Maritime legislation: Engine section
Official Spanish Maritime Legislation paper (Engine Section): 30 questions on surveys, MRV emissions, fuel sulphur limits, ship recycling and offences.
Fuels, MRV emissions and ship recycling
At berth in port, maximum fuel sulphur is 0.10 % by mass (changing over as soon as possible after berthing and as late as possible before departure), except stays under 2 hours or ships using shore power with all engines off.
Ship Recycling Regulation (EU) 1257/2013 applies from 500 GT with an IMO-compliant Inventory of Hazardous Materials. MRV Regulation (EU) 2015/757 applies in Member State ports (including general cargo ships from 400 GT from 2025), and the company checks the monitoring plan annually.
Surveys, pollution and labour rules
RD 1837/2000: the annual survey is a general inspection of certificate items; the outside of the ship’s bottom may be inspected afloat with prior authorisation and within age limits. Bunkers 2001: no ship over 1,000 GT may sail without an insurance certificate.
The master records offences in the Navigation Log. Sailing unseaworthy and endangering safety is a very serious offence. In onboard MLC complaints a seafarer may be accompanied by another seafarer on board, and onshore complaints are received by Maritime Captaincies.
Activities
- Sort it outLicence limits, fire classes and signals: each in its group.
- ProceduresDistress call, helicopter and anchoring, step by step.
- Spot the errorThree statements are true. One is not.
Questions in this unit
- In accordance with Law 14/2014 on Maritime Navigation, a requirement for a ship to be defined as a warship is:
- According to the Consolidated Text of the State Ports and Merchant Marine Act (RDL 2/2011), the object of the Act includes determining and classifying ports under which competence?
- According to the Consolidated Text of the State Ports and Merchant Marine Act (RDL 2/2011), the technical and operational inspection of ships and their crew and cargo is considered part of:
- According to Royal Decree 504/2011 on the organic structure and functions of the Social Marine Institute (ISM), which of the following is NOT within its competence?
- According to the Consolidated Text of the State Ports and Merchant Marine Act (RDL 2/2011), the corporate purpose of the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) includes providing the public services of:
- Under Law 2/2024 creating the Independent Administrative Authority for the Technical Investigation of Railway, Maritime and Civil Aviation Accidents and Incidents, which maritime accidents must the Authority MANDATORILY investigate?
- According to Article 8 of Royal Decree 357/2015 on compliance and enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006) on Spanish ships, throughout the onboard complaint procedure seafarers have the right to be accompanied and represented by:
- Under Royal Decree 357/2015 on compliance and enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006), without prejudice to the onboard complaint procedure, complaints may be lodged ashore regarding alleged breaches of the MLC 2006. Who is competent to receive them in respect of Spanish-flagged ships?
- Under Royal Decree 1561/1995 on special working hours, 'on-call / presence time' (tiempo de presencia) is defined as:
- According to Royal Decree 128/2022 on port reception facilities for waste from ships, in which language or languages at least must the User Guides be available and kept up to date?
- According to Royal Decree 128/2022 on port reception facilities for waste from ships, which body is the national contact point for alleged inadequacies of port reception facilities reported to Spain as Port State?
- According to the Consolidated Text of the State Ports and Merchant Marine Act (RDL 2/2011), who must record in the Navigation Log acts committed by other persons on board that, in their judgement, constitute an offence?
- According to Chapter VII of Royal Decree 186/2023 approving the Maritime Navigation Management Regulation, when there is clear objective evidence that a ship navigating in the Spanish territorial sea or EEZ has committed a polluting discharge causing or threatening major damage to natural resources or the coastline, the Spanish Maritime Administration:
- Where the Spanish Maritime Administration becomes aware of a polluting discharge committed in Spanish maritime zones outside internal waters, Royal Decree 186/2023 provides that the Administration:
- Can a Spanish ship over 1,000 gross tonnage sail without the compulsory insurance certificate required under the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (Bunkers 2001 Convention)?
- According to Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 on ship recycling, the Inventory of Hazardous Materials shall be verified:
- Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on ship recycling applies to ships:
- According to Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 on ship recycling, it is a requirement of the Inventory of Hazardous Materials that it:
- According to Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport, the MRV rules apply to ships arriving at, within or departing from:
- Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport (as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/957) applies, from 2025, to general cargo ships:
- Under Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport, who shall check regularly whether a ship's monitoring plan reflects the nature and functioning of the ship and whether the monitoring methodology can be improved?
- What is the maximum sulphur content by mass permitted in marine fuels used by ships at berth or at anchor in Spanish ports?
- What must ships do regarding fuel changeover when berthing at and departing from a port?
- In which cases does the obligation to use low-sulphur fuel (≤ 0.10 %) at berth in port NOT apply?
- According to the Regulation on the inspection and certification of civil ships (Royal Decree 1837/2000), which type of scheduled survey consists of a general inspection of the items relating to the relevant certificate to ensure they have been maintained in satisfactory condition?
- According to the Regulation on the inspection and certification of civil ships (Royal Decree 1837/2000), may statutory inspections of the outside of the ship's bottom (obra viva) be carried out while the ship is afloat?
- Under the Regulation on the inspection and certification of civil ships (RD 1837/2000), if a Spanish-flagged ship is in a foreign port and must undergo an annual survey, which body is NOT competent to carry out that survey?