by John Southam, Loss Prevention Director - Greece, and Vicky Dolka, FD&D Claims Advisor, NorthStandard 

Deciding on the number of mooring lines a vessel must carry is done on a case-by-case basis. The ship must prove compliance with SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-8 and its associated MSC guidelines, which entered into force on 1 January 2024.

Local regulations may, however, require more ropes - often based on the specific port situation or expected environmental conditions, as well as the need for redundancy in the mooring rope system.

When seaport authorities exceed these baseline standards, operational compliance becomes complicated by questions of cost allocation.

Who is then responsible when the requirement exceeds the number normally carried? Download PDF