Helicopter Servicing and the Collision Regulations

Extract

The servicing of ships off Cape Town by helicopter with stores and spares is now established practice. In addition, test exercises are in progress with the Rotterdam Port Authorities to embark pilots by helicopter, and preliminary enquiries are under way for helicopter servicing in the Arabian Gulf.

Since the Institute is setting up a working party to consider the revision of the Collision Regulations, this may be a suitable time to raise the question of whether or not a vessel being serviced by helicopter or embarking a pilot by helicopter should be required to exhibit the day-time shapes prescribed in the Collision Regulations under Rule 4(c).

From exchange of correspondence in recent weeks with various interested parties, it is noticeable that there are differences of opinion concerning the necessity for helicopter serviced vessels to exhibit specific shapes, notably those required under Rule 4(c), and due to the non-existence of published official ruling, the following notes may be of general interest.