List of ship positions. The captain is the last to leave the ship

Commodore(vf) - in England and Holland, a naval officer commanding a squadron

Captain - Commander of the ship. May even be a lieutenant (more on that in the next paragraph)

Lieutenant -
naval officer, is the captain's assistant. However, Lieutenant
is the commander of a ship of the 4th rank, having 14-16 guns. For such
ships captain is not appointed. On a rank 3 ship with 50 guns
the lieutenant is the senior assistant to the captain (because there, according to the regulations
no captain lieutenant). talking modern language the lieutenant is
watch officer, head of the watch, i.e. part of the crew carrying
ship service in this period of time.

ship secretary -
there is one secretary on any ship. It can be said that this officer
is an assistant captain for personnel accounting, staff work,
accounting, control over the work of all supply services, correspondence. He is obliged
control the receipt of all supplies on the ship, keep a logbook,
to acquaint the crew with the Charter, written orders and instructions
senior naval commanders, keep court records, draw up
contracts for the supply of supplies, control the distribution of food and other
property to personnel, take into account the booty taken from the enemy,
record the consumption of gunpowder and cores during the battle, draw up applications to the port
to replenish supplies, rewrite the belongings of the dead and the dead and
pass them on to relatives. He is not allowed to leave the ship.
(except for the performance of duties requiring his presence at
shore) until it is put on a long parking lot and is not
disarmed.

Priest (chaplain) -
the priest was rather equated with officers in his position, but also
unambiguously to the officers it could not be attributed. Rather, he just stood
apart. The navy had one primary priest in charge of
activities of ship priests. Each ship had
the priest who sent all religious events. In addition, he
was obliged to visit the wounded and sick and to alleviate their spiritual
suffering. The priest was responsible for the priestly supplies and kept records of them and
use (camping church, throne with vestments, Gospels,
crosses, etc.)

healer -
All ships had one healer. Depending on the rank of the ship
he had a different number of assistants. The doctor was in charge of accounting,
supply of medicines, medical instruments, kept records of patients,
was responsible for the treatment of patients, the quality and quantity of food given to them.
During the battle, he was forbidden to go on deck, but had to
be in the chamber where the place of collection of the wounded was determined. If
it was established that the sick or wounded died from the negligence of the doctor, then
the latter was treated as a murderer and subject to execution.

Skipper
one of the senior officers. According to the regulations, only the navigator was above him.
All ships had one skipper. The skipper was responsible for accounting, availability,
storage, use, repair, replenishment, replacement of skipper's
property. Kept a log of this property. To the skipper's property
included the entire removable spars (masts, yards), all rigging (ropes,
ropes, blocks), anchors, lanterns, washing and cleaning equipment, candles,
carpentry stock and tools, boat sails, all metal
products, inventory, materials and tools of the caulker, lubricants
materials, fixing material (nails, staples, bolts). Skipper accepts
to ship all this property and monitors the completeness of the receipt, quality.
He is also responsible for the distribution of all property and supplies in places.
storage, securing property from pitching. When placing the ship on
anchoring and unanchoring monitors the etching or reception of the anchor
rope, the operation of locking devices. He is also responsible for organizing
cleaning the ship, restoring order. The skipper supervises the work
sailors, punishes the negligent, trains the inept. Sub-skipper replaces
skipper in his absence.

Navigator
- was responsible for navigational property, its receipt, storage,
use, spending. Flags were considered navigational property,
signal flags, pennants, ship and boat guises, compass,
hourglasses, logs, lots, lamps. The navigator kept a log book
navigational property, monitored the replenishment and serviceability of his
property. He was also responsible for nautical charts, sailing directions, serviceability of the helmsman
ship control. He adjusted the compass and the hourglass. During
sailing, he had to check maps with a real coastline,
islands, rocks, reefs and map all their changes.
The navigator is obliged to inform the officers and the captain about the dangers of the ship's course
(shoals, reefs, rocks) and insist on changing it, and even if the captain
or another officer will not listen to him, and the ship will be lost, then the navigator
will be executed or sent to hard labor. When anchoring, the navigator
is obliged to ensure that this place is not shallow and the hull of the ship is not
would have broken through with its anchor. The navigator helps the navigator, and in his
the absence is fully responsible for the navigator's service.

Boatswain
- a specialist of the junior commanding staff of the ship's crew (in the Navy -
foremen); the immediate head of the deck crew. IN
The boatswain's duties include maintaining the hull in good condition,
rigging and deck equipment of the ship, management of general ship work
and training of ordinary members of the deck crew (sailors) in maritime affairs,
keeping order and cleanliness on board. On large warships
there is one chief boatswain and several boatswains.

Midshipman -
direct assistant to officers. Primary duty to look after
full and accurate execution by all crew members of the orders of officers.
Other responsibilities include organizing the installation and placement of
premises of the ship's property and keep a register of this property.

Gunners
These are naval gunners. We can say - the commanders of the guns. By
the number of guns and gunners, we can say that for three guns there were two
gunner. Consequently, the gunners were engaged in loading, aiming and
the production of a shot, and the roll of the guns into place, cooling, cleaning
after the shot was assigned to the soldiers. Sailors are not related to guns
had.

Quartermaster
- commands the sailors stationed in this cockpit. He must follow
for the presence of their sailors on the ship, for the health of their sailors,
cleanliness and serviceability of their clothes, for the issuance of food to sailors and for
return to the kitchen for leftover food and dishes, so that the products,
weapons, things, gear were not taken away from the ship. Quartermaster also
is the commander of the boat, monitors its serviceability, equipment,
manages it on the water and commands the sailors assigned to the crew
boats.

A carpenter
- is obliged to monitor all the wooden parts of the hull and spars and
repair them; to control the quality of those received on board
spars wooden parts (masts, yardarms); together with a caulker
fix leaks in the hull. It is also obliged to monitor whether there are any receipts
water into the hull. Keep a log of the receipt and consumption of wooden
details, materials. Required to know the dimensions and design of all
wooden parts so that they can competently order on the shore
production of parts for this ship.

Caulker -
have to keep an eye on it. so that there are no leaks in the hull, so that hatches and
cannon ports were tightly closed. When leaks occur, together with
the ship's carpenter to remove them.

sailmaster
- there is one sailmaster on a ship of any rank. Under his leadership
one or two sailing students. Responsible for keeping sails in good condition
fix them.

Soldiers (Marines)- were involved in servicing the guns to help the gunners, boarding and landing teams were made up of them.

Sailors -
junior rank. Engaged to work on the ship, such as: work with
sails, pumping water from the hold, keeping the ship clean. On
robber ships made up the boarding team.

Initially, the very first dugout boats were made in such a way that only one person could fit in them, he himself set the direction of the vessel and worked with oars. After mankind learned how to build multi-seat ships, the duties that were previously performed by one person were divided, now one person, by means of a steering oar, asked right direction and carried out control of the boat, and several people obeyed his commands, installed or removed the sail and rowed with oars. The person who steered the vessel was at the same time the captain, helmsman and navigator, in order to successfully cope with his duties, he had to have extensive experience in navigation and the ability to think calmly in emergency situations, therefore he had high authority among the rest of the ship's crew.

With the development of shipbuilding, not only the dimensions of the ships have changed, but also the number of people who have kept the ship in proper technical condition and managed has increased. The division of duties inevitably led to the emergence of highly specialized maritime masters in charge of a separate area of ​​service. Gradation led to the emergence of positions and titles. It is difficult to accurately determine the historical date of this process, but it can be said that the peoples who inhabited the coastal territories, several millennia before our era, had terms in their language that denoted maritime specialties.

IN Ancient Egypt there was a class division into castes, one of them was completely helmsmen. According to the ideas of the ancient Egyptians, these people were considered almost suicidal, because according to their beliefs, a person who left the borders of his native land was deprived of the protection of his gods.

The very first information about the rank system among sailors dates back to ancient Greek history, later this concept was borrowed from the Greeks by the Romans. Arab navigators developed their own nautical terminology, thanks to their own system of maritime knowledge. Over time, the term “admiral” appeared in all European languages, the word was formed from the Arabic phrase “amir al bahr”, meaning “lord of the seas”. Most of the Arabic marine terms became known to the inhabitants of Europe from the collection oriental tales"A Thousand and One Nights", which includes a cycle of works united common name"The Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor". The very name of the protagonist, which is a collective image of the class of Arab merchants, is a distorted Indian word "Sindhaputi", which translates as "ruler of the sea", the inhabitants of India used this term to designate the owners of ships.

The system of maritime terms and titles among the southern Slavs was formed after the thirteenth century, so the owner of the ship was called "broad master", from the word "broad", which meant "ship", the sailor was called "broader" or in other words "ladyar", the rowers were called "oars". ”, the captain of the ship was called the “leader”, and the team was called the “posada”, and, finally, the supreme commander of the entire fleet was called the “pomor commander”.

Before the reign and reforms of Peter the Great, the Russian state did not have direct access to the sea, despite this, river navigation was very well developed, historical documents contain notation ship positions used in Russian: the captain was called “head”, the pilot was called “vodich”, the senior above the team was called “ataman”, and the signalman was called “mahonya” from the word “wave”. The term "sailor" did not yet exist, instead the word "sar" or "sara" was used, the same term was used by the gangs that robbed on the Volga as a call to attack: "Saryn to the kitchka", which meant an order for the ship's crew to move to the bow ship ("kichka").

In the Russian state, the words "shipman" or "guest" denoted the owner of the ship, who was both a merchant and a captain. Initially, the word "guest", which came from the Latin language hostis, had the meaning of "alien". In the languages ​​of the Romano-Germanic language group, this word went according to the following semantic principle: alien - foreigner - enemy. In Russian, the semantic development of the word "guest" went along a path different from that described above: a stranger - a foreigner - a merchant - a guest. In A.S. Pushkin's fairy tale about Tsar Saltan, the word "shipmen" is used on a par with the word "guests-gentlemen", they are semantic synonyms. Under Peter the Great, the word "shipman" was replaced by a new foreign term, however, in the Code of Laws Russian Empire" it was used as a legal term until 1917.

The first document where foreign maritime terms were used along with the words “pilot” and “shipman” was the collection of “Articular Articles” by the author David Butler, who commanded the first Orel warship. The document itself was a prototype of the maritime charter and was translated for Tsar Peter from the Dutch language. On the text of the translation, Peter the Great personally wrote a comment that the meaning of the articles is correct, and the text of this document should be used by all "initial ship people" and " ship captains". Thanks to the reforms of Tsar Peter, many foreign terms, words denoting titles and positions that were not previously used in Russian, came into use. For the speedy assimilation of new terms, Peter the Great ordered the writing of the "Marine Charter", so that every navigator knew the terminology related to his specialization to perfection. The further structure of the article describes some marine terms and their etymology.

BATALER - this is the name of the person responsible for the supply of food and non-food products on the ship, to military topics, namely, this term has nothing to do with the word "battle", the word comes from the verb in the Dutch language bottelen, which translates as the phrase "spill on bottles", the noun bottelier - "cupbearer" is also formed from the same verb.

BOATSMEN - the duties of this specialist in maritime affairs include ensuring order on the deck of the ship, the good technical condition of the rigging and spars, he supervises ship work, and also instructs sailors on all issues related to maritime affairs. The word "boatswain" was formed from the word "boat" (in Dutch - boot, in English - boat) and a man - man. The English, along with the word boatsman, which means a ship (boat) person, use the word boatswain, which is the name of the “senior boatswain”, who has several “junior boatswains” under his command. For the first time, the use of the word "boatswain" in documents in Russian occurs with D. Butler in the "Articular Articles", the form of this word looks like "butman" or "boatswain". The same document for the first time regulates the duties of the boatswain; for the merchant fleet, the title of "boatswain" was officially introduced in 1768.

WATCH - originally this word was used to designate a sentry on land, the word came to Russian from the German language, where the word wacht means the concepts of "guard" and "guard". Under Peter the Great, the concept of “watchers” was introduced into the Marine Charter, the origins of this word lie in the Dutch language.

DRIVER - this is the name of the helmsman on the boat, this word in Russian in this context has been used relatively recently, here the meaning is borrowed from the marine terminology of the English language - draiver. In the Russian state, even before the reign of Tsar Peter, among the marine terms, the designations of pilots with the same root as the word "driver" were used: "ship's leader" and "vodic". The term "skipper" is currently used in documents of an official type, such as maritime law, for example, "amateur boatmaster" in the context of "skipper", "captain" of a small tourist pleasure fleet.

DOCTOR - is a native Russian word, its root word is “liar”, both of these words lead their etymology from the Old Russian verb “lie”, the original meaning of which was “to speak, idle talk, chat nonsense”, later the word acquired another semantics “to treat”, "talk".

CAPTAIN - Commander-in-chief on a ship. Before appearing in Russian, the word went through a difficult path, it was borrowed from the Latin of the Middle Ages - capitaneus, formed from the noun caput - “head”. For the first time this word is found in written texts in 1419, as a military rank, the term "captain" was first used in France, as the commanders of military detachments numbering several hundred people were called. This word was used in naval subjects thanks to the Italian term capitano. During the boarding battle on the galleys, the captain personally led the fighting and defended the banner, was responsible for the training of officers and soldiers, and was also the first assistant to the "saprokomite". This experience was subsequently borrowed on military sailboats and merchant ships that sailed along with mercenary units taken to provide protection.

In the 16th century, the position of captain was most often held by a person who was more knowledgeable in military affairs than in the sea. The captain had first of all to ensure the protection of the life and property of the shipowner or, with the help of military maneuvers, to defend the political interests of his employers. Since the 17th century, the title of "captain" has become mandatory for use on military ships in almost all states of the world. Subsequently, the division of captains into ranks was formed, depending on the rank of the vessel; in Russian, the word "captain" has been used since 1615. The first Russian captains were D. Butler, who in 1699 commanded the crew of the Orel ship, and Lambert Jacobson Gelt, who led the crew of the yacht built jointly with the Orel ship.

In the Amusing Troops of Tsar Peter, the title of "captain" received official status, the tsar himself was awarded the title of captain of the bombardment company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. After 1853, on warships, the rank of captain was replaced by the phrase "ship commander". On the ships of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade since 1859 and on ships Volunteer Fleet captains of an officer's military rank were unofficially referred to as "captains", this term received official use in the civilian fleet in 1902, replacing the term "skipper".

COC - ship cook, the word appeared in Russian in 1698 and came from the Dutch language, originally it was formed from the Latin word cocus - "cook".

COMMANDER - commander of the yacht club, head of the joint voyage of the yacht flotilla. Initially, the word denoted one of the highest degrees of a knightly order, and in the era of the Crusades, this was the name of the commander-in-chief of a knightly army. The etymology of the word originates in Latin: the preposition cum - "with" and the verb mandare - "to order". At the beginning of the 18th century, the officer rank of "commander" in the navy of the Russian Empire between the captain of the first rank and the rear admiral, the title still exists in the terminology of foreign naval ranks. As a form, the commanders put on the admiral's, but with epaulettes without an eagle. Since 1707, the rank of "commander" was replaced by "captain-commander", was finally abolished in 1827. The commanders were outstanding explorers and navigators: V. Bering, A. I. Chirikov, I. F. Kruzenshtern.

KUPOR - there are words with a similar sound in English language- cooper, and in Dutch - kuiper - "cooper", "cooper", the noun is formed from the word kuip - "vat", "tub". "Kupor" was a very important position on wooden ships. His duties included not only the maintenance of tubs and barrels in good condition, but also the condition of the ship hull as a whole, in order to prevent ship leaks. In Russian, the verbs “cork” and “uncork” were formed from this word.

PILOTSMAN - a specialist who paves the way of the ship, he had knowledge regarding various dangers along the ship's route: reefs, shoals, undercurrents, etc., and it was also his responsibility to ensure the safe mooring of the ship. As a rule, the pilot was no longer a young man, among the sailors there was an expression about the pilot: “White hair - red nose”, referring listeners to the lights installed for the pilot ship. Initially, the pilot was a member of the ship's crew, but later, in the 13-15 centuries, specialists appeared who worked only in a certain area. The word appeared in the Dutch language - loodsman, formed from lood - “sinker”, “lead”, “lot”. The first document in which the duties of a pilot were prescribed was the "Naval Code" of 1242, written in Denmark, and for the first time the state pilotage service was organized in 1514 in Great Britain.

The pilot in Rus' was called the "ship's leader", and the pilot's assistant, who measured the depth with the help of a lot on the bow of the vessel, was called the "carrier". The term "pilot" was introduced in 1701 by decree of Peter the Great, but along with this term, the word "pilot" was also used until the middle of the 18th century. For the first time in Russia, the state pilotage service was organized in Arkhangelsk in 1613, and the first regulatory document for these specialists was the document published in 1711 under the authorship of Admiral K. Kruys "Instructions for pilots of the St. Petersburg port."

MATROS - the origin of this word is very difficult to determine, it is only known that in Russia the word came in the 17th century from the Dutch language in the word form "matros". Despite the fact that in 1724 the form of the word "sailor" is used in the Naval Charter, the original version was widespread until the middle of the 19th century. It is assumed that this word originates from the Dutch noun mattengenoot, which translates as “comrade in bed” (matta - “matting”, “mat” and genoot - “comrade”. Subsequently, the word form took a truncated version of matten and in this form came to France, where it was transformed into the French word matelot, meaning “sailor.” The word itself, in the converted version, “matlo” returned back to the Dutch language, where it finally took on the sound we know, first matrso, and later the more convenient pronunciation matroos.

There is another theory of the origin of the word "sailor", some researchers in the first part of the term see the Dutch word matt - "comrade", others - mats "mast". A number of scientists attribute the etymology of the word to the origins of the Icelandic language, in which the influence of the Viking dialect is observed: mati - “comrade” and rosta - “fight”, “battle”. By addition, these two words formed the noun "matirosta", meaning "combat friend" or "comrade in arms."

ENGINEER - the word appeared during a period of time when sailing ships began to be replaced by ships with a steam engine, the word is borrowed from the German language mashinist, and its origins lie in the ancient Greek language - machina. For the first time in Russian, the word "engine driver" occurs in 1721, at that time this specialty was not a marine one.

MEKHANIK - the origin of this word is similar to the word "driver", but its appearance in Russian in the word form "mechanicus" is noted much earlier in 1715.

A SAILOR is a person who has connected his life with the sea, presumably this profession has existed for about 9000 years. Initially, representatives of this profession were called "morenin", "sailor" and "sailor". Importance has a root “move”, the origin of which is very ancient, the phrase “walk on the sea” can already be found in the annals describing the campaign of Prince Oleg in 907 to Constantinople or in the work “Walking across the Three Seas of the Merchant Athanasius Nikitin”. In modern Russian, the root “mood” is fixed in the words: “navigation”, “seaworthiness”, etc. Tsar Peter tried to introduce a foreign word of Italian-French origin into use, denoting the name of a military sailor “mariner”, derived from the Latin word mare - “ sea". This word can be seen in documents starting from 1697 in the forms “marinir” and “marinal”, but by the end of the 18th century it completely fell into disuse, remaining only in the name of the cadets of the navigation school “midshipman”. The same situation happened with the Dutch term "zeeman" or "zeiman", which fell into disuse at the end of the first quarter of the 19th century.

PILOT - this is the name of the driver or less often the navigator of a racing boat, the word is borrowed from the terms of aviation, the general tendency can be traced in indicating high speed. In the Middle Ages, this was the name of the pilot who accompanied the ship throughout the entire journey from the exit from the port to destination destination. The word came to Russian from Italian from pilota, the origin of this word is originally ancient Greek: pedotes - "pilot", formed from the noun pedon - "oar".

STEERING - a specialist who directly controls the ship, which is at the helm, the term is based on the Dutch word "rur" - "rudder", in this form the word is used in 1720 in the Naval Charter, where it is prescribed to inspect the "ruhr" before sailing. In the middle of the 18th century, the word “ruhr” finally replaced the old Russian term “helm”, but the title “helmsman” was officially used in the Russian galley fleet until the end of the century.

SALAG - means an inexperienced sailor. On the topic of the origin of this word, there is a historical anecdote about the non-existent island of Alag, that is, an exemplary dialogue: “Where are you from?” - “From Alaga”, but more likely is the version about the relationship of the word “salaga” with the name of the small fish “herring”. In the Russian dialects of the northern provinces, the word “salaga” was used to refer to any small fish; in the Urals, the word “salaka” is recorded as a nickname in the semantics of “salaga”.

SIGNALER - this is the name of a sailor who transmits messages using a manual semaphore or signal flags from ship to ship or from ship to land. The term "signal" entered the Russian language under Peter the Great from the German language - signal, formed from the Latin signum - "sign".

STARPOM - the word is formed by the addition of two Old Slavonic foundations. The word "senior" is from the root "sta", which has the semantic meaning "chief", indicating that the position of the first mate should be occupied by an experienced navigator. The word "assistant" is based on the noun "moga" lost from the language in the meaning of "power", "strength" (related words: "can't help", "help", "nobleman").

SKIPPER - is a captain on a civilian ship, the word is synonymous with the term "shipman" - "shipper", similarities can be traced in the Dutch term schipper, derived from the noun schip - "ship". Some linguists trace the etymology of the word "skipper" from the Norman language - skipar or Danish skipper with the same semantics. A number of researchers point to the proximity of the term to the German word schiffer, derived from schiff (s) herr, meaning "master of the ship". For the first time in Russian, the word "skipper" begins to be used at the beginning of the 18th century, as a designation for a junior officer rank. According to the Maritime Charter, the skipper's duties included monitoring the condition of the ropes, how they were folded, and was also responsible for all manipulations carried out with the ship's anchor. In the merchant fleet, the title of skipper officially appeared only in 1768; it was possible to become a skipper only after passing exams at the Admiralty. After 1867, they began to separate the skippers of coastal and long-distance navigation, in 1902 the title was completely abolished, although the position of "sub-skipper" still exists on large ships. The duties of the sub-skipper include providing ship supplies in part, there is also the concept of "skipper's pantry".

SKOTOVY - this is the name of a sailor who works on sheets, the word is derived from the Dutch word schoot - “floor”, and the sheet itself is a tackle used to control the clew angle of the sail, it is found in the Naval Charter for the first time in 1720 in the word form "shkhot".

STURMAN - this term is called a specialist in navigation, for the first time in Russian it appears in the form "navigator" and is used by D. Butler in the "Articular Articles", and then by K. Kruys in 1698 in "The painting of supplies for the barcolon ..." in the word forms "navigator ” and “Styurman”, already in the Naval Charter of 1720, the word is indicated in its modern form. The origin of the term "navigator" goes back to the Dutch word stuur, meaning "rudder", "rule". In an era of rapid development of navigation, when in Indian Ocean ships of the East India Company sailed, the role of navigators became one of the decisive ones during the voyage, thanks to this, the term "navigator" entered into international use.

In Russian, the word "navigator" has replaced the original terms "helmsman" or "helmsman", formed from the noun feed, on which the ship's control post was traditionally located. The Articular Articles notes that the navigator was obliged to inform the captain of the height of the pole, to present his book with records of ship voyages and a book with records of which route the voyage should take, in order to ensure the best safety of the ship and the safety of people on board.

YUNGA - a teenager on a ship who is being trained in maritime skills, came to Russian during the reign of Peter the Great from the Dutch jongen - a boy. There was a division of the post into a "cabin cabin boy", who performed the duties of a servant, and a "deck cabin boy", who carried out deck work. Many subsequently famous admirals began their naval service as cabin boys, one of these people was Horatio Nelson - "Admiral of Admirals".

Details Updated: 12/22/2018 19:23 Published: 05/08/2017 18:39

The captain of the ship makes the final decision on all matters, whether it be course selection, unscheduled repairs, emergency situation on board. He directs the actions of the team, solves problems with the purchase of food, loadinggoods, agree on the time of arrival at the ports,ensures timely refueling of the shipfuel, etc. The captain understands everything fromfrom the device of the ship and its technical equipmentand ending legal subtleties design documents.

Profession features:

You should always be prepared for the unexpected. Anything can happen in sailing - a strong storm, a collision with drifting icebergs, holes, and the cargo must be delivered on time, safe and sound. Most of the time the captain has to spend on the voyage. The captains of river vessels in Ukraine have seasonal work - only in summer, in winter - vacation.

Place of work:

Companies engaged in fishing, passenger and cargo transportation.

Personal qualities:

First of all, the captain is a leader who knows how to manage people. He is able to find an approach to each member of the crew, remaining friendly and, at the same time, demanding. This job is for those who love the sea, are not afraid of difficulties, and have good health. On passenger ship the captain is the face of the ship, and among his mandatory qualities are a presentable appearance, the ability to interest the interlocutor, and good manners. It is still an exclusively male profession (Professions for men). Girls are not accepted to the corresponding specialties in educational institutions (

In accordance with the ISM Code (Clause 5.2), the master of the ship exercises supreme authority on the ship and is responsible for safety and pollution prevention decisions. environment and in relation to a request for assistance, if required.

The captain of the vessel is the highest official and the main, key figure in the "SMS" of the vessel.

Vessel captains are the defining, key figures in the "Safety Management System" of the company as a whole.

Legal Requirements for the Master of a Vessel

The duties, powers and responsibilities of the captain of the ship are defined:

1. International conventions, agreements, mandatory norms;
2. The norms of the national legislation of the Flag State (RF);
3. Merchant Shipping Code;
4. Charter of service on courts;
5. disciplinary charter;
6. Departmental organizational and administrative documents - orders, orders, regulations, rules, instructions, etc.;
7. the articles of association of the company;
8. Organizational - administrative documents of the company - orders, orders, circulars, etc.;
9. "Guidelines" for the "SUB" of the company.

In the Merchant Shipping Code Russian Federation» (“KTM-99”) the duties, powers and responsibilities of the master of the ship are defined in chapter 2 (Articles 61-75).

According to Art. 61 “Ship management and other duties of the captain of the ship”, the captain “is entrusted with the management of the ship, including navigation, taking measures to ensure the safety of navigation of the ship, protect the marine environment, maintain order on the ship, prevent harm to the ship, people on the ship and cargo."

In the current "Charter of service on ships of the Ministry of the Maritime Flag of the USSR" (1976), the duties, powers and responsibilities of the captain of the ship are defined in Chapter V (Articles 60-125).

According to Art. 60, the captain is the head of the ship's crew, a trustee of the state, responsible for the safety of the ship, the life of the people on it and the cargo carried. According to Art. 61, the captain manages the vessel on the basis of one-man command and reports directly to the head of the shipping company.

The provisions of the Charter on the Discipline of Maritime Transport Workers, which came into force on September 1, 2000, fully apply to the captain of the ship.

The requirements of the ISM Code in relation to the captain of the ship are defined in Chapter 5 "Responsibilities and powers of the captain" (clauses 5.1-5.2). as well as in clause 6.1 of the ISM Code.

The Company must ensure that the "SMS" used on the ship contains a clear confirmation of the master's authority. The company should establish that the master has supreme authority and responsibility on board the ship in relation to safety and pollution prevention decisions and in relation to the request for assistance, if required.

Qualification requirements for the master of the ship are defined in the MC "STCW - 78/95" (Regulation 11/2, Sections A-II/2 and B II/2 of the "STCW Code").

The general duties of the captain of the vessel must be determined by the company on the basis of the documents specified in paragraph 1.5.2, taking into account the specifics of the activities of the company's vessels.

Company policy regarding the captain of the vessel

A company policy regarding a ship's captain may include the following main elements:

1. Careful and thoughtful preparation of the reserve for the position of captain from among the most capable, qualified, responsible senior assistants to the captain;
2. Passage of candidates for the position of captain of special interviews in departments, services, departments of the company, as well as special advanced training courses (including courses on the ISM Code) and special training courses;
3. Special control and assistance to young captains from the side of flag captains, including the obligatory departure of the flag captain on the first voyage with the young captain;
4. Giving masters of ships broad powers and powers, both in the recruitment of crews and in the course of the operational activities of the ship, respect and trust in captains, as well as ensuring the necessary measures to protect the captains of ships in the proper performance of their duties in relation to maritime safety and security marine environment (in accordance with IMO Resolution A. 443(IX) and Rule V/34 of SOLAS-74);
5. Providing all necessary support for the safe performance of the captain's duties;
6. The company will always support any decision made by the captain of the vessel in good health and in the interests of the company;
7. Ensuring that shipmasters are fully aware of the "company mission", the main elements, objectives and principles of the company's policy and safety, and environmental protection, as well as the current "Safety Management System" (SMS) of the company;
8. Ensuring the proper qualification of the captains of the company's ships, including through the systematic (at least every five years) passing approved advanced training courses;
9. Careful and friendly control of the activities of ship captains by the company.

The Company shall expressly and clearly affirm the authority of the masters of its ships The master of the ship shall exercise supreme authority on the ship and shall be responsible for making safety and pollution prevention decisions and for requesting assistance if required.

In accordance with regulation 34 of the revised chapter V of the SOLAS-74 convention, the master of the ship should not be limited by the shipowner, charterer, company or other person, in the right to make any decision that, in the professional judgment of the master, is necessary to ensure the safety of navigation and protection marine environment.

Ensuring the safety of the ship's crew and its cargo is the main duty of the captain of the ship, failure to fulfill which entails his responsibility. Nothing contained in the "Guidelines" and "SUV" in no way relieves the master of the vessel from his duties in relation to the crew, vessel, cargo and / or from compliance with the requirements of international conventions (including SOLAS-74. STCW-8 / 95 ”, “MARIOL-73/78”, the convention on “COLREGs-72” with the latest amendments and additions).

Likewise, what is contained in the “Guidelines” on the “SMS” does not restrict the master of the ship from making other decisions if he considers them more effective and / or necessary in the specific conditions and circumstances of the case.

The company's "SMS" documents must be clearly defined and documented.

The captain's responsibility for:

1. Implementation of the company's policy to ensure safety and protect the environment;
2. Encourage the crew to comply with this policy;
3. Issuance of relevant orders and instructions in a clear and simple form (orders for the ship, entries in the order log for watch on the bridge, etc.);
4. Verification of compliance with the requirements presented (including by delegating the authority to conduct the verification to the ship's officers, while the master remains responsible for ensuring that these officers apply the company's established and documented verification procedures, including the use of the appropriate "Checklists");
5. Reviewing the SMS and reporting any SMS deficiencies related to the operation of the ship to shore management services, while information on the SMS deficiencies should include specific proposals for corrective actions and recommendations for improving the SMS.

Emphasizing the above responsibility of the captain, the company (in accordance with clause 6.1 of the ISM Code) ensures and controls that the captain of the company's vessel:

• Had the proper qualifications;
• Was fully aware of the "SUB" company;
• Received all necessary support for the safe performance of their duties.

The company's assessment that the captain is "appropriately qualified" to command the vessel is made by:

1. Control of the presence (or receipt by the captain) of the appropriate certificate of competence;
2. Passing special advanced training courses, training courses, obtaining the required certificates;
3. Passing the established certification every 5 years;
4. Taking into account the captain's satisfactory track record and his previous work experience, including on ships of this type or this tonnage group;
5. Accounting for information received from other companies and from inspecting organizations;
6. Accounting information about incentives and penalties.

The company must ensure that the master is “fully informed” of all established safety and environmental requirements by:

1. Inclusion of such requirements in the "Guidelines" for the "SMS" of the company, in the operating instructions, job and work instructions for the ship's crew;
2. Introduction of the procedure for studying the "Manuals" on the "SMS" of the company, advanced training courses, special preliminary training of crews;
3. Introduction of the practice of mandatory systematic official meetings of the captain with the management of the company, etc.

An important element of the company's policy should be timely, complete and objective informing the captains about the state of affairs in the joint-stock company, the main activities of the board of directors and the board.

For these purposes, usually:

1. A single (monthly) information day is established for captains who are on shore on vacation and awaiting direction to the ship;
2. The practice of personal meetings of the top management of the company with the captains before being sent to the ship and at the end of the voyage (contract) is supported;
3. The practice of regular meetings of the management and leading specialists of the company with the captains and officers of the vessels as part of advanced training courses, etc. continues.

In relations with ship captains, as well as with all the company's personnel, the company's management adheres to the principles of openness, locality, integrity and complete clarity.

The company must ensure that the captain of the ship receives all the necessary support to carry out his duties safely.

Questions and proposals raised by the captain should be given priority attention in all divisions and at all levels of the company's management, timely adoption of appropriate and effective measures, and a mandatory personal response.

In the event of an emergency, dangerous or emergency situation, it is important to correctly assess priorities before any decisions and actions are taken. The priorities should be as follows:

• Life safety.

This is the top priority and extends to any action.

• Vessel safety.

Ship safety is practically synonymous with saving human life. If the ship is safe, then there is much less of a threat to human life and the environment.

After the safety of life and the safety of the vessel, which have the highest priority, the most important are the safety of the cargo and the safety of the environment. It should be borne in mind that in today's shipping industry, fines for spilling oil and oil products, especially in environmentally sensitive areas, can be ruinous for a company.

If in dangerous situation ship needs urgent assistance, the captain of the ship must be authorized by the company to independently seek the necessary assistance and sign a salvage or towing contract, even without consulting the shipowner, if such consultation is impossible or difficult or involves an unacceptable loss of time.

The Company expects that the captain of the vessel will take all reasonable measures to ensure that the vessel proceeds in accordance with the established timetable.

However, no time savings should come at the cost of reduced safety and unnecessary risk.

Safety first!

In matters of safety, the master of a ship has the right and duty to take prudently any action which, in his opinion, will be in the best interest of the safety of his ship, and no consideration of prior plan, convenience, or prior instructions given shall cause the master to take risks which he considered unacceptably dangerous.

The company will always support a decision made by the captain in good health and in the interests of safety.

Responsibility for navigation

The captain of the ship is responsible for safe navigation. He ensures that the ship is operated in accordance with applicable regulations, good seamanship and navigational circumstances.

The captain must always prevent damage to the ship. He must ensure that neither the ship nor its SPP is subjected to undue stress when sailing in stormy conditions by slowing down or changing course appropriately if the ship experiences severe shocks, especially when she is in ballast.

The captain of the ship is obliged to develop and maintain his knowledge and skills in navigation, in the management of the ship in various navigational, hydrographic and hydrometeorological conditions in order to always be able to ensure the management of the ship in accordance with the highest standards of maritime practice.

The captain organizes and controls navigational and watchkeeping service on the vessel in accordance with the requirements of the Charter of Service on Ships, international codes, the company's manual for the organization of navigational service and other organizational and administrative documents.

The captain must control the deep knowledge of all navigators on COLREGs-72 and ensure the navigation of the vessel always in strict accordance with this and the rules.

The captain must be present on the bridge at least in the following cases:

1. When called by an officer on duty;
2. With limited visibility;
3. When following in the area of ​​intensive navigation;
4. When sailing in tight waters;
5. When sailing with a pilot;
6. When entering the port, leaving the port, mooring operations (including at the monobuoy or when mooring to another vessel);
7. When anchoring and shooting from anchor;
8. When sailing near shallow water or navigational hazards;
9. Heavy weather conditions or other circumstances where, in the opinion of the master, there is a potential threat to the safety of the vessel, crew or the environment;
10. When approaching the shore after an ocean voyage;
11. during rescue operations;
12. At any other time when, in his opinion, conditions exist that pose a potential threat to the safety of the ship.

Although the captain is always responsible for the navigational safety of the ship, there may be circumstances in which the captain will have to spend many hours on the bridge. As a result, fatigue due to long stay on the bridge can weaken the efficiency and vigilance of the captain. Therefore, the captain's presence on the bridge should be pre-planned and, as far as possible, coincide with periods of greatest need.

Besides, in similar situations The master has the right (and duty, when required) to delegate his authority and responsibility for attendance on the bridge, for the control of the ship and for ensuring the safety of navigation, to the chief mate, to the extent necessary to allow the master adequate rest time.

If the master has doubts about the possibility of such a transfer of responsibility to the chief mate, the master is obliged to inform the company about this.

The master should, whenever it is safe, reasonable and practicable, train the chief mate in the practical handling of the ship.

The captain must ensure the safety of such training, control the development of the situation and be ready at any time to take control of the ship.

The master must ensure that before the start of the passage, a plan for the upcoming passage is developed that fully meets the requirements for ensuring navigational safety and good sea practice (section 2 of this "Guidelines"). This plan must be discussed with all the captain's assistants, accepted for execution, and the implementation of the approved passage plan must be monitored during the entire voyage of the vessel.

Before leaving the port, the captain must make sure that the ship is seaworthy in all respects. In particular, it is necessary to check that all hatches, manholes, necks are closed, clamped, battened down as required.

The master must ensure that the course of the vessel is kept "clear" of headlands and navigational obstructions during the course of the voyage, and that the practice employed ensures navigational safety.

The vessel must proceed to its destination in accordance with the established timetable, but in full compliance with safety requirements. The safety of the crew, the ship, the cargo, the environment must always take precedence over economic considerations, both in choosing the route of passage and in the process of operating the ship at sea. Safety standards and “margins” must not be lowered, for any reason, and under no pressure from any company officer.

Vessel speed should be reduced if navigation conditions require it.

You should not take an unreasonable risk that poses a danger to the crew, ship, cargo, or the environment. The selected solutions should be based on the requirements of good maritime practice and a deep knowledge of the characteristics, features, behavior of the ship in this option downloads.

The officer in charge of the watch should be given clear instructions in which situations the captain should be called to the bridge without delay. The officer in charge of the watch must always know where he can find the captain at any given time.

Must be clearly stated in the ship's logbook when the master takes over the ship.

The captain must set the mode of navigation watch on the bridge depending on the navigation conditions, including organizing an enhanced watch when sailing in difficult navigation conditions.

The master should ensure that all safety systems on board the ship (such as life-saving appliances, fire-fighting equipment) are properly operated and that watch officers and other crew members are appropriately positioned to use such systems.

Regular drills should be conducted, especially during the early stages of the voyage and during without fail- before going on a flight after a factory repair. Information on the operation of security systems and the exercises carried out should be recorded in the appropriate log.

The master must ensure that ship's draft information is clearly available to the officer in charge of the watch throughout the passage. The ship's draft must be indicated in the wheelhouse and recorded in the ship's log. A designated mate should ensure that changes in ship's draft during a voyage, including due to ballasting (especially at sea), are properly calculated, accounted for and recorded.

A special tablet showing the general dimensions of the vessel and detailed information about the maneuvering characteristics of the ship, should be constantly posted in the wheelhouse. An internationally recommended example of such a plate is given in the appendix to BPG-98. The operational status of the ship's power plant and navigation equipment should be shown either on the same board or next to it.

The master should ensure that, where appropriate, mates leaving the ship are briefed by mates arriving on board. It is important that newly arriving helpers be shown how to turn on, set up and use all equipment on the bridge.

The captain must ensure that all assistants to the captain (including those arriving on board the ship) familiarize themselves with the "Guidelines for the organization of the navigation service of the company", understand its contents and accept it as a guide to action, certifying this with their signature on a special familiarization sheet.

The master shall, when necessary and appropriate, issue his operational orders in writing and record them in the Bridge Orders Book and the Night Orders Book, ensuring that the captain's assistants become familiar with these orders, attesting to this with their signature, before starting to perform the duties of a watch officer on the next watch.

The master shall ensure and supervise that the captain's assistants properly maintain all ship's logbooks established by the company in accordance with the current instructions for their completion.

The master of the ship is responsible for the immediate (as far as circumstances permit) reporting of any accident or emergency, incident, damage, environmental pollution to the company and other interested parties, as defined in the "Manual" of the company on actions in emergency and emergency situations.

The captain of the ship has a set of rights and obligations related to the management of the crew and the exercise of administrative powers. Proper control of the ship and its safe navigation are ensured by proper organization of the work of all services of the ship, maintenance of the ship and the equipment on board in good technical condition, staffing the ship with qualified specialists and making the right navigational decisions by the captain.
When preparing for navigation, the captain is obliged to check the presence on the ship of the necessary corrected navigational charts and manuals for the voyage, work out with the navigational staff the conditions of navigation along the route of the ship, and also set the exact time for the ship to be ready for departure. During the voyage, the captain is obliged to exercise control over the timely and high-quality determination of the location of the vessel by the watch officers. The appointment and change of the ship's course is the right of the captain only. He has the right to give orders to deviate from the previously appointed route whenever this is caused by the circumstances of navigation or the need to provide assistance to ships and people in distress.
In case of force majeure, when there is a danger to the ship, people and cargo, the officer in charge of the watch may change the course appointed by the captain, but he must immediately notify the captain of this.
The master is obliged to immediately report all accidents and accidents, as well as accidents on the ship, in accordance with the established procedure to the shipowner and take all measures in his power to ensure the safety of people, ship and cargo. Until the end of the voyage, the captain is obliged to ensure the safety and inviolability nautical charts with a gasket applied to them and other navigational documents, which reflect the maneuvering of the vessel. In the event of an accident with a ship, such documents should be kept until it is investigated. In accordance with Art. 66 of the CTM of the Russian Federation, if the ship is threatened with imminent death, the captain of the ship allows the crew members to leave the ship after taking all measures to save the passengers on board. The captain of the ship is the last to leave the ship after taking measures depending on him to save the ship's log, engine log and radio log, charts of this voyage, navigational tapes, documents and valuables.
The captain has a number of rights and obligations related to the commercial operation of the vessel. In exercising his rights and fulfilling his obligations, the captain must organize the commercial work on the ship in such a way that the operation of the ship is not only profitable, but also brings significant profit. He is obliged to ensure the preparation of all premises of the vessel in which the cargo is transported for its safe transportation, to check the correctness of its placement. Before accepting the cargo, the captain reviews the preliminary cargo plan and approves it if the proposed loading option ensures the safety of navigation and the safety of the cargo. In accordance with Art. 30 of the Charter of Service on Vessels of the Fishing Fleet of the Russian Federation, the captain has the right to refuse to accept certain cargoes on board if their loading or transportation is contrary to the rules for the carriage of dangerous goods by sea, other existing rules or threatens the safety of the ship, people, cargo.
Exercising his rights and obligations in terms of administrative powers, the captain issues orders on the ship, approves job descriptions and ship schedules, which are the basis for organizing service on ships, as they determine the duties of all crew members, as well as persons temporarily staying on the ship as passengers . The ships must have the following ship's schedules: regular, on ship's alarms, on orders, on mooring operations, on the routine of the crew, its accommodation and rules of conduct on the ship.
By virtue of the Charter on the Discipline of Maritime Transport Workers, as well as the Charter on the Discipline of Fishing Fleet Workers (charters on discipline are approved by the Government of the Russian Federation), the captain has the right to apply incentives and impose disciplinary sanctions on crew members: reprimand, reprimand, severe reprimand and write-off from the ship with by simultaneously sending a submission to the shipowner about the imposed penalty - and expressing his opinion on the further use of this employee. According to paragraph 2 of Art. 67 KTM of the Russian Federation, the captain has the right, if necessary, to remove any member of the ship's crew from the performance of their duties. In such a case, the rules set out in Art. 58 of the Code "Repatriation of crew members". These rules oblige the shipowner to ensure, at his own expense, the delivery of a crew member decommissioned from the vessel to the port provided for in the employment agreement (contract) or collective agreement, and in the absence of such instructions in the agreements - to the port of his employment, with maintenance until arrival at the destination . However, paragraph 5 of Art. 58 provides that if the reasons that caused the repatriation of a ship's crew member arose through his fault in the performance of his official duties, then the shipowner has the right to reimbursement of repatriation costs in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
The captain of the ship has the appropriate rights and obligations in the exercise of the functions inherent in the state bodies. In particular, he has the right to detain and isolate, before arriving at the domestic port, a person (including a passenger) whose actions do not contain signs of a criminally punishable act, but threaten the safety of the ship or the people and property on it (paragraph 3 of article 67 of the MCC of the Russian Federation ). A different situation arises when a criminally punishable act has been committed on a ship at sea. In this case, the captain has the right and is obliged to conduct an inquiry in the manner prescribed by law; detain and isolate a person suspected of committing a crime before arriving at the first domestic port to transfer him with the materials of the inquiry to the relevant authorities. In this situation, the captain acts as an inquiry body and is obliged, on the basis of Article 69 of the Russian Federation Code of Commissariat of Labor, to be guided by the criminal procedural legislation of the Russian Federation, as well as the Instruction on conducting an inquiry on ships at sea, approved by the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation.
According to Art. 70 KTM of the Russian Federation, the captain of the ship is endowed with the rights and obligations of a notary, namely: the captain has the right to certify the will, make an entry in the ship's log about each case of the birth of a child on the ship and about each case of death on the ship. Certification of wills is made by the captain in accordance with the Instruction on the procedure for certification of wills by captains sea ​​vessels floating under State flag Russian Federation. In the event of death on board, the captain is obliged to draw up an act with the participation of two witnesses and a ship's medical officer (doctor or paramedic), if any.
"In the event of death, illness, or any other reason that prevents the captain from performing his official duties, the duties of the captain of the ship, until the order of the shipowner is received, are assigned to the senior assistant to the captain of the ship," - defined by Art. 73 KTM of the Russian Federation. Article 32 of the Charter of Service on the Vessels of the Fishing Fleet of the Russian Federation interprets the situation when the captain is unable to perform his official functions much broader, namely: "In the event of illness (death) of the captain, sudden mental disorder or other condition that threatens the safety of the vessel on it, the command of the vessel is taken (temporarily) by the senior assistant captain, with an immediate report on this to the shipowner, the flagship of the group (the head of the fishery), and in a foreign port - to the consul. An appropriate entry is made in the ship's log. "
The captain of the ship bears all types of responsibility: disciplinary, administrative, material and criminal.
Disciplinary responsibility. On the captain who violated the service (labor) discipline, i.e. who has not performed or improperly performed, through his own fault, the duties assigned to him, may be imposed disciplinary action provided by the statutes on discipline. A disciplinary sanction may not be imposed later than one month from the day the misconduct was discovered, and if the misconduct was committed during the voyage, then from the moment the ship returned to the domestic port. In all cases, a disciplinary sanction may not be imposed later than six months (for captains of deep-sea vessels - one year) from the day the misconduct was committed.
Administrative responsibility. If the disciplinary measures are deemed insufficient, then administrative penalties are applied, which include a fine and deprivation of a maritime certificate for a period of one to three years. The captain may be held administratively liable for violation of the rules of the customs regime, safety rules for navigation, labor protection, sanitary rules and rules for the protection of the marine environment, or water resources if such actions are not criminally punishable. A fine is imposed on the captain by the competent authorities (services) in accordance with the administrative legislation of the Russian Federation. An administrative fine may not be imposed later than one month from the day the offense was committed.
Material liability. In accordance with the current regulations, the captain, through whose fault the damage was caused to the shipowner, is liable in the amount of the actual damage, but not more than one third of his monthly salary. However, in cases where the damage is caused by the actions of the captain, containing signs of criminal acts, the captain bears full financial responsibility (by court decision).
Criminal liability. In cases prescribed by law, the captain may be held criminally liable, in particular in the following cases:
failure to provide assistance to people perishing at sea or on another waterway, if this assistance could be provided by the captain without serious danger to his vessel, its crew and passengers;
violations of navigation rules that caused serious consequences (death of the vessel, people or destruction of berthing communications);
damage to a marine telegraph cable or pipeline:
pollution of the marine environment by substances harmful to human health or living resources of the sea;
violation of labor rules, expressed in the action or inaction of the captain, resulting in the death of people;
abuse of power or official position, which entailed large negative consequences.
The captain can be held criminally liable only by a court verdict.
The relationship of the captain with the authorities of a foreign state. During the ship's stay in the territorial sea, internal waters and ports of foreign states, the master must strictly observe the laws, rules and customs of the coastal state. The master can obtain the necessary information about the legislation of the host state of the ship from the national consul (consul of the ship's flag state), and in his absence - from the shipowner's agent. This is especially important when a ship calls at an unfamiliar port, and even more so at a previously unvisited port of the state whose flag the ship is flying.
According to the Consular Charter of the Russian Federation, the master may apply for assistance and necessary assistance to the consul of the port, which is included in the consular district of the state of his accreditation. If necessary, the consul is an intermediary in the communications of the captain with port and other local authorities. He assists the captain in the search for missing or deserted crew members, as well as in a situation where it is necessary to leave a seriously ill crew member for treatment in the state of residence of the consul, and ensures his delivery to his homeland.
During the stay of the ship in the waters of a foreign state, the crew members and passengers of the ship are subject, by virtue of the sovereignty of the coastal state, to its penal laws. In this regard, the competent authorities of the coastal state may conduct a search, arrest persons who have committed a crime. However, any actions on board the ship must be carried out with the knowledge and presence of the captain and consular (diplomatic) representatives of the state whose flag the ship flies. Modern international practice follows the path of limiting the jurisdiction of a coastal state in relation to crimes committed on board a foreign ship, unless the consequences of the crime affect the security of this state or the interests of its citizens. Upon receipt from the consul of information about the non-use by the coastal state in certain cases of its jurisdiction by virtue of agreements, the captain has the right to decide on the implementation of the functions of the body of inquiry.
However, in exercising these functions, the captain must comply with certain conditions. So, if it is necessary to perform certain urgent actions outside the vessel (for example, to interview the victim in a hospital), the captain is obliged to obtain permission for such actions from the competent authorities of the coastal state. Their permission is also required for the production of surveys of citizens of this state and other actions with their participation, even if for some reason they are on board the ship. This rule does not apply to cases of attaching statements and handwritten explanations to the materials of the inquiry. foreign citizens, as well as various documents related to the inquiry. The captain must conduct an inquiry in the legal field of the host state of the ship, taking into account existing international agreements.
If the captain detains a person suspected of committing a crime, local authorities in any case have the right to check the lawfulness of such detention. The right to verify the legality of the detention made by the captain is retained by the local authorities, even if such detention took place before the vessel entered a foreign port. At the same time, in some countries, the validity of the detention of a suspect is checked on the basis of the legislation of the flag state of the vessel (for example, in the UK, the Netherlands), in others - on the basis of the legislation of the host state of the vessel (for example, in Norway, Denmark).
Ship captains should keep in mind that in cases where documents and acts are drawn up with the participation of foreign authorities or come from authorities and citizens, they must be legalized by the consul of the district in which such documents are issued. Consular legalization consists in establishing and attesting the authenticity of signatures on these documents and acts and their compliance with the laws of the host state of the vessel and the consul. Without legalization, such documents are considered invalid and have no legal value.