(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Circular MSC.1/Circ.1255/Rev.1 represents a significant update to the global standards for marine safety and emergency preparedness. Approved by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at its 110th session, these Revised Guidelines for Owner/Operators on Preparing Emergency Towing Procedures supersede the previous 2008 version. The document is designed to assist ship owners and operators in complying with SOLAS regulation II-1/3-4 by creating robust, ship-specific plans for emergency towage. Its fundamental purpose is to remove the need for deliberation during a crisis, ensuring that the crew has an efficient, predetermined course of action ready to execute the moment an emergency—such as a power shortage or imminent grounding—requires assistance from a salvage or towing vessel.

Core Requirements for Emergency Towing Procedures

The Revised Guidelines mandate a three-part structured approach to creating effective Emergency Towing Procedures (ETP): Evaluation, Documentation (The ETB), and Development.

Ship Evaluation (The Inspection)

A thorough inspection must be carried out by knowledgeable personnel to determine the ship's "towability." This involves reviewing:

• Structural Adequacy: Assessing the layout, strength, and safe working loads (SWLs) of all connection points, including fairleads, chocks, winches, bitts, and bollards.
• Procedural Readiness: Evaluating line handling procedures for passing and receiving messenger lines and towlines from both the bow and stern.
• Equipment Inventory: Identifying the location and characteristics of all necessary tools and equipment, such as chains, cables, shackles, stoppers, and line-throwing apparatus.
• Power and Communication: Confirming the availability of power for winches and deck lighting, and identifying the characteristics of radio equipment for clear bridge-to-deck and ship-to-salvage communication.

The Emergency Towing Booklet (ETB)

The ETB is the ship-specific, ready-to-use document containing all vital information. It must be presented clearly and concisely, including:

• Ship Particulars: Key identification data (Name, IMO number, Call Sign) along with detailed technical specifications (anchor/cable details, draft/displacement ranges, and the Equipment Number (EN)).
• Diagrams and Data: Comprehensive sketches showing assembly and rigging diagrams, the location of all towing equipment and strong points, and their certified capacities and SWLs.
• Accessibility and Distribution: A minimum of three physical copies must be maintained on board in readily accessible locations: the bridge, a forecastle space, and the ship’s office or cargo control room. A common electronic file format must also be kept by the owners/operators for rapid distribution to salvage companies.

Procedures Development (The Action Plan)

The final step is establishing the action protocols, which must cover, at a minimum:

• Decision Matrix: A quick-reference guide summarizing options based on various emergency scenarios, such as weather severity, on-deck power availability, and grounding risk.
• Organizational Plans: Clear plans for the distribution of deck crew, necessary equipment, and the precise organization of tasks.
• Rigging Safety: Diagrams illustrating how to assemble and rig bridles and tow lines for both fore and aft arrangements, emphasizing the need to lead lines away from sharp corners and points of stress concentration.
• Dead Ship Protocol: Specific procedures that account for power shortages and dead ship situations, particularly regarding the heavy effort required for heaving across towlines.
• Communications Plan: A detailed checklist of essential information the ship’s Master must communicate to the salvage vessel, including damage status, steering/propulsion status, onboard towing equipment inventory, SWLs of strong points, and the status of any emergency rapid disconnection systems.

Commitment to Proactive Preparedness

The Revised Guidelines are more than a compliance checklist. They are an essential component of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code's requirement for emergency preparedness. By standardizing and detailing the preparation of ship-specific procedures, the circular encourages owners and operators not only to document their capacity for emergency towage but also to ensure that procedures are practised beforehand. This proactive approach, coupled with the mandate for clear documentation and knowledge of equipment location, ensures that when minutes matter, the crew is prepared to act swiftly, safely, and efficiently. The issuance of MSC.1/Circ.1255/Rev.1, which formally supersedes its predecessor, signals the IMO's ongoing commitment to marine safety by adapting procedures to modern operational realities.