TO: SHIPOWNERS, SHIPS’ OPERATORS AND MANAGERS, MASTERS
SURVEYORS TO FLAG STATE ADMINISTRATION
RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS
APPLICABLE TO: All ships
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 1st January 2010
Monaco, 29th September 2009.
An amendment to SOLAS Convention Chapter II-1 Regulation 3-4 regarding
emergency towing procedures was adopted as Resolution MSC.256 (84) at the
84th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 84) held in May 2008. At
the same time, Guidelines for Owners/Operators on Preparing Emergency Towing
Procedures were circulated as MSC.1/Circ.1255.
Application dates for Passenger and Cargo ships are as follows:
All passenger ships, not later than 1st January 2010;
Cargo ships built on or after 1st January 2010; and
Cargo ships built before 1st January 2010, not later than 1st January 2012
Ships should be provided with a ship-specific emergency towing procedure. Such a
procedure should be carried aboard the ship for use in emergency situations and be
based on existing arrangements and equipment available on board the ship.
A minimum of three copies should be kept on board at specified locations and a copy
should be kept at hand by the owners/operators in order to facilitate the passing on of
information to the towage company as early as possible in a situation of emergency. A
copy should also be kept in a common electronic file format, which will allow faster
distribution to the concerned parties. (Refer to the Guidelines for owners/operators on
preparing emergency towing procedures (MSC.1/Circ.1255)).
Application dates for tankers are as follows:
For tankers built on or after 1st July 2002:
The arrangements should, at all times, be capable of rapid deployment in the
absence of main power on the ship to be towed and easy connection to the
towing ship. At least one of the emergency towing arrangements should be
pre-rigged ready for rapid deployment; and emergency towing arrangements at
both ends should be of adequate strength taking into account the size and