Merchant Ships

Introduction

The Isle of Man Ship Registry is committed to high standards and to the maintenance and development of a high quality fleet.

Ships of virtually all types are accepted for registration and the Manx fleet includes bulk carriers, tankers, gas and chemical carriers, offshore support vessels, FPSOs, container ships, cargo ships and Ro-Ro ferries.

However, some ships are not accepted for registry. These are as follows:

• Ships which are not classed with one of the accepted Classification Societies
• Ships of under 500 GT unless they are operating locally in and around the Isle of Man
• Ships built before 1st September 1984
• Single hull oil tankers
• High Speed Craft operating outside the Irish Sea area
• Floating Dry Docks
• Harbour and estuarial craft operating outside Manx waters
• Pilgrim Ships
• Ships engaged in the carriage of irradiated nuclear fuel

More details of Merchant Ships that are acceptable can be found in Flag-in requirements.

General procedures for placing a ship on the Manx register

Details of the registry procedures are in the Registry section. An owner or manager seeking to register a ship in the Isle of Man should initially make contact with the registrar at registry.marine@gov.im to ensure that there are no impediments to registry and with the Principal Surveyor at marine.survey@gov.im to discuss the requirements for survey. Technical information required for vessels registering can be found in the pre-registration letter.

The requirement for a pre-registration survey on vessels will depend on the age of the vessel and its Port State Control (PSC) inspection history. Generally vessels under ten years old will not require a pre-registration survey if their PSC inspection history is acceptable.

The requirement for a pre-registration survey on new builds will depend on the shipyard where the vessel is being built and whether the owner has ships already registered with the IOM Ship Registry. Generally new builds coming from shipyards which have delivered to IOM Flag requirements previously will not require a pre-registration survey.

Please contact the Principal Surveyor to confirm survey arrangements.

After Registry

The Isle of Man Ship Registry takes great care to ensure that all ships flying the Manx flag are a credit to the Island.

Following initial ISM/ISPS Audits the Ship Registry will send a surveyor to visit the ship at 2½ yearly intervals timed to fit in with the ship's ISM/ISPS certification.

At these visits the attending surveyor will:

• Complete an ISM audit and issue any necessary SMC
• Complete an ISPS audit and issue any necessary ISSC
• Complete a general inspection
• Complete an inspection of crew accommodation, welfare and working conditions in accordance with ILO178 and issue a report

Casualties

In the event that a ship is involved in a casualty the owner or manager is required to notify the Ship Registry immediately. The Ship Registry may decide to carry out an investigation. (see Casualties page).

Useful Documents

The Master's handbook for Merchant Vessels can be downloaded from here Forms & Documents.