Safety of navigation: Chapter V equipment and carriage requirements
What the exam tests
Safety of navigation under Chapter V is about carriage by tonnage, construction date, and voyage. The exam tests whether you can select the correct fit from Regulation 19 rather than recite a generic list.
Core carriage logic
Chapter V applies to all ships on all voyages, but many fittings are triggered by gross tonnage or passenger status. A magnetic compass and means of correcting heading and bearings apply broadly. Gyrocompass and echo sounder generally start at 300 GT; radar at 500 GT; a second radar and VDR at higher tonnages. AIS applies to passenger ships and cargo ships from 300 GT on international voyages, with a 500 GT trigger for non-international cargo ships. ECDIS depends on ship type, tonnage and build date, and needs an agreed backup arrangement. BNWAS and VDR have their own tonnage and date thresholds. Equipment must be type-approved and installed with the required performance standards.
Worked example
A 2,000 GT cargo ship built in 2012 trades internationally. It is below the 3,000 GT ECDIS cargo threshold, so ECDIS is not automatically required by that rule. It is above 500 GT, so radar is required; above 300 GT, so gyrocompass, echo sounder and AIS are required. A second radar is not triggered at 2,000 GT. This fit must still be checked against flag interpretations and any additional national requirements.
Traps
Do not apply a 3,000 GT rule to every item. Do not count an unapproved personal tablet chart display as an ECDIS backup. Do not confuse AIS with LRIT. Do not assume a magnetic compass is unnecessary because a gyrocompass is fitted.