This is my first post so i apologize if this is in the wrong section. I also tried searching for this topic and could not find anything, but again could be looking in the wrong place. I am currently going through our companies ship’s logs. We have 10 vessels and a lot of back logged, ships logs. Does anyone know how many years we need to keep logs on file for. I was told 7 years but am not sure if this is correct? This would be for passenger vessels both T and K boats. Thanks in advance for any info!
@jdcavo ?
Our company had it as 2 or 3 years I forget which. In any case it was specified in our SMS manual.
Thank you. I was unaware if there was a specific time frame that the CG required to keep back logs.
There are several references in the CFR’s that touch on logbooks and records.
Thanks for the link. As it reads it seams that it is only required for one additional year. Doesn’t seem like a very long time for record keeping. Sounds like it is up to the company and there SMS to keep vessel logs past the required one year as per the CG. Thanks again for looking into this!
For Subchapter M (towing vessels) it’s one year from the last entry.
If your vessels have been used in any US government work, you may want to check the contracts to see if they don’t also have a log book and records retention requirement. You may be required by the contracts to preserve the records for up to 5 years after the date the contract ends.
We use an electronic log on our passenger vessels which makes it much easier.
Can you provide more details of your electronic log? Is this an Excel sheet, Word doc or some more sophisticated program? How are you handling redundancy?
We use HELM, it is a company based in Victoria BC and does a lot for the tow boat industry but my company and the Victoria clipper uses it. It does logs, maintenance, personal, payroll stuff. You can purchase separate modules to use.
Don’t know if it applies to ships in domestic US trade, but inn the rest of the world any electronic log book used on ships must comply with IMO Resolution A.916(22) “Guidelines for the recording
of events related to navigation” and approved by the flag state authority.
Here is the regulations issued by MPA Singapore:
https://www.mpa.gov.sg/web/portal/home/port-of-singapore/circulars-and-notices/detail/c58e94cf-320c-4b65-9e62-1b25e4424a5a
Kongsberg offer an electronic log book called K-Book:
https://www.km.kongsberg.com/ks/web/nokbg0240.nsf/AllWeb/82ED0D55C83A4812C1257E4B0031580B?OpenDocument
K-Book software system is; “making logbook entries quick and easy. Meeting requirements of IMO, Marpol, SOLAS and several flag states for replacing many of the traditional paper logbooks”.