A comparative analysis of deck log records of merchant ships

Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs, cilt.12, sa.3, ss.1-18, 2020 (Hakemli Dergi)

In many studies involving historical and climatological subjects, it is

known that deck log records are used as a major source. The deck

log books have also appeared as one of the key sources of marine

accident investigations. Recently, many international conventions

impose obligations for different types of records. It is seen that

record requirements do not come from a single written source.

As a result, different applications and deficiencies arise. Keeping

incomplete records is reflected as a deficiency in PSC inspection

reports, and even in some cases, it leads to the detention of

ships. The aim of this study is to collect the deck-log recording

requirements from different sources, classify them under main

titles and compare their distribution by a quantitative approach.

Recording requirements were obtained from SOLAS, MARPOL,

ILO, MLC, COLREG, P&I, and Flag states, a total of 135 record

examples were collected for different stages of ship operation.

One unanticipated finding was that SOLAS Chapter 5 and ICS

Bridge Procedures Guide are not a sufficient guide for up-to-date

deck log recording requirements. The study provides a systematic

analysis of recording standards, unlike previous studies that use

deck recordings only as data sources.