An inspector steps aboard in Palma with a clipboard and asks, before he has taken his shoes off, to see the crew list, the last three months of rest hour records and the safety management manual. The captain looks at you. Everything he is about to ask for is a document you either have to hand, or do not.
Flag state and port state
The flag state is the country of registry. It sets the law the yacht sails under, issues and endorses certificates, and inspects through its own surveyors or a recognised organisation (a classification society acting on its behalf).
Port state control (PSC) is the inspection regime of the country you are visiting, checking that a foreign-flagged vessel meets international standards. A PSC officer can raise deficiencies, and in serious cases detain the yacht until they are rectified. Yachts are inspected less often than merchant ships but are not exempt.
The documents the purser touches
| Document | Purser involvement |
|---|---|
| Certificate of registry, tonnage certificate | Filed, valid, produced on request |
| Class and statutory certificates | Expiry tracked with the engineer and captain |
| Minimum Safe Manning Document | Crew list must satisfy it at all times |
| Crew list and SEAs | Maintained and current |
| Hours of rest records | Collected, checked, filed |
| MLC certificate and DMLC Parts I and II | Held and understood |
| Garbage and oil record books | Kept by deck and engineering; purser knows where they are |
| Insurance certificates and financial security | Held for inspection |
ISM and the SMS
The ISM Code requires a Safety Management System (SMS): the written system of how this yacht is run safely. The company holds a Document of Compliance, the vessel a Safety Management Certificate, and the company appoints a Designated Person Ashore (DPA) with direct access to the highest level of management.
The purser is not the safety officer, but the purser is usually the administrator of the paperwork the SMS generates: non-conformity reports, near-miss reports, corrective actions, drill and training records, internal audit records and document control (making sure the current revision is the one onboard and superseded copies are removed).
ISPS and visitors
Under the ISPS Code, the yacht has a Ship Security Plan, a Ship Security Officer, a security level, and a Continuous Synopsis Record. The plan is confidential. Practically, the purser often administers visitor control: a log of every person boarding, with identity checked, escort arranged, deliveries screened and contractors documented. In a yard period this is a full-time discipline.
Onboard Notes
- Do not treat an inspection as an event to prepare for. Preparation is the daily filing; the inspection is just when someone looks.
- If a document is missing, say so plainly. Inventing an explanation to an inspector is far worse than a deficiency.
- The captain and the DPA lead any interaction with a flag or port state officer. The purser produces documents when asked and records what was requested and provided.