Marine Orders - Part 21: Safety of navigation and emergency procedures, Issue 6 (Order No. 2 of 2009)
14Maintenance of equipment
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14.1.1 Subject to 14.1.3, the master of a ship must take all reasonable steps to have navigational equipment maintained in efficient working order.
14.1.2 The owner of a ship must ensure that appropriate spare parts and suitable tools for repairs to navigational equipment fitted on the ship are provided on the ship.
14.1.3 Except as provided in SOLAS regulations 7(b)(ii), 8 and 9 of Chapter I of SOLAS, if a defect is discovered at a place where repair facilities are not available, the ship may proceed to a port where repairs can take place, provided that suitable arrangements are made by the master to take the inoperative equipment or unavailable information into account in planning and executing a safe voyage to that port.
Note: It may not be necessary for permanent repair facilities to be available at the port. It may be practical, for example,
for appropriate expertise and/or equipment to be brought to the port for the purpose.
14.2 Instructions
The owner of a ship must ensure that adequate information and instructions written in English (or in the case of a foreign ship, a language acceptable to the flag State of the ship) about the use and maintenance of all navigational equipment installations on the ship are provided on the ship.
14.3 Magnetic compass
14.3.1 The master of a ship over 100 gross tonnage must keep a compass deviation book in which is to be recorded the information specified in Appendix 1.
14.3.2 The master of a ship must ensure that observations for the purpose of ascertaining compass errors are made at appropriate intervals and recorded in the compass deviation book.
Note: In normal circumstances, and when practicable, "appropriate intervals" means at least once on each watch or for each course steered, whichever is the more frequent.
14.3.3 The master of a ship must ensure that where the observations show the deviations to be excessive, each magnetic compass on the ship is adjusted by a licensed compass adjuster to correct any deviation.
Note: A master should consider deviations to be excessive if the deviation of the standard compass on any heading exceeds 5° or the difference between the standard and steering compass headings exceeds 5° on any heading.
A master should be aware of the possibility of deviations being permanently or temporarily excessive: after a ship has been laid up for a long period; following structural alterations; following grounding; following structural damage as a result of fire; after being hit by lightning; as a result of the vessel passing areas of magnetic anomaly; or as a result of the vessel carrying cargoes of ferromagnetic materials that are magnetised or may become magnetically induced.
14.3.4 The master of a ship must ensure that for each magnetic compass, the tables or curve of residual deviations from the last adjustment, and details of subsequent changes in deviations, are available for use at all times.
14.3.5 The master of a ship must ensure that the size and position of magnets and soft iron correctors in a compass and the date and nature of any changes made to those items or to their position at any time are recorded in the compass deviation book.
Note: In particular, it may be desirable to alter the height of the vertical magnets in order to reduce oscillations of the compass due to rolling (heeling error) when on northerly or southerly courses. Such alteration of the heeling error corrector may affect the compass deviation on various headings and appropriate precautions should be taken.
14.3.6 On completion of an examination and adjustment of a ship's compasses under 14.3.3, the adjuster must provide the master with a table of deviations in accordance with Form MO21/1 in Appendix 2.
14.3.7 If, in relation to a ship:
(a) one or more of the requirements of 14.3.2, 14.3.3, 14.3.4 and 14.3.5 has not been complied with; and
(b) a surveyor has reason to believe that the compasses of the ship are, or may be, unreliable,
the surveyor may direct the master of a ship to have the ship's compasses adjusted in accordance with 14.3.3.
14.3.8 The master of a ship must comply with a direction under 14.3.7 as soon as practicable.
14.4 Licence as Compass Adjuster
14.4.1 A person may apply to the Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, for the issue of a Licence as Compass Adjuster.
Note: An application form is obtainable at any AMSA office. The fee payable for the issue of a Licence as Compass Adjuster is determined under section 47 of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990. Details are obtainable from AMSA.
14.4.2 If the Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, is satisfied that a person who has made application under 14.4.1:
(a) has successfully completed a course, approved by the Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, on adjustment of compasses; and
(b) has assisted in adjusting the compasses of at least 12 ships during the previous three years,
the Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, is to issue that person with a Licence as Compass Adjuster.
Note: Details of courses which have been approved by the Manager Ship Operations and Qualifications may be obtained by writing to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, GPO Box 2181, Canberra, ACT 2601. Alternatively, details of approved courses are available on the AMSA website at www.amsa.gov.au.
14.4.3 The Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, may determine that a licence, or a licence in a class of licences, issued by:
(a) an authority in Australia other than AMSA; or
(b) an authority in a country other than Australia,
is equivalent to a Licence as Compass Adjuster.
14.4.4 If, in relation to a Licence as Compass Adjuster, the Deputy Chief Executive Maritime Operations determines that the holder is unable from any cause to perform properly the duties appropriate to the licence, the Deputy Chief Executive Maritime Operations may cancel the licence.
14.4.5 The Deputy Chief Executive Maritime Operations, or a person authorised by the Deputy Chief Executive Maritime Operations for the purpose, may cancel at any time a Licence as Compass Adjuster that has been unlawfully altered by any kind of addition, interpolation or erasure and may cause such further action to be taken, including action for the issue of a replacement licence, as the circumstances of the case require.
14.4.6 The Deputy Chief Executive Maritime Operations, or a person authorised by the Deputy Chief Executive Maritime Operations for the purpose, may cancel at any time a Licence as Compass Adjuster that has been obtained by reason of a false representation.
Note: A person who forges a licence, or uses a forged licence, is liable to prosecution under the Crimes Act 1914, which prescribes heavy penalties for forgery.
14.4.7 The Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, may cancel a Licence as Compass Adjuster that contains factual errors and issue a correct licence in its place.
14.4.8 The holder of a Licence as Compass Adjuster that has been cancelled must surrender it to the Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, within 14 days of that cancellation.
14.4.9 The Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, if satisfied that a Licence as Compass Adjuster has been lost, damaged or destroyed, may issue a certified copy.
14.4.10 Subject to 14.4.11, a certified copy of a Licence as Compass Adjuster is deemed for the purposes of this Part to be the original.
14.4.11 When a lost Licence as Compass Adjuster has been recovered and returned to the holder, the holder must return the certified copy to the Manager, Ship Operations and Qualifications, within 14 days for cancellation.