The certificated officer in overall command of a vessel, legally responsible for the safety of the ship, crew, cargo, and environment.
Quick facts
Regulation
SOLAS chapter V
In practice
The master's authority is absolute on matters of safety: SOLAS chapter V, regulation 34 codifies the master's discretionary power to take any action necessary to preserve the safety of the ship and persons on board, overriding any instruction from charterers or operators. Under the ISM Code, the master must implement the company's Safety Management System and has specific duties regarding internal audits, non-conformity reporting, and crew briefings. The master is the designated contact with port state control, flag state inspectors, and classification society surveyors, and signs all statutory certificates, bills of lading, protests, and log entries. Command carries significant personal legal liability under international and national law.
Regulatory detail & full definition
The master holds overall command of a vessel and bears ultimate legal and moral responsibility for the safety of the ship, all persons on board, the cargo, and the marine environment. The position requires a Class I Certificate of Competency as Master (unlimited) issued in accordance with STCW Convention chapter II/2, attesting to the highest standard of navigational, managerial, and operational knowledge. The master must also hold endorsements appropriate to the vessel type — tanker, passenger ship, or high-speed craft — where required by STCW chapters V or VI.
The master's authority is absolute on matters of safety: SOLAS chapter V, regulation 34 codifies the master's discretionary power to take any action necessary to preserve the safety of the ship and persons on board, overriding any instruction from charterers or operators. Under the ISM Code, the master must implement the company's Safety Management System and has specific duties regarding internal audits, non-conformity reporting, and crew briefings. The master is the designated contact with port state control, flag state inspectors, and classification society surveyors, and signs all statutory certificates, bills of lading, protests, and log entries. Command carries significant personal legal liability under international and national law.