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CARRIAGE OF NAUTICAL CHARTS AND

NAUTICAL PUBLICATIONS

Chapter V of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (SOLAS),as
amended in accordance with its Protocol of 1988 and by IMO Resolution MSC.99 (73)came
into force on 1 July 2002.

It is referred to below as SOLAS V.

The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation)Regulations 2002 give effect to the provisions
of SOLAS V and came into force on 1 July 2002 (Statutory Instrument 2002 No.1473).

a) These Regulations require UK-registered vessels (including hovercraft and pleasure


vessels of 150 GT and over) and other vessels while in UK waters, to carry nautical charts
and nautical publications (defined in SOLAS V Regulation 2.2 -paragraph 4 below), in
accordance with SOLAS V Regulation 19 (paragraph 5 below).

SOLAS V Regulation 27 requires that those charts and publications be adequate and up to
date (paragraph 10 below).They revoke the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Nautical
Publications) Regulations 1998 (Statutory Instrument 1998 No 2647

b) In addition, SOLAS V Regulation 21 states that all sea-going passenger ships, and all
other ships of 300 GT or more and all other ships required by SOLAS to carry a radio
installation, shall carry the International Code of Signals published by the International
Maritime Organization (IMO).

For the purpose of these Regulations, “sea-going ”means proceeding beyond the waters of
categories A,B,C and D (as currently defined in Merchant Shipping Notice 1758(M),
published on 1 June 2001.

A nautical chart or nautical publication is defined by SOLAS Regulation 2.2 as:

“a special-purpose map or book, or a specially compiled database from which such a map or
book is derived, that is issued officially by or on the authority of a Government, authorized
Hydrographic Office or other relevant government institution and is designed to meet the
requirements of marine navigation.

SOLAS V Regulation 19 describes the charts and publications to be carried by the vessels
specified in paragraph a) & b) above, in the following sub-paragraphs:

(i) nautical charts and nautical publications to plan and display the ship ’s route for the
intended voyage and to plot and monitor positions throughout the voyage;an electronic chart
display and information system (ECDIS)may be accepted as meeting the chart carriage
requirements of this subparagraph;

(ii) back-up arrangements to meet the functional requirements of (i) above, if this
function is partly or fully fulfilled by electronic means -an appropriate folio of paper
nautical charts may be used as a back-up arrangement for ECDIS. Other back-up
arrangements for ECDIS are acceptable (see appendix 6 to resolution A.817(19),as
amended).”
(iii) All charts and publications must be of the latest obtainable edition and,be kept up to
date from the latest relevant obtainable notices to mariners and radio navigational warnings.

(iv) The nautical charts or ECDIS referred to in Regulation 19.2.1.4 must be of such a
scale and contain sufficient detail as clearly to show:

 all navigational marks which may be used by a ship when navigating the waters
which are covered by the chart

 all known dangers affecting those waters

 information concerning any ships ’routeing and ship reporting measures applicable to
those waters.

(v) The following nautical publications satisfy the requirements of SOLAS V Regulation
19 and should be carried by the vessels detailed in paragraph b) of this Notice to
Mariners:

 International Code of Signals (IMO)


 The Mariner ’s Handbook (UKHO)
 Merchant Shipping Notices, Marine Guidance Notes and Marine Information
Notes (MCA)
 Notices to Mariners (UKHO)
 Notices to Mariners -Annual Summary (UKHO)
 Lists of Radio Signals (UKHO)
 Lists of Lights (UKHO)
 Sailing Directions (UKHO)
 Nautical Almanac (HMNAO)
 Navigational Tables (UKHO)
 Tide Tables (UKHO)
 Tidal Stream Atlases (UKHO)
 Operating and Maintenance Instructions for Navigational Aids Carried by the
Ship

(vi) The digital form of Admiralty Notices to Mariners is accepted by the Maritime and
Coastguard Agency (MCA) for meeting the carriage requirements for Notices to Mariners.
Similarly, TotalTide published by UKHO has been approved by MCA as meeting the
requirement for Tide Tables.

(vii) In the case of publications listed in paragraph (vi) above, only those parts of the
publication which are relevant to a ship’s voyage and operation need be carried.

(viii) As stated in SOLAS V Regulation 27,nautical charts and nautical publications, such
as sailing directions, lists of lights, notices to mariners, tide tables and all other nautical
publications necessary for the intended voyage, must be adequate and up to date.

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