Do All Ships Have To Be Registered With A Country

All ships have to be registered in a country of the owner'due south option. Many owners choose to annals their ships in their own state (e.yard. a German shipowner will annals his ship in Germany or a Japanese shipowner will register his transport in Japan.) Notwithstanding, for several reasons, a shipowner may annals his ship in another country (e.yard. a German language shipowner may annals his ship in Singapore or a Japanese Shipowner may register his send in Panama.) Here are some terms that chronicle to ship registration :

Flagging a ship (This means the same as registering a ship.)

The transport will be registered in a country of the possessor'due south choice and will show the port of registry on the stern simply below her name. When in a port, she volition wing the flag of the country at the stern. For example, a ship registered in New York will have NEW YORK displayed on the stern, and when in Cape Boondocks or whatever other port, she will fly the American flag at the stern. See the instance below.

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This vessel, Purple Beach, belongs to MACS Shipping. She is registered in Majuro which is the major port in the Marshall Islands group. (The Marshall Islands flag is partly visible flight from the ensign staff above the L in Majestic.) Marshall Islands lie in the Pacific Sea to the south-west of Japan. As MACS is a German visitor and as the ship has been registered in another country, Purple Beach has been flagged out. She flies a flag of convenience. Photograph : Andrew Ingpen

Major Ships' Registers

The following countries are among those in which many shipowners cull to register their ships (in brackets are the principal ports that unremarkably appear on the sterns of ships registered in that country : Panama (Panama); Liberia (Monrovia); Cyprus (Limassol); Marshall Islands (Majuro); Singapore (Singapore); Malta (Valetta); Gibraltar (Gibraltar); Bermuda (Hamilton) ; Bahamas (Freeport); St Vincent & Grenadines (Kingstown); China (many Chinese-flagged vessels are registered in Shanghai or Hong Kong. Those registered in Hong Kong fly both the Chinese and Hong Kong flag at the stern when in port.) Some British vessels are registered in Isle of man whose principal port is Douglas.

The map below shows the places where nigh of the globe'south ships are registered.

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one – Panama; 2 – Bahamas; 3 – Bermuda; 4 – Gibraltar; v – Malta; 6 – Cyprus; 7 – Liberia; 8 – Singapore, 9 – Hong Kong, 10 – Shanghai, 11 – Marshall islands

Flag of Convenience

If a ship has been flagged out, the term flag of convenience is given to the country in which she has been registered. In the case to a higher place, Majestic Beach is registered in Majuro, Marshall Islands, and, in this instance, Marshall Islands is the Flag of Convenience. The concept of flags of convenience has attracted much unfair negative attending in contempo years. Some believe that shipowners employ a flag of convenience to avoid strict maritime control in their own countries. Some likewise criminate that shipowners flag their ships out so that they can apply cheaper crews, and by inference, less capable crews or that the shipowner exploits cheaper crews. Nigh responsible shipowners view their ships as valuable assets and exercise all they can to ensure that the vessels are well-maintained and well-operated, and have nothing to hibernate from diligent officials who may need to undertake surveys of their ships from fourth dimension to fourth dimension. They also want the best possible crews aboard their ships to maintain them properly and so that accidents are avoided. Cheaper crews exercise not necessarily mean less capable crews. Asian crews are by and large paid less than European crews because rates of pay – approved by their unions – are lower than European rates of pay. For all the right reasons, the Durban-based Grindrod grouping, for instance, have flagged most of their ships in Singapore or in Britain. Both of these countries are – in this context – flags of convenience, but both countries are renowned for their insistence on high quality of ship maintenance and proper training of crewmembers, and their strict surveys of ships on their register.

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The well-maintained reefer transport Brasil Star is registered in Monrovia, the main port of Liberia. Liberia is a "flag of convenience" that is used past many reputable owners. Like several other flag of convenience registers, the Liberian register is operated from New York. The immaculate condition of Brasil Star shows that the unfair negative connotations surrounding ships flying flags of convenience is untrue. Photo : Brian Ingpen

Reasons for Flagging out

A shipowner may have many reasons for flagging his ships in another state (i.due east. for flagging his ships out.) These reasons include the post-obit :

The registration fees in the other land may be lower than in his own land.
- To buy a send, a shipowner may have to secure a loan from a banking company. In some countries, the banks who provide such loans are depression on the listing of creditors to be paid if a aircraft visitor goes bankrupt. This means that they may non get all their coin back in the issue of the shipowner going bankrupt. Banks therefore will probably not grant loans to shipowners whose ships are registered in such countries. In other countries, the banks are higher on the list of creditors to be paid if the visitor goes bankrupt. Banks are more than likely to grant loans to shipowners whose ships are registered in these countries.
The country in which he has flagged his ship may offer better tax benefits for him than his own land.
He may wish to use cheaper, strange crews, rather than German crews who are more than expensive. Past flagging his ship in a carefully chosen country, he can utilize crews from any land. If he had flagged his ship in Germany, he would have had to apply German crews.
He may want to trade to certain countries where his transport cannot trade unless she is flagged in a item country. For instance, if a shipowner wishes to move cargo between Due south American ports, he will have to register his ship in ane of those South American countries.
For political reasons, a shipowner may choose to flag his ships in another country. For example, an Israeli shipowner may non want to flag his transport in Israel every bit she might be targeted for attack or cold-shoulder past extremists. So that she is not easily identifiable as an Israeli-owned vessel, her owner may register her in some other country, e.chiliad. Panama.

Flag Land Control

Once a ship has been registered in a country, she falls under command of the maritime authorities of that country. This say-so is called the Flag Land Control that in Southward Africa is known as the Due south African Maritime Safety Authority. In the Usa, the Flag State Command Authorisation is known as the United states Coast Baby-sit, and in United kingdom that authority is known as the Maritime Coastal Agency. The role of Flag Land Control varies from land to land but usually includes the following functions relating to ships registered in that country :
Annals ships in that country
Corroborate ships' plans earlier the vessels are built.
Monitor the construction program in the shipyard where the ship is being built. (This is to ensure that the transport is beingness built to the approved specifications.)
Conduct various trials on new ships – stability tests, ocean trials, lifting trails of ships' cranes, etc – prior to the owner taking delivery.
Deport periodic surveys of ships to check their seaworthiness, the management of the ships, the crewing of the ships
Approve any plans to modify the ship in whatsoever way (east.g. a containership owner wishes to modify the transport so that she can carry more containers)
Bear inquiries into any accident involving ships flight the flag of that country.
Cheque the seaworthiness of any send flight the flag of that country later on an accident.
Undertake special surveys of ships every 5 years.
Corroborate maritime training courses offered by institutions (and monitor the competence of maritime training staff) in that land, ensuring that they suit to the standards of the International Maritime Organisation in terms of requirements of the STCW 95-2010.
Approve and moderate examinations that pb to STCW95-2010-related qualifications.
Conduct some examinations leading to STCW 95-2010 qualifications.