Standard Operating Procedure for operation of Indian sailing vessel in international voyages - reg

1. Restricted Area of Operation

The restricted area for Indian sailing vessels on international voyages has been revised. The new area includes:

• Indian Ocean: Beyond the eastern Somalia and Gulf of Aden areas out to 65° E, south of latitude 15° N with the southern boundary being 05° S, excluding the coastal waters of Seychelles, Kenya, and Tanzania up to 12 nautical miles offshore.
• Gulf of Aden: South of the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor, except for Djibouti in the West and up to longitude 65° E in the East.

2. Certificate of Inspection Validity

If a sailing vessel does not call at an Indian port within 24 months of the issue date of the previous certificate of inspection, the certificate will be deemed to have expired. The owner must present the vessel for inspection at a foreign port approved by the Director General of Shipping.

If the annual inspection is not carried out within 12 months of the issue date of the previous certificate of inspection due to the vessel being on a voyage outside India, the owner must submit a statement of compliance and undertaking to the registrar in the format specified in Annexure - II.

3. Compliance and Penalties

All sailing vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, as amended, and operating on international voyages must comply with these standard operating procedures. Non-compliance may result in severe penal action as specified under Part XVI of the MS Act, 1958, as amended.