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18. CARRIAGE OF NAUTICAL CHARTS AND NAUTICAL PUBLICATIONS — REGULATIONS

Source: Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Former Notice 18/05 is cancelled. Additions and amendments to the former notice are indicated by sidelines.

1. Chapter V of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (SOLAS), as amended in accordance with its
Protocol of 1988 and by IMO Resolution MSC.99 (73) came into force on 1 July 2002. It is referred to below as SOLAS V.
2. The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2002 give effect to the provisions of SOLAS V and came into
force on 1 July 2002 (Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 1473). These Regulations require UK-registered vessels (including hovercraft
and pleasure vessels of 150 GT and over) and other vessels while in UK waters, to carry nautical charts and nautical publications
(defined in SOLAS V Regulation 2.2 - paragraph 4 below) in accordance with SOLAS V Regulation 19 (paragraph 5 below).
SOLAS V Regulation 27 requires that those charts and publications be adequate and up to date (paragraph 10 below). They revoke
the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Nautical Publications) Regulations 1998 (Statutory Instrument 1998 No 2647). (See Note 1 for
details of carriage requirements for fishing vessels).
3. In addition, SOLAS V Regulation 21 states that all sea-going passenger vessels, and all other vessels of 300 GT or more and
all other vessels required by SOLAS to carry a radio installation, shall carry the International Code of Signals published by the
International Maritime Organization (IMO). For the purpose of these Regulations, “sea-going” means proceeding beyond the waters
of categories A, B, C and D (as currently defined in Merchant Shipping Notice 1758(M), published on 1 June 2001, which replaced
former Merchant Shipping Notice 1719(M)).
4. A nautical chart or nautical publication is defined by SOLAS Regulation 2.2 as:
“a special purpose map or book, or a specially compiled database from which such a map or book is derived, that is issued
officially by or on the authority of a Government, authorized Hydrographic Office or other relevant government institution
and is designed to meet the requirements of marine navigation - refer to appropriate resolutions and recommendations of the
International Hydrographic Organization concerning the authority and responsibilities of coastal States in the provision of
charting in accordance with regulation 9.”
5. SOLAS V Regulation 19 describes the charts and publications to be carried by the vessels specified in paragraph 3 above, in
the following sub paragraphs:
“2.1.4 nautical charts and nautical publications to plan and display the vessel’s route for the intended voyage and to plot
and monitor positions throughout the voyage; an electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) may be accepted as
meeting the chart carriage requirements of this subparagraph;
“2.1.5 back-up arrangements to meet the functional requirements of subparagraph .4 [that is 2.1.4 above], if this
function is partly or fully fulfilled by electronic means - an appropriate folio of paper nautical charts may be used as a back-
up arrangement for ECDIS. Other back-up arrangements for ECDIS are acceptable (see appendix 6 to resolution A.817(19),
as amended).”
All charts and publications must be of the latest obtainable edition and be kept up to date from the latest relevant obtainable notices
to mariners and radio navigational warnings.
6. The nautical charts or ECDIS referred to in Regulation 19.2.1.4 must be of such a scale and contain sufficient detail as clearly
to show:
a. all navigational marks which may be used by a vessel when navigating the waters which are covered by the chart,
b. all known dangers affecting those waters, and
c. information concerning any vessels’ routeing and vessel reporting measures applicable to those waters.
7. The following nautical publications satisfy the requirements of SOLAS V Regulation 19.2.1.4 and should be carried by the
vessels detailed in paragraph 2 of this Notice to Mariners:
• International Code of Signals (IMO)
• The Mariner’s Handbook (UKHO)
• Merchant Shipping Notices, Marine Guidance Notes and Marine Information Notes (MCA)
• Notices to Mariners (UKHO)
• Notices to Mariners - Annual Summary (UKHO)
• Lists of Radio Signals (UKHO)
• Lists of Lights (UKHO)
• Sailing Directions (UKHO)
• Nautical Almanac (HMNAO)
• Tide Tables (UKHO)
• Tidal Stream Atlases (UKHO)

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• Operating and Maintenance Instructions for Navigational Aids Carried by the Ship

In the list above, the abbreviations represent the following:

IMO Published by the International Maritime Organization
MCA Published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
UKHO Published by United Kingdom Hydrographic Office.
HMNAO The Nautical Almanac is produced jointly by HM Nautical Almanac Office, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory,
and Nautical Almanac Office US Naval Observatory.
Where UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is given as the publisher, any other chart or publication which meets the definition in
SOLAS V Regulation 2.2 is acceptable.
8. The digital form of Admiralty Notices to Mariners is accepted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as meeting
the carriage requirements for Notices to Mariners. Similarly, TotalTide published by UKHO has been approved by MCA as meeting
the requirement for Tide Tables and the Admiralty Digital List of Lights has been approved by MCA as meeting the requirement for
Lights List.
9. In the case of publications listed in paragraph 7 above, only those parts of the publication which are relevant to a vessel’s
voyage and operation need be carried.
10. As stated in SOLAS V Regulation 27, nautical charts and nautical publications, such as sailing directions, lists of lights,
notices to mariners, tide tables and all other nautical publications necessary for the intended voyage, must be adequate and up to date.
Note 1:
For the purposes of the carriage of nautical charts and nautical publications, the provisions of SOLAS V Regulation 19.2.1.4 do not
apply to fishing vessels.
Instead, carriage requirements for fishing vessels between 15 and 24 metres are covered by the Merchant Shipping (Safety of 15-24
Metre Vessels) Regulations 2002 and the associated code of practice contained within MSN 1770(F) - see Section 9.4.3 “Nautical
Publications”.
Fishing vessels over 24 metres are covered by the Fishing Vessels (EC Directive on Harmonised Safety Regime) Regulations 1999
and the relevant section of the Protocol to the Torremolinos Convention, 1993 - see Regulation 4 of Chapter 10 “Nautical instruments
and publications”.

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