The chapter of SOLAS dealing with safety of navigation, requiring ECDIS, AIS, VDR, pilot ladders, and bridge watchkeeping standards.
Quick facts
Regulation
SOLAS Chapter V
In practice
For a watchkeeping officer, Chapter V establishes several direct duties. Regulation V/34 requires that every voyage be planned before departure, with consideration given to all relevant factors including hazards, weather, and the need for pilotage. Regulations V/15 and V/19 specify the navigational equipment that must be operational on the bridge. ECDIS type-approval and crew familiarity requirements under Regulation V/19 mean that officers must hold documented ECDIS training before serving on a vessel using ECDIS as the primary means of navigation.
Regulatory detail & full definition
SOLAS Chapter V covers safety of navigation and applies to all ships on all voyages, making it broader in scope than most other SOLAS chapters. It sets requirements for navigational equipment, voyage planning, weather reporting, ice-patrol services, search and rescue co-operation, carriage of nautical charts and publications, automatic identification systems (AIS), voyage data recorders (VDRs), bridge design, and ECDIS carriage requirements.
For a watchkeeping officer, Chapter V establishes several direct duties. Regulation V/34 requires that every voyage be planned before departure, with consideration given to all relevant factors including hazards, weather, and the need for pilotage. Regulations V/15 and V/19 specify the navigational equipment that must be operational on the bridge. ECDIS type-approval and crew familiarity requirements under Regulation V/19 mean that officers must hold documented ECDIS training before serving on a vessel using ECDIS as the primary means of navigation.
AIS transponders required by Chapter V must not be switched off whilst at sea unless the master determines that this is necessary for the safety or security of the ship. Voyage data recorder black boxes, required for most ships, capture bridge audio, radar, AIS, and navigational data for use in incident investigations. Port state control inspectors verify AIS functionality, chart currency, and the voyage plan on board.