Your vessel has a BWTS (Ballast Water Treatment System) installed. On arrival in a US port, the USCG boards to check BWM Convention compliance. What do they check and what are your obligations?

A. Ballast water exchange (D-1 standard) in open ocean is sufficient for all vessels. Treatment systems (D-2 standard) are only required for vessels built after 2025.

B. The US has not ratified the BWM Convention. USCG ballast water requirements do not apply to foreign-flagged vessels in US ports.

C. BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT — USCG INSPECTION: BWM CONVENTION (in force 8 September 2017): vessels must manage ballast water to meet the D-2 biological standard: (a) less than 10 viable organisms per cubic metre ≥50μm; (b) less than 10 viable organisms per millilitre in the 10-50μm size range; (c) specific limits for indicator microbes (E.coli, intestinal enterococci, Vibrio cholerae). WHAT USCG CHECKS: (1) INTERNATIONAL BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE: issued by flag state. Must be current; (2) BALLAST WATER RECORD BOOK (BWRB): maintained under BWM Convention Regulation B-2. Every ballast water operation must be recorded: (a) date, time, and position of uptake; (b) volume and port of uptake; (c) treatment applied (method used — BWTS, exchange, exemption); (d) date, time, and position of discharge; (e) volume discharged; (3) BWMP (Ballast Water Management Plan): vessel-specific plan approved by the flag state; (4) BWTS TYPE APPROVAL: USCG checks that the BWTS has valid US USCG Type Approval (separate from IMO approval). Until recently, many IMO-approved systems did not have USCG Type Approval; (5) BWTS TREATMENT RECORDS: logs showing the system operated correctly and met the D-2 standard for each ballast water treatment; (6) SAMPLING: the USCG may take a sample of ballast water from the vessel's tanks and send for laboratory analysis. If the live organism count exceeds D-2 limits — the vessel is in violation even if the BWTS appeared to function correctly.

D. The Ballast Water Record Book is an internal document. The USCG has no authority to inspect the BWRB — only the flag state can inspect it.

A. P&I Club notification is the owner's responsibility. The master should focus on the vessel and let the owner deal with insurance matters.

B. P&I CLUB NOTIFICATION — MASTER'S OBLIGATIONS: WHY NOTIFY THE P&I CLUB IMMEDIATELY: P&I (Protection and Indemnity) insurance covers the shipowner's third-party liabilities: (a) Pollution damage claims; (b) Cargo damage claims; (c) Personal injury and death; (d) Wreck removal; (e) Legal defence costs. Critically: P&I POLICIES TYPICALLY REQUIRE IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION OF ANY EVENT THAT MAY GIVE RISE TO A CLAIM. Failure to notify promptly can result in the Club denying cover for subsequently arising costs. HOW TO NOTIFY: (1) CALL THE DPA FIRST: the DPA is the link between the master and the company. The DPA contacts the Club's 24/7 emergency number. All major P&I Clubs have 24-hour emergency lines; (2) CLUB CORRESPONDENT: in the port of arrival or nearest major port, the P&I Club will activate their local CORRESPONDENT — a maritime law firm or agency that acts as the Club's eyes and ears on the ground. The correspondent will: (a) attend the vessel; (b) appoint a surveyor; (c) liaise with the port authority; (d) advise on local legal proceedings; (3) WHAT TO TELL THE CLUB: (a) Vessel name, IMO number, flag; (b) Date, time, position of incident; (c) Nature of incident (grounding, collision, oil spill); (d) Estimated oil volume and type discharged; (e) Injured persons (number, nationality); (f) Cargo damage (type, quantity); (g) Third parties involved; (h) Whether police, coastguard, or port authorities are involved; (4) CLUB GUIDANCE: follow the Club's instructions. They have expertise in managing local legal systems and will coordinate lawyers, surveyors, and experts.

C. P&I Club notification can wait until the vessel is in port and the extent of the incident is fully known. Early notification is premature and may trigger unnecessary costs.

D. The P&I Club covers only hull damage. Oil pollution claims are covered under a separate mandatory pollution insurance — contact the flag state for this instead.

A. Negotiate directly with the claimant's lawyers to agree a settlement. Settling quickly avoids detention and is less expensive than a legal proceeding.

B. Ignore the arrest and sail the vessel. The arrest has no legal effect outside French territorial waters.

C. VESSEL ARREST AND P&I LOU: VESSEL ARREST MECHANISM: under the 1952 or 1999 Arrest Convention (France is a party to the 1952 Convention), a claimant can arrest a vessel to obtain security for a maritime claim. The vessel cannot leave port until either: (a) the claim is settled; or (b) equivalent security is provided in place of the vessel. P&I CLUB RESPONSE — LETTER OF UNDERTAKING (LOU): the P&I Club provides a Letter of Undertaking to the claimant (or their lawyers). An LOU is a promise by the P&I Club to: (a) pay any final judgment up to a specified maximum; (b) submit to the jurisdiction of the specified court; (c) not raise certain defences (e.g., limitation on service of process). If the LOU is acceptable — the court releases the arrest on the vessel. MASTER'S ACTIONS DURING ARREST: (1) DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SAIL: sailing an arrested vessel is contempt of court and a criminal offence. Even if the vessel is seaworthy — do not move it without the court's permission; (2) CONTACT P&I CLUB CORRESPONDENT: immediately. The correspondent will attend the vessel and manage the legal process; (3) CREW WELFARE: during arrest — crew may be on board with limited ability to go ashore. MLC 2006 Standard A5.2.2 requires port states to cooperate with flag states to ensure crew welfare during vessel arrest, including: food, pay, repatriation rights; (4) DO NOT SIGN ANY DOCUMENTS without the P&I Club correspondent's advice; (5) PERSONAL ARREST RISK: in some jurisdictions (notably the US), individual officers as well as the vessel can be arrested. Seek legal advice on your personal legal position.

D. The P&I Club covers hull damage but not cargo claims. The cargo insurer is responsible for providing the LOU for cargo damage claims.