Emergency Towing Arrangements
SOLAS emergency towing: the tanker requirement, resolution MSC.549(108) extending it to other ships from 2028, and the procedures and booklet.
An emergency towing arrangement is fitted so that a disabled ship can be connected to a tug without the tug’s crew boarding and without power on deck. SOLAS regulation II-1/3-4 has long required arrangements on tankers, and imposes a separate duty on ships generally to carry a ship specific emergency towing procedure.
Resolution MSC.549(108), adopted 23 May 2024, extends the arrangement requirement to ships other than tankers of 20,000 gross tonnage and above, with entry into force on 1 January 2028. It is adopted and not yet in force, so a ship delivered today is not subject to it. IACS Recommendation No. 40 provides survey guidelines for emergency towing arrangements.
The full article will set out the SOLAS requirement as it stands and as it will stand from 2028, the design and strength requirements for the arrangement, the pick up gear and its stowage, the emergency towing procedure and booklet, and the survey regime.