Port State Control and the Classification Societies

摘要

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of states effecting surveys on foreign flag ships entering their ports to ensure that they comply with applicable international legislation, particularly in respect of safety and pollution prevention. These surveys have revealed wide-ranging failures, from structural corrosion to insufficiently certificated officers, and have resulted in ships being detained for equally-wide-ranging periods of time, from hours to more than a year. Many of the reasons for detentions could easily be avoided by good ship-husbandry.