflective material on the appliances will help the search team to locate the person who
requires the assistance.
7. The information of approval of the competent authority including any operational
restrictions needs to be printed clearly on the appliance.
8. The equipment or appliances shall be marked with date of manufacture and expiry or
replacement of any part including batteries of the appliance or equipment.
9. Life jackets should be marked ADULT or CHILD to whom the particular size is meant for.
10. Step by step operation or usage instructions should be printed on the equipment or attach
separately with water proof sheet.

Types of Life-saving appliances

As per the life saving appliance rule, fishing vessels are classified into two groups.

a) Vessels less than 60 m in length

b) Vessels more than 60 m in length

a) Vessels less than 60 m in length

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This group of vessels should have
 At least four approved life buoys. If the length is less than 24 m, such vessels should
have at least two life buoys
 One approved life jacket per person
 Survival craft-Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
 Manually operated locating device -SART (Search and Rescue Radar Transponder)
 Life rafts of sufficient aggregate capacity to accommodate all persons, the vessel is
certified to carry

Fishing vessels of less than 24m in length, fishing in coastal waters shall carry a class ‘C’
boat in lieu of the life-rafts.

Fishing vessels of less than 12m in length need not carry EPIRB and SART it they do not go
beyond 12 nautical miles from the coast

b) Vessels more than 60 m in length

This group of vessels should have

 At least six approved life buoys
 One approved life jacket per person
 Survival craft-EPIRB
 SART
 Life rafts of sufficient aggregate capacity to accommodate all persons, the vessel is
certified to carry
 Either a ‘Rescue boat’ or a class ‘C’ boat

Life raft

Life raft in an inflated condition

Inflatable life rafts are made of nylon fabric and natural or synthetic rubber. It is stowed
onboard in deflated condition, secured with help of Hydrostatic Release Gear (HRG) unit.

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The operation cord is attached to the strong point of the ship or to the weak link of HRG. It
has two main buoyancy chambers independent of each other and each capable of supporting
the full load of equipments and persons, the life raft is certified to carry. The raft is inflated
with carbon dioxide and the cylinder also contains a small percentage of nitrogen which
functions as an anti-freeze. The inflation shall be completed within one minute at a
temperature of 18°C to 20°C and within three minutes at a temperature of -30°C. When
inflated, a canopy is formed with the help of arches and has a highly visible colour such as
orange. The floor is made of double layer such that it can be inflated or deflated in order to
adjust the temperature inside the raft.

The other important features are as follows.

 It shall be capable of withstanding exposure for 30 days in all sea conditions

 It shall withstand a drop test from a height of at least 18m
 It shall have a canopy to protect the occupants and shall provide insulation against
heat and cold and have sufficient head room
 The interior colour shall not caused discomfort to the occupants
 One or two entrances are provided for entering inside the raft with closing
arrangements
 At least one viewing port is provided in the canopy
 Means for collecting the rainwater is also provided in the canopy
 Life lines are fitted around inside and outside of the raft
 A portable radio apparatus, EPIRB and SART are provided in the life raft

The following equipments shall also be provided in the life raft

 One buoyant rescue quoits (ring) with 30 metres buoyant line
 One or two safety knife for cutting the operating cord
 Bailers and sponges to remove the water from inside
 Two approved sea anchors and two paddles
 Three tin openers and approved first aid outfit
 One whistle to attract persons in water
 Four rocket parachute flares and six red hand flares to attract ship and air craft
 Two orange coloured smoke float to attract attention
 One waterproof electric torch for Morse signalling
 One radar reflector and day signalling mirror
 One copy of life saving signals
 One set of approved fishing tackle which comprises line and six hooks
 Approved food rations totalling not less than 10,000 Kilo Joules for each person
 1.5 litres of fresh water per person and one rust proof graduated drinking vessel
 Six doses of anti sea-sickness medicine and one sea-sickness bag for each person
 Approved instruction on how to survive, and approved instruction for immediate
action
 Thermal protective aids

OPERATION

The various steps of operating a life raft are as follows.

 The gas used for inflation shall be non-toxic like carbon dioxide
 First make sure that the operating cord is attached to the strong point of the ship

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  Remove the lashings and throw the life raft overboard
 Pull out the painter to its full length and give a sharp pull
 Now the life raft will inflate and then board inside without getting wet
 Using the safety knife, cut the operating cord
 Using the paddles, move away from the sinking ship

MARKING OF THE LIFE RAFT

The various markings on inflatable life raft are

 Maker’s name or trade mark
 Serial number
 Date of manufacture (month & year)
 Name of approved authority
 Name and place of servicing station where it was last serviced
 Number indicating the permitted capacity of persons

SERVICING
The life raft should be serviced every year at an approved service station. They will
thoroughly inspect the raft and its equipments and replace the equipments if necessary. The
raft will be inspected by the Surveyor of Mercantile Marine Department and will be issued
with a service certificate which should be kept on board. Hydrostatic Release Gear also
should be serviced every year.

Life boats

A life boat shall

 Be constructed with non-combustible material and strong material.
 Be rigid strong enough to withstand to the weight under fully loaded condition.
 Be able to move in stable and safely with the speed of 5 knots.
 Be constructed with enough free board
 Be with inherent buoyancy or has some buoyant material filled inside the boat.
 Have the maximum capacity of 150 persons.
 Be capable of rapid boarding by all persons in 3 min.
 Have a compression ignition engine with either a manual or a power starting with in 2
min. at the temperature -15°C.
 Have sufficient fuel for running under fully loaded boat for at least 24 hrs at 6 knots
speed.
 Fitted with a device to slip the forward painter when under tension.

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  Has an arrangement for erecting the antennae of radar transponder beacon and
portable radio apparatus.
 Have electric flash light at not less than 50 flashes/min is fitted on top of the lifeboat
and burns for at least 12 h.

Lifeboat outfits
 Sufficient number buoyant oars to make headway in calm sea
 Two boat hooks, for fending off when the boat is being lowered
 A binnacle containing a magnetic compass which is luminous or provided with a
suitable lighting arrangement
 A sea anchor of adequate size and strength fitted with a hawser and a tripping line
 Two hatchets, one fore and one aft. They can be used for many purposes, such as
hammer or for cutting ropes etc.
 A buoyant bailer and two buckets
 A manual pump
 A box containing the following distress signals
a) Four rocket parachute flares
b) Six red hand flares. It gives a bright red flare for at least one minute
c) Two Buoyant smoke signals
 Full rations for the total number of persons which the boat is certified to carry, on the
following scales for each person:
a) A total of not less than 10,000 kJ of food per person in air tight packages and
stowed in a watertight container
b) 3 litres of fresh water per person, in water tight receptacles, of which one litre per
person may be replaced by a desalting apparatus capable of producing one litre of
fresh water per person in 2 days
 A rust proof graduated drinking vessel
 A jack-knife attached to the boat by a lanyard
 Three tin openers
 One set of fishing tackle
 One first aid outfit in a water proof case which can be tightly closed after use, for
every 30 persons
 Six doses of anti-seasickness medicine and one vomiting bag for each person.
 One Heliograph for attaching attention of ships or aircraft in the daytime, with
instructions for its use
 One water proof signalling torch, one spare battery and one spare bulb. Can be used
for attracting attention of ships/aircraft at night
 One mouth-blown plastic whistle for attracting attention of the persons in the water
when the lifeboat is searching for them at night
 An efficient radar reflector
 A searchlight capable of working for a total period of 6 hrs, out of which at least 3 hrs
may be continuous
 A survival manual
 Two buoyant rescue quoits with at least 30 m, of buoyant line each
 Thermal protective aids for 10 % of the capacity of boat or two whichever is the
greater.
 Portable fire extinguishing equipment for oil fires
 Sufficient tools for minor adjustments to the engine

Lifebuoys

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Life buoy is a ring shaped personal life saving appliance carried onboard a vessel

 Its outer diameter shall not be more than 800mm. and inner diameter not less than
400mm.
 It shall be constructed of cork or any approved buoyant material
 It shall be of highly visible colour on which the name of the ship and port of registry
shall be marked in block capital letters
 It shall have a mass of not less than 2.5Kg and not more than 6Kg.
 It shall withstand a drop into the water from stowed height or 30m. whichever is
greater
 It shall be fitted with four grab lines of 9.5mm. diameter and total length of the grab
lines not less than four times of the outer diameter of the life buoy
 It shall be provided with a buoyant line of not less than 8mm. diameter, having
breaking strength of 5 Kilo Newton
 It shall be fitted with retro reflective tapes of an approved type of sufficient width of
not less than 5cms, around or on both sides of the body at four evenly spaced points.

Life jackets

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 Life jacket is a personal life saving appliance carried onboard a vessel. It shall be
constructed of Kapok or any approved buoyant material. After demonstration, a person shall
correctly wear it within one minute, without assistance. It is constructed in such a way that a
person cannot wear it incorrectly. Other features of life jacket are as follows.
 It comfortable to wear and shall be of highly visible colour.
 It shall be fitted with a ring or loop to facilitate rescue
 The fabric and tapes shall be rot proof
 It shall allow the wearer to jump a vertical distance of 4.5m into the water without
injury
 It has sufficient buoyancy to lift the mouth of an unconscious person not less than
120mm. clear or water with the body inclined backwards at an angle of not less than
20° and not more than 50°.
 It shall turn the body of an unconscious person from any position to a comfortable
floating position, within five seconds.
 It shall be fitted with a whistle and retro reflective tapes of sufficient width which
shall be placed as high up on the jacket in at least six places on the outside and inside.
 It shall also be fitted with fixed or flashing light

There are two types of life jackets, one for adults and the other for child and which are
marked accordingly. It is impossible to wear a life jacket while in water and therefore one
should wear it before entering the water. Since it has the effect of warm clothing, it prevents
the loss of body heat. As far as possible try to board the survival craft, without getting wet,
using ladder or ropes. But it there is no option other than to jump into the water, do so from a
height of less than 4.5m. Before jumping makes sure that there is no obstruction on the way.
Hold down the life jacket with one hand and close the mouth and nose with the other hand,
look straight, keep the feet together and jump feet first.

Method of jumping into water with life jacket

 Jump from a height of not more than 6 meters from water level.
 The tapes of the lifejackets must be tight with body.
 Before jumping, make sure that there are no obstructions in your way and that you are
not jumping into a boat or on the canopy of a life raft.
 Then look parallel to the horizon, hold down your lifejacket by one hand and block
off your nose and mouth by the other, keep your feet together, and jump-feet first.

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RESCUE BOATS

General Requirements
 Rescue boats may be either of rigid or inflated construction or a combination of both
and shall
a) Be not less than 3.8m. and not more than 8.5m. in length
b) Be capable of carrying at least five seated persons and a person lying down
 Rescue boas shall be capable of manoeuvring at speeds up to 6 knots and maintaining
that speed for a period of at least 4 hours.
 Rescue boas shall have sufficient mobility and manoeuvrability in a sea way to enable
persons to be retrieved from the water.
 Rescue boat shall be fitted with an inboard engine or outboard motor.
 Arrangements for towing shall be permanently fitted in rescue boats and shall be
sufficiently strong to marshal or tow life rafts

CLASS ‘C’ BOAT

 Every class ‘C’ boat shall be
a) An open boat constructed with rigid sides
b) Not less than 4.3m. and not more than 5.5m. in length.
c) Fitted with internal buoyancy
 The carrying capacity of the class ‘C’ boat shall be determined by the number of
persons having an average mass of 75Kg, all wearing life jackets, which can be seated
in normal position without interfering the operation of any of the boats equipments.
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Immersion Suit

Immersion suit covers the whole body except the face and can be worn in very short
time duration of 2 min. Non insulating immersion suits which are worn over warm clothing
do not allow the body temperature to fall more than 2°C when a man is in water of 5°C for
one hour. Immersion suits made of insulating material do not allow the body temperature to
fail more than 2°C when a man is in water of 0°C to 2°C for 6 hours. Some immersion suits
act as a lifejacket also but it is generally necessary to wear a lifejacket over the immersion
suit. It is possible to jump, swim short distances, climb ladders and perform normal duties
while wearing an immersion suit.

The immersion suit shall

 Be made of non flammable waterproof materials
 Not be sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a
period of 2 seconds
 Be suitable to cover the whole body except the face.
 Have the provision to minimize free air in the legs of the suit
 Be brightly coloured (red/yellow/orange)
 Be marked with instructions that it must be worn in conjunction with warm clothing

SURVIVAL CRAFT-Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) is a small, powerful and self-
contained distress radio transmitter fitted in the ships and vessels. If the vessel is suddenly hit
by any distress, such as sinking, fire, drifting, engine failure etc., the EPIRB is designed to

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float free and start emitting the radio signals. This electronic equipment is activated
automatically on floatation in water, without the knowledge of the captain or when the crew
is unable to send a distress message from the vessel. It possible to activate the EPIRB
manually ("float-free" activation) .The transmission of an EPIRB signal is considered a
distress alert.
The purpose of an EPIRB signal is to help determine the location of survivors during
an emergency. The signals of EPIRB will be recognised by the satellite and transmit to
Rescue Coordinating Centre (RCC) .This message contains code identifying the vessel as
provided by the Administration and retained in a register for this purpose. The EPIRB is one
of the main Electronic Equipment required under GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System). The equipment, mounting and hydrostatic release mechanism must be
reliable and able to operate under the most extreme conditions likely to be met at sea. All
types of EPIRBs should be equipped with a low duty cycle flashing light of 0.75 Candela,
which is automatically activated in the dark once the EPIRB has been activated.

Important features of EPIRB

 It works on a frequency of 406 MHz.
 EPIRB will transmit a distress alert to a polar orbiting satellite
 It can be activated and deactivated manually
 It is given a highly visible colour such as orange or yellow and is also fitted with retro
reflective tapes
 The battery has a capacity to work for 48 hours
 Brief operating instructions and expiry date of the battery are marked on the
instrument
 It shall have sufficient buoyancy to float on water

SEARCH AND RESCUE TRANSPONDER (SART)

Search and rescue transponder (SART) is a manually operating device. It is used to

locate the position of survival craft such as life raft, life boat etc., with the help of Radar
 It operates on a frequency of 9 GHz.
 When the SART is interrogated by the waves of Radar, it will send back some signals
to the Radar, which will be shown on series of equally spaced dots on the screen.

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  The dotted line will give the bearing of the survival craft and thereby rescue operation
will be more effective.
 It has a sufficient battery capacity to work for 96 hours in standby condition.
 It has a range of at least 10 nautical miles from the Navigational radars and at least 30
nautical miles from air borne radar.
 Operating instructions and expiry date of battery are marked on it.

HAND HELD DISTRESS FLARES

The hand flare shall

 Be constructed in a water resistant casing
 Have brief instructions or diagrams clearly illustrating the use of the hand flare
printed on its casing
 Have a self-contained means of ignition
 Be so designed as not to cause discomfort to the person holding the casing
 Burn with a bright red colour
 Burn uniformly with an average luminous intensity of not less than 15,000 candellas
 Have burning period of not less than one minute
 Continue to burn after having been immersed for a period of 10sec. Under 100mm. of
water
 Have a validity of three years

ROCKET PARACHUTE FLARES

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The rocket parachute flare shall:
 Be contained in a water-resistant casing
 Have self ignition on activation
 Have brief instructions or diagrams clearly illustrating the use of the rocket parachute
flare on its casing
 Be so designed as not to cause discomfort to the person holding the casing when used
in accordance with manufacture’s operating instructions
 When fired vertically, reach an altitude of not less than [Link] or near the top of its
trajectory the rocket shall eject a parachute flare, which shall:
a) Burn with a bright red colour
b) Burn uniformly with an average luminous intensity of not less than 30,000
candellas.
c) Have a burning period of not less than 40 sec
d) Have a rate of descent of not more than 5m/s
e) Not damage its parachute or attachment while burning
 Have a durability/validity of at least 3 years
 Be packed in a container which shall be durable, damp-proof and effectively sealed
 Be made of lacquered metal container, or otherwise adequately protected against
corrosion

BUOYANT SMOKE SIGNALS

The buoyant smoke signal shall

 Be contained in a water tight casing and shall not ignite explosively

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  Emit smoke of highly visible colour such as orange for a period of not less than 3
minutes without emitting any flare
 Have a validity for at least 3 years and operating instructions are marked on it

LINE THROWING APPLIANCE

Line-throwing appliance is lifesaving appliance for use in any emergency situations

where a line is required between two vessels or between vessel and shore for transfer of
persons or goods. There are many types of line throwing appliances are available in the
market, but all of them have a projectile attached to one end of a long thin line which can run
out freely. Different techniques are used to propel the projectile. Rockets are commonly used
to propel the projectile.
Every line-throwing appliance shall
a) Be capable of throwing a line with reasonable accuracy
b) Include not less than four projectiles in a pack, each capable of carrying the line at least
230 m in calm weather
c) Include not less than four lines each having a breaking strength of not less than 2 Kilo
Newton
d) Have brief and simple instructions with suitable diagrams clearly illustrating the use of the
line-throwing appliance
e) Be contained in a water resistant casing for pistol-fired rocket

Chapter 3: Manning Regulations of fishing vessels

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 The first noteworthy international move to bring in safety of fishing vessel was the
conference held at Torremolinos in Spain from 7 th March to 2nd April 1977 under the aegis of
International Maritime Organisation, in order to consider adoption of International
Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels 1977

Indian Merchant Shipping Act

Necessary rules have been formulated for certification of personnel for manning
fishing vessels under the Merchant Shipping Act 1958 and its amendments. Merchant
Shipping (Examination of Skippers and Mates of Fishing Vessel) Rules 1986 and Merchant
Shipping (Examination of Engineers and Engine Drivers of Fishing Vessels) Rules 1973 as
amended in 1991 were promulgated in India in accordance with the International
Conventions. The criterion for the applicability of manning requirements was made to base
on the fishing vessel rather than the Gross Tonnage as per these Conventions.

Manning as per Act

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Section 76 of the Merchant Shipping Act stipulates the following for fishing vessels

Every Indian fishing vessel when going to sea from any part or place in India shall be
provided

a) If the vessel is of 24m or more in length and is operating beyond contiguous zone,
with a certificated Skipper Grade-I and a certificated Mate of a fishing vessel.

b) If the vessel is of 24m or more in length and is operating within contiguous zone, with
certificated Skipper Grade- II and a certificated Mate of a fishing vessel.

c) If the vessel is of less than 24 m in length and is operating beyond the contiguous
zone, with a certificated Skipper Grade- II and a certificated Mate of a fishing vessel.

d) If the vessel is of less than 24 m in length and is operating within the contiguous zone,
with a certificated Skipper Grade- II.

e) If the vessel has a propulsion power of 750KW or more, with at least one engineer of
fishing vessel, who shall be designated as Chief Engineer and one Engine Driver
fishing vessel.

f) If the vessel has a propulsion power of 350 KW or more but less than 750KW, with at
least one Engineer of a fishing vessel who shall be designated as Chief Engineer.

g) If the vessel has propulsion power of less than 350KW, with at least one Engine
Driver of fishing vessel who shall be designated as Engineer-in-charge.

Subsequently, some additional hands as indicated below have been specified for fishing
vessel manning vide an executive order No. MSL-1(2)/95-I, dated 17 th September, 2002 of
Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai taking into consideration the necessity of support
of staff on fishing vessels:

1) Fishing vessels having propulsion power of 750KW and above

Engineer of fishing vessel -1 no
Engine Driver of fishing vessel - 1no
Rating/Engine hands - 3 Nos.

2) Fishing vessels having a propulsion power of 350 KW to 750 KW

Engineer of fishing vessel - 1no
Rating/engine hands - 3 Nos.

3) Fishing vessels having propulsion power of less than 350 KW

Fishing vessel Engine Driver - 1No
Rating/Engine hand - 1 No

Eligibility

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 The requirements of workshop and sea service for eligibility for various grades of
examinations of fishing vessel can be summarised as follows

Navigational:

1 Mate, fishing vessel 3 years sea service (out of which at least 6 months in fishing
vessels of not less than 15 metres in length). The candidate
who successfully complete Mate Fishing Vessel (MFV)
Course at CIFNET, are eligible for remission of 12 months
sea service

2 Skipper of fishing 18 months watch keeping service after obtaining Mate of

vessel Grade-II Fishing Vessel Competency Certificate (out of which 6
months in vessel of not less than 15 metres)
3 Skipper of fishing 30 months watch keeping service as holder of Mate of
vessel Grade-I Fishing Vessel Competency Certificate (out of which 6
months in a vessel of not less than 24 metres)

Engineering:

1 Engine Driver 18 months workshop service + 9 months sea service in a

(Fishing Vessel) vessel with 30 KW engine. Those who successfully complete
Engine Driver Fishing Vessel Course at CIFNET, are eligible
for remission of 12 months of workshop service
2 Engineer Fishing 21 months sea service (130 KW engine) after obtaining
Vessel Engine Driver (FV) Competency Certificate

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