25Functional requirements

25 Functional requirements

(1) Every vessel to which Chapter IV of SOLAS applies, while at sea, must be able to meet the functional requirements set out in Regulation 4 of Chapter IV of SOLAS.

(2) Every vessel to which Chapter IV of SOLAS does not apply, while at sea, must be able to meet the following functional requirements:

(a) perform ship-to-shore distress alerting by two independent means;

(b) transmit ship-to-ship distress alerting;

(c) transmit and receive on-scene communications, including appropriate SAR co-ordinating communications;

(d) transmit locating signals, unless AMSA considers that the nature of the vessel’s operations makes this requirement unnecessary; and

(e) receive maritime safety information.

Note 1 Examples of installations on vessels to which Chapter IV of SOLAS does not apply that AMSA considers meet the functional requirements mentioned in this provision are in Schedule 3.

Note 2 See IMO Circular MSC/Circ.803 Participation of non-SOLAS ships in the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS).

(3) A radio installation on a vessel must be capable of assisting other vessels in distress, including having the ability to receive shore-to-ship and ship-to-ship distress alerting.