Safety of Navigation is an area that includes 36 Deficiency Codes identified by the number 10###. Over the last 5 years, Safety of Navigation has consistently ranked among the top five PSC Deficiency Areas, showing increasing trends in almost all regions.
This indicates the focus of PSC Officers on this specific Deficiency Area and highlights the gaps that exist in regulatory compliance with Safety of Navigation. Over the last 5 years, 51,949 deficiencies have been identified as related to Safety of Navigation, with 4,037 of them marked as Detainable. The most common Deficiency codes related to Safety of Navigation in the last 5 years are shown in Table 2.
Table 2 reveals what PSC officers have identified during port stays that are not in accordance with regulations and common industry standards, regarding Safety of Navigation. Most deficiency codes are related to equipment and documents, with only two of them being ‘procedural’ (10127 Voyage or passage plan & 10135 Monitoring of voyage or passage plan).
| Year | Share | Rank |
| 2019 | 9.34% | 5 |
| 2020 | 10.33% | 5 |
| 2021 | 12.22% | 3 |
| 2022 | 13.05% | 2 |
| 2023 | 12.01% | 3 |
Table 1: Safety of Navigation Ranking / Source: RISK4SEA
| # | DEF code | # of DEF | Detentions |
| 1 | 10116 Nautical publications | 5,509 | 432 |
| 2 | 10109 Lights, shapes, sound-signals | 5,172 | 338 |
| 3 | 10127 Voyage or passage plan | 5,046 | 296 |
| 4 | 10105 Magnetic compass | 4,279 | 128 |
| 5 | 10111 Charts | 4,110 | 615 |
| 6 | 10114 Voyage data recorder (VDR) | 2,949 | 383 |
| 7 | 10101 Pilot ladders and hoist/pilot transfer arrangements | 2,512 | 69 |
| 8 | 10112 Electronic charts (ECDIS) | 1,882 | 183 |
| 9 | 10104 Gyro compass | 1,86 | 101 |
| 10 | 10138 BNWAS | 1,811 | 480 |
| 11 | 10110 Signaling lamp | 1,694 | 74 |
| 12 | 10118 Speed and distance indicator | 1,170 | 80 |
| 13 | 10103 Radar | 1,089 | 113 |
| 14 | 10135 Monitoring of voyage or passage plan | 1,086 | 41 |
| 15 | 10117 Echo sounder | 1,075 | 160 |
Table 2: Most common Deficiency Codes related to Safety of Navigation
Chart (code 1011) is the deficiency code responsible for most detentions related to Safety of Navigation. This code, with full ECDIS implementation, should have been eliminated; however, many ships continue to use paper charts as a backup method for ECDIS. The second Detainable deficiency code on the list is related to BNWAS (Bridge Navigation Watch Alarm System). The most common finding is the deactivation or malfunction of the system. The third code in respect of detentions is Nautical Publications. This shows that many ships still have issues updating the onboard documents related to Safety of Navigation
Structural and equipment-related codes (compasses, indicators, lights, shapes, and sound signals, radars, recorders, etc.) are some of the issues that many ships face during their service. However, these are tools that enhance the Safety of Navigation. Deficiency findings on systems or equipment related to the Safety of Navigation are high-alert issues, as these systems have been placed to provide additional control measures for mariners to conduct the main purpose on board, which is to navigate the ship. Taking an overall look at the deficiencies list, it is evident that the industry still faces problems in providing support to the fleet in order to comply with requirements for its main purpose: to navigate from Point A to Point B and transport cargo.”
According to EMSA, the most common issue in navigational-related incidents is human action, but this cannot be identified by a PSC Officer. The PSC inspection is not performed with the ship underway, so only systems and equipment can be checked. However, these are also important.
Full ECDIS implementation has helped enhance the safety of voyages; however, it has not eliminated errors in passage planning and monitoring the scheduled plan. As this is a system-oriented approach (displays, gyro compasses, radars, positioning systems combined into one system), any malfunction of the supporting systems (deficiencies marked by PSCO) may lead to unwanted situations and wrong decisions by the Bridge Team and the Master.
What managing companies should follow is a proactive approach to navigational issues, starting with the condition of equipment and systems and then proceeding to the competence and ability of crews. Both of the above issues are highly important for ensuring navigational safety.
