Standing orders are the Master’s and Chief Engineer’s written instructions that govern how the vessel is operated when they are not physically present on the bridge or in the engine room. They are not suggestions. They are not guidance notes. They are orders — and every officer of the watch is bound to follow them.
Despite their importance, standing orders are one of the most frequently cited deficiencies in ISM audits on superyachts. The problems are predictable: they are generic, outdated, unsigned, or — worst of all — they exist on paper but the watchkeeping officers have never read them.
The Regulatory Basis
STCW Convention, Section A-VIII/2
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), Section A-VIII/2 (Watchkeeping Arrangements and Principles to Be Observed) provides the foundation:
Part 3-1, Paragraph 14 states that the Master shall ensure that watchkeeping arrangements are adequate for maintaining a safe navigational watch, and that under the Master’s general direction, the OOW is responsible for the safe navigation of the ship during the watch.
Part 3-1, Paragraph 24 requires that the Master’s standing orders provide clear guidance on matters of particular importance for safe navigation, including conditions under which the Master must be called.
Part 4-2 addresses engine room watchkeeping and requires the Chief Engineer to ensure that watchkeeping arrangements are adequate, with clear standing orders for the engineer officer of the watch.
ISM Code Section 5: Master’s Responsibility and Authority
ISM Code Section 5 (IMO Resolution A.741(18)) establishes that:
“5.1 The Company should clearly define and document the Master’s responsibility with regard to: .1 implementing the safety and environmental protection policy of the Company; .2 motivating the crew in the observation of that policy; .3 issuing appropriate orders and instructions in a clear and simple manner…”
Standing orders are the primary vehicle through which the Master exercises this documented responsibility. Without them, the ISM requirement for “appropriate orders and instructions” is unmet.
ISM Code Section 7: Shipboard Operations
Section 7.1 requires the Company to establish procedures, plans, and instructions for key shipboard operations concerning the safety of personnel, the ship, and the environment. Standing orders sit at the top of this operational hierarchy.
Bridge Standing Orders
Bridge standing orders must be specific to the vessel and reflect the Master’s professional judgment about how the vessel should be navigated. They are not a copy of COLREGS or STCW — they are the Master’s personal instructions that supplement those regulations.
What Bridge Standing Orders Must Include
| Topic | Required Content | STCW Reference |
|---|---|---|
| When to call the Master | Specific conditions (visibility, traffic density, proximity to danger, equipment failure, doubt) | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 25 |
| Navigational watch composition | Minimum manning for different conditions (open sea, coastal, confined waters, port approach) | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 14 |
| Use of radar and ARPA | When radar must be switched on, plotting requirements, guard zones | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 22 |
| AIS monitoring | Monitoring requirements, when to investigate targets, alarm settings | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1 |
| Speed policy | Maximum speed in various conditions, speed reduction criteria | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 18 |
| UKC policy | Minimum under-keel clearance for different seabed types and conditions | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 16 |
| Communication with engine room | When to notify engine room of manoeuvring requirements, standby procedures | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 30 |
| Anchoring procedures | When to set an anchor watch, watch-circle monitoring, dragging procedures | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1 |
| Weather monitoring | When to obtain forecasts, criteria for altering plans, heavy weather preparations | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 28 |
| GMDSS watch | Continuous watch requirements, distress procedures | SOLAS Chapter IV |
| Logbook entries | What must be recorded and when | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 38 |
| Handover procedures | Minimum requirements before relieving the watch | A-VIII/2, Part 3-1, Para 15 |
The “Call the Master” Criteria
This section is the most important part of bridge standing orders and the one surveyors scrutinise most closely. It must be specific and unambiguous.
Poor example: “Call the Master if in any doubt.”
Good example:
“The Master is to be called immediately in the following circumstances:
- Visibility reduces below 3 nautical miles
- Any vessel approaches within 5 nautical miles on a potential collision course
- The vessel deviates from the planned track by more than 0.5 nautical miles
- Any navigational equipment failure (GPS, radar, gyro, autopilot, AIS, echo sounder)
- Wind increases above Force 6 or sea state exceeds 2.5 metres significant wave height
- Any sighting of a vessel not under command, a vessel restricted in ability to manoeuvre, or a vessel engaged in fishing in the vessel’s vicinity
- Any uncertainty regarding the vessel’s position
- Any situation where the OOW is unsure of the appropriate action
- Any emergency or potential emergency situation
- Receipt of a distress signal
- Any contact with port authorities, VTS, coast guard, or military vessels”
Engine Room Standing Orders
Engine room standing orders serve the same function for the Chief Engineer as bridge standing orders do for the Master. They govern how the engineering watch is conducted and when the Chief Engineer must be notified.
What Engine Room Standing Orders Must Include
| Topic | Required Content | STCW Reference |
|---|---|---|
| When to call the Chief Engineer | Specific alarm conditions, parameter deviations, system failures | A-VIII/2, Part 4-2 |
| Watch handover procedures | Minimum checks before accepting the watch, logbook review | A-VIII/2, Part 4-2, Para 3 |
| Engine room rounds | Frequency, route, what to check at each location | A-VIII/2, Part 4-2, Para 4 |
| Alarm response procedures | Priority of alarms, immediate actions, escalation procedures | A-VIII/2, Part 4-2 |
| Fuel changeover procedures | Procedures for switching between fuel types (MARPOL Annex VI ECA requirements) | MARPOL Annex VI, Reg 14 |
| Bilge management | Monitoring requirements, OWS operation procedures, Oil Record Book entries | MARPOL Annex I |
| Generator management | Load monitoring, load sharing, blackout prevention | A-VIII/2, Part 4-2 |
| UMS operations | Unmanned Machinery Space procedures if applicable, alarm monitoring, patrol requirements | A-VIII/2, Part 4-2, Para 10 |
| Permit to work | Requirements for hot work, enclosed space entry, working on electrical systems | ISM Code Section 7 |
| Bunkering procedures | Responsibilities, communication with bridge, pollution prevention measures | MARPOL Annex I |
| Emergency procedures | Engine room fire, flooding, blackout recovery, steering gear failure | ISM Code Section 8 |
Call the Chief Engineer Criteria
As with bridge orders, this section must be explicit:
“The Chief Engineer is to be called immediately if:
- Any main engine or generator alarm activates that cannot be immediately identified and resolved
- Main engine lubricating oil pressure drops below [vessel-specific value]
- Main engine coolant temperature exceeds [vessel-specific value]
- Generator load exceeds 80% of rated capacity
- Any bilge alarm activates
- Oily water separator malfunctions or 15 ppm alarm activates
- Any fire detection alarm activates in the engine room or steering gear space
- Shore power is lost or shore power changeover is required
- Fuel transfer is required
- Any request from the bridge for engine room standby
- Any situation the engineer of the watch considers abnormal or potentially dangerous”
How Surveyors Assess Standing Orders
During ISM audits, initial verification, and annual flag state inspections, surveyors assess standing orders at three levels:
Level 1: Do They Exist?
- Are bridge standing orders on the bridge?
- Are engine room standing orders in the engine room (or ECR)?
- Are they signed and dated by the Master / Chief Engineer?
- Are they current (reviewed within the last 12 months)?
Level 2: Are They Adequate?
- Do they cover the STCW A-VIII/2 requirements listed above?
- Are they vessel-specific (not a generic template from another vessel)?
- Are the “call the Master/Chief Engineer” criteria specific and measurable?
- Do they reflect the vessel’s actual operational profile?
Level 3: Are They Implemented?
This is where most findings arise. Surveyors will:
- Ask the OOW or engineer of the watch to show them the standing orders
- Ask the officer to explain key requirements from memory
- Ask when they last read and signed the standing orders
- Check the signing record to verify all watchkeeping officers have acknowledged the current version
- Cross-reference the standing orders with the logbook (e.g., if standing orders require the Master to be called when visibility drops below 3 miles, check whether the logbook records this during recent passages in reduced visibility)
Common Audit Findings
| Finding | ISM Reference | Typical Severity |
|---|---|---|
| No standing orders on board | Section 5.1, 7.1 | Major non-conformity |
| Standing orders not signed by current Master/Chief Engineer | Section 5.1 | Non-conformity |
| Standing orders not reviewed in over 12 months | Section 5.1, 12.1 | Non-conformity |
| Officers cannot locate or have not read standing orders | Section 6.3, 6.5 | Non-conformity |
| Generic standing orders not reflecting vessel-specific operations | Section 5.1, 7.1 | Non-conformity |
| No signing record showing officer acknowledgement | Section 6.3 | Observation or non-conformity |
| Standing orders conflict with SMS procedures | Section 7.1, 12.1 | Non-conformity |
The Signing Protocol
Every watchkeeping officer must read and sign the standing orders:
- When first joining the vessel (as part of familiarisation under ISM Code Section 6)
- Whenever standing orders are revised (acknowledging the updated version)
- When a new Master or Chief Engineer issues new standing orders (even if the content is similar)
Maintain a signing record — a simple log showing the officer’s name, rank, date signed, and the version of standing orders they acknowledged. Keep this with the standing orders.
Writing Effective Standing Orders
Principles
- Be specific. Numbers, not adjectives. “Below 3 nautical miles” not “poor visibility.”
- Be concise. Standing orders should be readable in 15-20 minutes. If they require a desk and an hour, they will not be read.
- Be practical. Write for the officer who will be alone on the bridge at 0300, tired and managing a complex traffic situation.
- Be vessel-specific. Reference the vessel’s actual equipment, systems, and operational profile. If the vessel trades primarily in the Mediterranean, address Med-specific issues (VTMIS, TSS, coastal traffic).
- Review regularly. Every time the Master changes, every time the vessel’s operational area changes significantly, and at minimum annually.
The Night Order Book
Standing orders are supplemented by night orders (or voyage orders) — temporary instructions for a specific passage or watch period. These do not replace standing orders; they add to them for particular circumstances.
Example: “Tonight’s passage takes us through the Strait of Messina. Traffic will be dense. I am to be called 30 minutes before the approach to the Strait. Radar to be manned throughout the transit. Speed not to exceed 12 knots.”
Night orders must be written and signed by the Master for each relevant period. The OOW must sign to acknowledge receipt.
Practical Implementation
The best standing orders share a common characteristic: the Master and Chief Engineer actually wrote them, based on their professional experience and knowledge of the vessel. They are not compliance documents — they are operational tools that reflect how the vessel should be run.
Start with the regulatory requirements from STCW A-VIII/2. Build on them with vessel-specific instructions. Test them by asking your junior officers whether the instructions are clear enough that they would know exactly what to do in any given situation. If there is ambiguity, rewrite.
Standing orders are not a document you write once and file. They are a living instrument that defines the standard of operation on your vessel. Get them right, keep them current, and make sure every officer has read them.
References
- STCW Convention: Section A-VIII/2 — Watchkeeping Arrangements and Principles to Be Observed
- ISM Code: IMO Resolution A.741(18) — Sections 5, 6, 7, and 12
- SOLAS Chapter V: Regulation 34 — Safe Navigation and Avoidance of Dangerous Situations
- IMO Resolution A.893(21): Guidelines for Voyage Planning
- MCA MGN 315 (M): Keeping a Safe Navigational Watch on Merchant Vessels
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