SOLAS Chapter XI-1, regulation 5 requires all passenger ships and cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and above engaged on international voyages to have on board a Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR). But how can ships receive such a document?
The CSR document aims to provide an onboard record of the history of the ship with respect to the information recorded therein. In addition, cargo ships of over 500 gross tonnage and all passenger ships engaged on international voyages shall be issued with a CSR document.
Namely, a ship’s CSR file comprises:
- All CSR documents issued by the ship’s Administration(s), numbered sequentially over the life of the ship;
- All amendment forms attached to each individual CSR document relating to changes made to that CSR document;
- All indices of amendments listing all amendments (specified by amendment forms) relating to each CSR document.
As the IMO says:
Only the ship’s Administration can issue a ship’s CSR document to a ship. The first CSR document issued to a ship is numbered 1 and subsequent CSR documents are to be sequentially numbered. The sequential numbering continues across change of flag throughout the life of the ship
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Each original CSR document will have to be sent to the ship and kept by the ship throughout its lifetime. Moreover, the Administration must keep a copy – which can be electronic – of each CSR document issued to the ship.
Whenever issuing a CSR document to a ship, the Administration has the responsibility to provide all information in rows 1 to 13 of the following form 1 (indicate NA if not applicable). Information number 7 on the CSR only has to be completed if the Administration requires the registration of bareboat charterers and the ship is actually bareboat chartered.
Whenever any change regarding entries listed in the current CSR document of the ship has occurred, this change needs to be included without delay in the ship’s CSR file. Pending the issue of a revised and updated CSR document by the ship’s Administration, the Company or master is required to complete an amendment form and attach the original to the current CSR document. A copy of the completed amendment form has to be forwarded without delay to the ship’s Administration for their consideration and action.
Additionally, whenever an amendment form is attached to the ship’s current CSR document, details of the amendment have also to be entered in the index of amendments (Form 3) and attached to the current CSR document in date order.
Change of Flag
In case the flag changes, the previous flag State must issue a new CSR document to the ship showing the date the ship ceased to be registered with that flag. That flag State is required to send a copy of the ship’s CSR file, without delay, to the new flag State.
As soon as possible, but not later than three months after a change of flag, the new flag State needs to issue to the ship a sequentially numbered CSR document.
Actions by masters when receiving a CSR document
Upon receiving a revised and updated CSR document, the master must check its sequential number and review the document to make sure that it covers all relevant amendment forms attached to the previous CSR document.
If this review establishes that there are outstanding amendments not reflected in the latest CSR document, the master should do the following:
- Complete new amendment form(s) relating to each outstanding amendment and attach it to the latest CSR document;
- List the amendment(s) referred to in .1 above in the index of amendments (Form 3) attached to the latest CSR document;
- Forward copies of the amendment form(s) to the ship’s Administration.
Loss of, or damage to, any document in a ship’s CSR file
In case of loss of, or damage to, a ship’s CSR file, the Company or master must contact in writing the ship’s Administration without delay, and list the papers lost or damaged. The Administration should then provide relevant duplicates to the ship of the CSR documents and amendment forms that it holds, to replace such papers. Such duplicates should be marked accordingly.
Overall, the CSR should contain the following details:
- Name of the ship;
- The port at which the ship is registered;
- Ship’s identification number;
- Date on which ship was registered with the state;
- Name of the state whose flag the ship is flying;
- Name of registered owner and the registered address;
- Name of registered bareboat charterers and their registered addresses;
- Name of the classification society with which the ship is classed;
- Name of the company, its registered address and the address from where safety management activities are carried out;
- Name of the administration or the contracting government or the recognized organization which has issued the document of compliance, specified in the ISM code, to the company operating the ship;
- Name of the body which has carried out the audit to issue the document of compliance;
- Name of the administration or the contracting government or the recognized organization which has issued the safety management certificate (SMC) to the ship and the name of the body which has issued the document;
- Name of the administration or the contracting government or the recognized organization which has issued the international ship security certificate, specified in the ISPS code, to the ship and the name of the body which has carried out the verification on the basis of which the certificate was issued;
- The date of expiry of the ship’s registration with the state.