Legal Framework, Certificates, Crewing and Administration
Legal framework, certificates, crewing and administration tests that you know which document allows what, who issues it, and what must be on board.
The legal stack
- Directive (EU) 2017/2397 sets competence standards and the Union certificates of qualification for deckhand, boatman and boatmaster, plus medical fitness and recognition between Member States.
- ES-TRIN sets the technical requirements for inland vessels; the certificate of inspection derives from it. CEVNI provides traffic rules, ADN the dangerous-goods rules, CDNI the waste rules.
- Nationally, the waterway authority (in Hungary the NKH) registers vessels with an ENI number, issues certificates, fixes minimum crew and requires accident reporting.
Documents on board
Certificate of inspection, crew certificates and medical fitness certificates, logbook, crewing document, insurance, and where relevant dangerous-goods documents and the ADN certificate.
Crewing
The minimum crew is fixed by the vessel's certificate, length and zone; the boatmaster is responsible for the vessel being properly manned and rested. Radar and Inland AIS may only be used by a person holding the corresponding certificate where required.
Worked example
A boatman with a Polish certificate is offered boatmaster duties on a Hungarian-flagged vessel on the Danube. He cannot simply take over: the boatmaster function needs a Union boatmaster certificate of qualification, a valid medical fitness certificate, and his service record entered in the logbook. Until then he may serve in the boatman function within the crew composition.
Traps
Assuming a national licence is valid on every waterway and zone; letting a medical certificate lapse; sailing with the logbook not updated; ignoring minimum-crew rules when a crew member signs off.