MC 116 22

Version 1.0

7 September 2022

ST KITTS & NEVIS INTERNATIONAL SHIP REGISTRY
MARITIME CIRCULAR – MC 116 22
COMPLIANCE WITH LONG-RANGE IDENTIFICATION
AND TRACKING (LRIT)

1. Purpose
1.1. The purpose of this Maritime Circular is to provide information on the requirements and procedures
to comply with the LRIT as required by SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19-1, as amended. Contracting
Governments must be able to receive long-range identification and tracking information about ships
for security, search and rescue, marine environment protection and marine safety purposes.
2. Introduction
2.1. All ships shall be fitted with compliant shipborne equipment and must be capable of being
configured to transmit through their terminal in an automatic position report, the identity, the positionof the ship and the date and time of the position.
2.2. A ship must be able to send minimum four position reports per day (every 6-hour period) to the LRIT
Data Centre (DC) and also to be able to respond to instructions to increase the position reports to amaximum of one every fifteen minutes.
3. Application
3.1. The LRIT applies to the following types of ships engaged on international voyages:
a. Passenger ships, including high speed passenger craft of any gross tonnage;b. Cargo ships including high speed craft of 300 GRT and upwards;c. Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) that are propelled by mechanical means and not onlocation;
d. Offshore Support Vessels, Special Purpose Ships and Mobile Offshore Units (MOUs) of 300 GRTand upwards that are propelled by mechanical means;
e. Commercial Yachts of 300 GRT and upwards.
3.2. The LRIT will not apply to the following vessels:a. Ships irrespective of their construction date, which are fitted with AIS (Automatic Identification
System) and are navigating exclusively within GMDSS A1 sea area.
b. Vessels of less than 300 GRT.
4. Recommendations
4.1. Owners may utilize any equipment needed for LRIT information provided that such equipment is incompliance with the requirements of SOLAS Regulation V/19-1.6 and V/19-1.7, the revised
performance standards and functional requirements for the LRIT of ships adopted by Resolution
MSC.263(84) as amended, and the revised performance standards as referenced in IMO MSC
Circular MSC.1/Circ.1307.
4.2. All shipborne LRIT equipment must be tested by an Authorized Testing Application Service Provider
and has to successfully pass the conformance test.

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4.3. Shipborne LRIT Equipment that fails the test will have to be replaced or upgraded accordingly.
4.4. A Conformance Test Report is required to be provided on board the vessels, in order to ensure thatthe equipment as fitted on board, complies with the provisions of SOLAS V/19- 1.6 and the current
LRIT performance standards and functional requirements. The Conformance Test Report can beissued directly by the Application Service Provider, who has to be approved and authorized from theSt Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry.
4.5. The Conformance Test Report should be issued in accordance with the LRIT Requirements and should
include the ASP, Equipment Details, Vessels Details and Date of Testing.
4.6. The LRIT Conformance Test Report will become invalid if:
a. There are changes to the LRIT shipborne equipment;b. The LRIT equipment becomes unserviceable;c. The St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry has withdrawn authorization to the testing ASP
that conducted the conformance test;d. The St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry has been notified by the authorized ASP that theshipborne equipment is not operating within the parameters of the Conformance Test Report
and/or in accordance with the LRIT performance standards;
e. The ship is extending its area of operation beyond that which is stated on the existing
Conformance Test Report.
5. Guidelines
5.1. Fulcrum Maritime on behalf of Collecte Localisaiton Satellites (CLS) is contracted to manage theNational Data Centre on behalf of the St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry. All vessels registeredunder the SKAN Flag that successfully complete the Conformance Test will be integrated into theNational Data Centre.
5.2. Ships engaged on international voyages in sea areas A1, A2, A3 and/or A4, which are using, for thepurpose of transmitting LRIT information, the radiocommunication equipment fitted on board for thepurpose of complying with the requirements of SOLAS Chapter IV and which, for the purpose ofcomplying with the requirements of SOLAS Chapter IV, Regulation 15.6 in relation to availability, areprovided with duplicated equipment, shall use only one of the terminals as the primary terminal for
LRIT. A duplicate terminal “may” be tested for compliance and used by the shipowner as a readybackup should the primary terminal develop problems.
5.3. The Recognized Organization shall ensure that ships/units have a valid conformance testing
document on board, prior to issue any safety certificate and/or endorse any record of equipment,
related to the LRIT function.
5.4. In case that the Conformance Test is not onboard, the SKAN Registry shall be contacted for furtherinstructions.
5.5. A vessel changing particulars such as but not limited to name, gross tonnage, sea areas operationetc., while registered under the SKAN Flag will have to have the LRIT Conformance Test re-issued inorder to show the proper particulars of the vessel in the certificate.
6. Temporarily Suspension of transmission or reducing the frequency of distribution of the LRIT System
6.1. A vessel which, temporarily, will not be in service, is allowed to turn off the LRIT System or reducing thefrequency of distribution of the LRIT information, upon agreement by the St Kitts & Nevis InternationalShip Registry. The owner/manager, master or CSO shall notify at least 72 hours in advance, in writing
the St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry (mail@skanregistry.com) of such event and provide
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information regarding the specific reason of suspension of service or reducing the frequency of theLRIT system, for a specific period of time. The St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry will consider
the request and in affirmative case will consent the ship to switch off their shipborne LRIT equipment
or reducing the frequency of distribution of the LRIT information for a specific period.
6.2. Once the vessel returns to service, the owner, manager, master or CSO, should notify the St Kitts &Nevis International Ship Registry, that the LRIT system is back in service. The St Kitts & Nevis InternationalShip Registry will verify that the LRIT position report is functioning as required. The notification andsubsequent agreement by the St Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry shall be recorded in the ship’s
official logbook.
6.3. LRIT equipment must be operative at all times.
7. Monitoring the LRIT functionality
7.1. A vessel that is registered with SKAN Flag and has provided LRIT Conformance Test but is which is nottransmitting its position as required will:a. Be issued with a first warning notification informing that the vessel is not transmitting the LRIT
position asking for an explanation and advising for the vessel to restart transmitting its position.
b. If the LRIT unit continues to be non-compliant with the reporting requirements and without
acceptable grounds for non-compliance, penalties may be applied accordingly.
7.2. For vessels not transmitting their position and without having the consent from the St. Kitts & Nevis
International Ship Registry as per paragraph 7.1 of this Marine Circular, a penalty fee up to USD 10,000
may be imposed.
If you have any questions, please contact this office at mail@skanregistry.com
Yours truly,

Liam Ryan
International Registrar of Shipping and Seamen

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