Technical

Procedures for
Registration

A guide to the technical requirements for registration of ships in The Bahamas.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority

1. Introduction
1.1.This document has been produced by the Bahamas Maritime
Authority (BMA) to provide owners, managers and their
representatives with a description of the route to technical acceptance
of a ship1 to the Bahamas Register. Readers should also consult BMA
Information Bulletins and the Bahamas National Requirements which
are available on the BMA website (www.bahamasmaritime.com).
1.2. Registration of ships is processed by the Registrars in the London,
Nassau, New York, Hong Kong or Piraeus offices of the BMA. Initial
approaches for registration may be made through the appropriate
BMA office or through the BMA Agents (not BMA approved Nautical
Inspectors) in Germany or Japan. The BMA Inspections & Surveys
department supports the Registrars in ensuring that ships and
managers are technically acceptable for the Bahamas register.
1.3. The information required by the Registrar must be submitted on
the BMA forms which are found on the BMA website. This information
will be used by the Inspections & Surveys department in the technical
review process.

2. General technical requirements for ship registration

2.1.

General

2.1.1.
The Bahamas Register is primarily for commercial ships of
above 1600 NT that are intended to trade internationally and
private & charter yachts over 12 metres load line length.
2.1.2.
The technical requirements for Bahamian ships are the
applicable international Conventions of the International Maritime
Organisation (IMO), International Labour organisation (ILO),
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), etc., together with
amendments and mandatory resolutions that have been adopted
by such organisations, and which have been enacted through the
Bahamas Merchant Shipping Act, as amended.
2.1.3.
All ships are to have their relevant statutory certificates
issued by one of the classification societies that have been
authorised as a Bahamas Recognised Organisation (RO) and/or a
Bahamas Recognised Security Organisation (RSO) as listed in
BMA Information Bulletin No.3.

The term ship for the purpose of this document refers to any vessel or structure to be registered, including
offshore units.

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2.1.4.
Fishing vessels, including fish factory/processing ships, are
not accepted for registration.
2.1.5.
Refrigerated cargo ships engaged in the transportation and/or
transhipment of fisheries products are required to be in possession
of the appropriate permissions/licences from the relevant coastal
State(s) for the voyages concerned. The BMA cooperates fully
with coastal State investigations into allegations of involvement in
illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and associated
activities.
2.1.6.
The BMA can, on request, undertake inspections of
refrigerated cargo ships as required under European Regulation
(EC) No 853/2004 of 29 April 2004 and Regulation (EC) No
285/2004 of 29 April 2004. Further information may be obtained
on request by emailing [email protected].
2.1.7.
Single hull tankers subject to MARPOL Annex I, Regulation
20 are not accepted for registration except where they are to be
converted to other vessel types (e.g. Bulk Carrier, FPSO, etc.) and
are not permitted to trade as tankers after registration.
2.1.8.
Special requirements and procedures apply to charter and
private motor and sailing yachts. Details are available in BMA
Information Bulletin Nos. 102 and 133 which may be downloaded
from the BMA website.
2.1.9.
All masters, officers and radio operators must be provided
with a Bahamas endorsement to their national certificate.
Procedures and application forms are available on the BMA
website and are processed by the BMA Seafarers & Manning
department. Questions on manning and certification matters
may
be
directed
to
the
relevant
department
at
[email protected].
2.1.10. In accordance with paragraph 3.1 of the ISM Code, the
owner must formally notify the BMA of the name and contact
details of the Company that is to undertake and be responsible
for the operation of the ship. The BMA will acknowledge such
notifications.
2.1.11. In accordance with paragraph 3.1 of the ISM Code, the
Company must formally notify the BMA of the name and contact
details of the Designated Person Ashore (DPA) for each
Bahamian ship under their management.
The BMA will
acknowledge such notifications.
2.1.12. In accordance with paragraph 11.1 of the ISPS Code, the
Company must notify the BMA of the designated Company
Security Officer. The BMA will acknowledge such notifications.
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The Bahamas Maritime Authority

2.1.13. In accordance with STCW Regulation I/14, the Company

must notify the BMA of the entity responsible for crewing of its
ships.
2.1.14. The 'Company' must hold an ISM Code Document of
Compliance that includes the type(s) of ship proposed for
registration.
Such a DOC must be issued by one of the
Bahamas
ROs
or,
in
some
circumstances,
another
Administration on behalf of The Government of the
Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Please refer to BMA Information
Bulletin No. 23.
2.1.15. Applications for the following documents are processed by
the BMA:

2.2.

Long Range Identification & Tracking (LRIT) Conformance Test

Report;
Continuous Synopsis Record;
Minimum Safe Manning Document;
Civil Liability Certificate;
Bunker CLC;
Radio Licence;
MARPOL 73/78 Condition Assessment Scheme Statement of
Compliance;
Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance Part I;
Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) Statement of
Interpretation;
MLC 2006 Exemptions/Equivalence;
Permit to Operate High Speed Craft or Dynamically Supported
Craft.
New Buildings

2.2.1.
When the owner of a new building ship intends to enter it
onto the Bahamas register, it is strongly recommended that the
BMA is informed at the earliest opportunity. This is particularly
important if any exemptions from, or equivalences to,
international Conventions are proposed. Any applications for
exemptions or equivalent arrangements are to be made by the
RO in accordance with BMA Information Bulletin No.8.
2.2.2.
The completed application forms required by the Registrar
are to be submitted by the intended owner or their
representative to the BMA at the earliest opportunity.

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The Bahamas Maritime Authority

2.2.3.
A copy of the International Tonnage Certificate and
Certificate of Survey are to be submitted to the Registrar at the
earliest opportunity.
2.2.4.
The Inspections & Surveys department will review this
information to determine the ship's suitability for provisional
registration and to identify and resolve potential problem areas
in meeting statutory certification requirements.
2.3.

Ships up to 12 years of age

2.3.1.
When an owner, manager or other representative
considers registering an existing ship in The Bahamas, the
information referenced in 2.2 above is to be submitted to the
BMA, via the relevant Registrar, at the earliest opportunity.
2.3.2.
A copy of the International Tonnage Certificate and Certificate
of Survey (or Certificate of Registry) are to be submitted to the
Registrar at the earliest opportunity
2.3.3.
A current (not older than 90 days) Classification Society
Listing of Surveys and Conditions of Class or Class Status Report
is to be provided to the Inspections & Surveys department via the
BMA Registrar.
2.3.4.
In addition, full copies of the existing statutory certificates
together with copies of any associated exemption certificates,
statements of equivalency and list of limitations that the current
Administration has approved are to be provided to the Inspections
& Surveys department via the BMA Registrar. A list of the
documents that should be provided is shown in Appendix 1.
2.3.5.
The Inspections & Surveys department will review the above
information as part of the process of assessing the ship's technical
suitability for provisional registration.
The Registrar will not
proceed with provisional registration until the Inspections &
Surveys department has positively recommended the technical
suitability of the ship.
2.4.

Ships 12-20 years of age

2.4.1.
In addition to the above documentation review, ships
over 12 years of age require a satisfactory 'pre-registration
inspection' to be carried out by a Bahamas Approved Nautical

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Inspector. Contact details of these inspectors are available on

the BMA website.
2.4.2.
The Company must contact the inspector directly to
make the necessary arrangements for their attendance. The
Inspections & Surveys department should be copied into
correspondence to ensure that any special instructions are
properly communicated.
2.4.3.
There is no standard charge for an inspection, and
payment must be agreed between the inspector and the
Company requesting the inspection.
It is strongly
recommended that inspection arrangements are not finalised
until the BMA has had adequate opportunity to complete the
document review.
2.4.4.
The purpose of the pre-registration inspection is to assess
the overall technical condition of the ship. The inspector will
require safe access to a representative sample of holds, ballast
tanks and to all other areas. Pre-registration inspections are to
be scheduled for daylight hours only.
2.4.5.
The inspector will prepare a report using the BMA
standard format that will list any identified deficiencies. The
report is sent to the BMA Inspections & Surveys department with
a copy for the Company. The BMA will review this report and
communicate with the proposed managers to resolve any
technical concerns and determine the ship's technical suitability
for provisional registration.
2.4.6.
It is usual that major deficiencies identified will need to be
dealt with before provisional registration may proceed. For
minor deficiencies, the supply of a plan for corrective action
may be sufficient.
2.4.7.
Following resolution of any deficiencies, the BMA
Inspections & Surveys department will advise the Registrar,
who will complete provisional registration procedures.
2.5.

Ships over 20 years of age

2.5.1.
Ships of 20 years of age or more are not normally accepted
for registration in The Bahamas. However, certain vessels in this
category may be accepted, subject to additional procedures and
criteria.
2.5.2.
In addition to the documentation review and preregistration inspection as specified in 2.3 and 2.4 above,
ships over 20 years of age are subject to additional
acceptance criteria:
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The Bahamas Maritime Authority

a) Vessel must have been maintained to a high standard throughout its

life and must be in good condition in all respects.
b) Vessel must have a good Class and Flag history.
c) Vessel must be fully compliant with relevant international Conventions.
d) Vessel must have a good Port State Control record.
e) Vessel must be considered to have a useful trading life remaining.
f) Proposed managers should have a pre-existing relationship with the
BMA and a satisfactory performance.

3. Change of Flag issues

3.1.For an existing ship, at the time of the change of flag the ship
must be marked with its new official number and port of registry,
together with any change of name and tonnages as applicable.
Lifeboats and lifebuoys are also to be suitably marked. If the
vessel is at sea at the time of the change of flag, the marking
must be carried out before leaving the next port.
3.2. For both new and existing ships, the Company may engage a
Bahamas Inspector to attend the ship at this time to verify and
endorse the ship's Carving & Marking Note. However, this may be
done at any time during provisional registration, including at the
initial inspection.
3.3. Prior to the change of flag, the Company is to apply to the BMA
for a Document of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC) Part I, for its
ships to which the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, applies.
Please refer to BMA Information Bulletin No. 127.
The following documents should be provided when applying for a
DMLC Part I:
3.3.1.
For ships transferring from a flag State that HAS ratified
MLC 2006:

Copy of Maritime Labour Certificate and DMLC Part I from

current flag State;
Details of any MLC 2006 exemptions, equivalents, etc. from
current flag State;
For ships with keel laying date prior to 20 August 2013 copy of Statement of Compliance with ILO92 and/or ILO133,
or full details of any other crew accommodation standards
used, including current exemptions.

3.3.2.
For ships transferring from a flag State that HAS NOT
ratified MLC 2006:

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Copy of Statement of Compliance with MLC 2006, ILO92

and/or ILO133, or full details of any other crew
accommodation
standards
used,
including
current
exemptions.

3.4. At the change of flag, the Company is to ensure that Recognised

Organisation surveyor(s) (and RSO/RO auditor(s)) attend on board
to carry out surveys/audits/MLC inspections to verify that the ship
meets the statutory requirements and issue appropriate certification
on behalf of The Bahamas. The attending surveyor is also to
endorse manuals, booklets, plans and documents, as applicable, to
denote that they have been approved on behalf of The Bahamas.
3.5. The Company is also to arrange the attendance of a radio
technician to re-program the MMSI number into the GMDSS
equipment and EPIRB.
3.6.The Company is to arrange for the LRIT system to be tested by a
Bahamas Authorised Testing Application Service Provider (ASP),
as per BMA Information Bulletin No. 111. A list of Bahamas
Authorised Testing ASPs is provided in BMA Information Bulletin
No.116.
3.7. It should be noted that the Bahamas Merchant Shipping Act
requires all correspondence, forms, and documents to be in the
English language. Similarly, all written signs on board a ship must
be in English. If a different working language is used on board, a
version of the document or sign in that working language may be
appended to the English version.
3.8. As any newly registered Category 2 and 3 (single hull) tankers
are not permitted to trade as tankers after registration with The
Bahamas, a Condition Assessment Scheme Statement of
Compliance will not be re-issued by the BMA based on a similar
statement issued by the previous Administration.

4. Provisional Registration
4.1.When the ship has been technically approved for provisional
registration, the BMA Registration Department will complete the
process by communicating with the owner's representative. At
the point of provisional registration the Registrar will issue the
following documents, to be carried on board:
Provisional Certificate of Registry (six months validity)
Ship Radio Communication License
Minimum Safe Manning Document 2
2

Issued by Seafarers and Manning department

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The Bahamas Maritime Authority

Carving and Marking Note

Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR)
CLC and Bunker CLC, as applicable
Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance Part I 3
LRIT Conformance Test Report 3
The Complete Merchant Shipping Legislation of the Bahamas*
Articles of Agreement*
Casualty Report Forms*
Certificate of Discharge (pad of 50)*
Report of Conduct Certificate (pad of 50)*
Record Books required under the relevant Conventions*
GMDSS Radio Log Book*
Official Log Book, Part I, all ships*
Official Log Book, Part II passenger ships only*

* - Additional copies of these publications are available from the

BMA and application may be directed to the relevant BMA
department, [email protected].
4.2. It is recommended that companies operating Bahamian ships
obtain a current copy of The Complete Merchant Shipping
Legislation of the Bahamas for the use of their shore based
technical personnel.
4.3.BMA Information Bulletins and the Bahamas National
Requirements are available on the BMA web site and are to be
carried on board each ship in a Flag State File, either in hard
copy or electronically.
4.4.It is strongly recommended that copies of all relevant IMO and
ILO conventions, protocols, resolutions, codes, guidelines, notes
and circulars, applicable to the type and size of ship and its date
of build, are carried on board.
4.5.When a High Speed Craft is accepted for provisional registration,
the BMA will, at the specific request of the Company, commence
procedures for the issue of a Permit to Operate.

5. Permanent Registration
5.1. To achieve permanent registration, the Company must, inter-alia,
within the period of validity of the Provisional Certificate of Registry4,
arrange for a Bahamas approved inspector to visit the ship to:
3

Issued by Inspections and Surveys department

The BMA recommends that the initial inspection is carried out mid way through the six month
period of provisional registration.
4

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verify that the carving and marking has been correctly

carried out (see paragraph 6), and
carry out the Initial Inspection (see paragraph 7)

5.2. It is the responsibility of the Company to arrange the initial

inspection directly with a Bahamas approved inspector. Fees and
payment arrangements are to be agreed between the inspector and
the Company.

6. Carving & Marking

6.1. The original Carving and Marking Note must be available on board
for the inspector to endorse when the verification of the marks has
been completed. The original note must then be forwarded to the
Registrar in the office at which the registration took place.
6.2. The requirements for Carving and Marking are detailed in the
Bahamas Merchant Shipping Act Ch 268 Section 9 and SOLAS XI-1
Regulation 3.
6.3.Permanent marking of the ship requires that all lettering be in the form
of raised plate letters welded to the hull, bead weld outline, or centrepunched outline (punch marks should be evenly spaced at minimum
50-75mm intervals).
6.4. Where operational conditions do not allow welding to take place
the marking may, with the agreement of the BMA, be painted onto
the hull and made permanent at the first opportunity.
6.5. Special arrangements may be permitted by the Registrar for
marking of yachts.

7. Initial Inspection
7.1.The Initial Inspection is a wider inspection than the aforementioned
pre-registration inspection and is the first of the annual Bahamas
inspections. It covers operational issues including manning, training
and management, compliance with international and Bahamian national
requirements, and the condition of the vessel.
7.2.The Inspector will verify any corrective action carried out by the
Company for any deficiencies identified during the pre-registration
inspection, if applicable.

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7.3.The Inspector will report the findings of the inspection to the BMA,
listing any identified deficiencies. The Inspector is responsible for
leaving a copy of the deficiencies on board.
7.4.If the ship is found in satisfactory condition, the Inspector will issue a
Certificate of Inspection, which reflects the Anniversary Date
assigned by the BMA Inspections & Surveys department. Please refer
to BMA Information Bulletin No. 66.
7.5.If any major deficiencies are identified, the Certificate of Inspection
will not be issued and re,-inspection will be required to verify that the
Company's corrective action was performed and is adequate to prevent
recurrence of major deficiencies. Corrective action in respect of major
deficiencies is to be carried out before permanent registration may
proceed.
7.6.In all cases the Company must advise the Inspections & Surveys
department on corrective actions taken, or planned, to deal with the
reported deficiencies and their causes.
7.7.The report is reviewed by the Inspections & Surveys department to
determine the ship's technical suitability for permanent registration. If
no deficiencies are found, or if only minor deficiencies are found that
can be cleared by the Company submitting documentary evidence, the
Inspections & Surveys department will generally advise the Registrar
that permanent registration may be progressed.

8. Maintaining Registration
8.1.In the event of a change of ship's name, an application must be made
to the Registrar, who will verify availability of the proposed new name
and produce a Carving and Marking Note.
The Company is
responsible for arranging verification of the change of name and
endorsement of the Carving and Marking Note as detailed in
paragraph 6 above.
8.2. If the change of name takes place in a location where a Bahamas
inspector is not available, the Registrar may authorise a named
Classification Society surveyor to endorse the Carving and Marking
Note. The Company is to advise the Registrar of the name of the
surveyor.
8.3. It is a condition of registration that the Company or Owner informs
the BMA of any changes in the Company, Designated Person Ashore
(DPA) and/or Company Security Officer (CSO) or any contact details for
these individuals or organisations by submitting an amended R104 form
to the Registrar.

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8.4. Changes in ownership or technical management will attract a technical

review of the ship to confirm that it remains suitable for the Bahamas
register.
8.5. The BMA Inspections & Surveys department is to be advised of any
changes to the ship or its operation. Examples are when a ship:

changes Classification Society, or;

is taken out of service and placed in lay-up, with or without its
classification being suspended, or;
which is a high-speed/dynamically supported craft, is to be relocated and is to undertake a transit voyage (notification must be
made prior to undertaking such a voyage), or;
has been, or is to be, modified in such a way that its tonnage
is/will be changed5, or;
is converted to perform functions other than what it was originally
designed to perform, especially where there is a change in the
manning involving the carriage of more than 12 persons onboard
who are not crew.

8.6.The BMA Seafarers & Manning department is to be notified of any

changes affecting the manning of the ship with respect to the Safe
Manning Document.
8.7.The BMA LRIT department is to be notified of any changes affecting a
ships LRIT equipment or conformance in accordance with BMA
Information Bulletin No. 111.
8.8.The BMA Casualty & Investigations department is to be notified of
any casualty or incident on a ship in accordance with BMA
Information Bulletin No. 4.

9. Annual Inspections
9.1. The Bahamas Maritime Authority has a regime of annual
inspections of all ships.
Further details are available in BMA
Information Bulletin No. 66.
9.2. Owners and managers are advised that the BMA places great
importance on ships being inspected within the due time period and
failure to arrange such inspections is regarded as an ISM nonconformity.
9.3. Managers are fully responsible for ensuring that an Inspector is
provided with safe access to parts of the vessel that require to be
inspected.

The Registrar is to be supplied with a copy of the International Tonnage Certificate.

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10.

11.

BMA Contact Email Addresses

Registration department
[email protected]
New York Office
[email protected]
Nassau Office
[email protected]
Hong Kong office
[email protected]
Piraeus office
[email protected]
Inspections & Surveys department
[email protected]
Seafarers & Manning department
[email protected]
Casualty & investigations department
[email protected]
Publications
[email protected]
LRIT department
[email protected]
Maritime Affairs
[email protected]
Yachts
[email protected]
Revision Record

Rev.6 (30 May 2014) Renamed Technical Procedures for Registration,

complete revision

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Appendix 1
Copies of the following statutory certificates are required for review prior to
provisional registration of an existing ship:
ALL SHIPS

(as applicable)
Classification Certificate;
International Tonnage Certificate;
International Load Line Certificate and details of any existing
exemptions;
Minimum Safe Manning Document;
International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate and details of any
existing exemptions;
International Sewage Pollution prevention Certificate;
International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate and details of any
existing exemptions;
International Energy Efficiency Certificate;
ISM Code Document of Compliance (DOC) and Safety Management
Certificate (SMC);
LRIT Conformance Test Report.

PASSENGER SHIPS
Passenger Ship Safety Certificate and details of any existing
exemptions; AND
List of operational limitations (passenger ships).
CARGO SHIPS (as applicable)
Cargo Ship Safety Construction certificate and details of any
existing exemptions;
Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate and details of any existing
exemptions;
Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate and details of any existing
exemptions;
Cargo Ship Safety Certificate and details of any existing
exemptions;
Document of Compliance for ships carrying dangerous goods;
Document of authorisation for the carriage of grain;
International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the carriage of
Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk (NLS Certificate);
International / Certificate of Fitness for the carriage of Dangerous
Chemicals in Bulk;
International / Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Liquefied
Gasses in Bulk;
International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of INF Cargo;
Caribbean Cargo Ship Safety Certificate.
HIGH SPEED CRAFT / DYNAMICALLY SUPPORTED CRAFT
High Speed Craft Safety Certificate (HSC Certificate); and
Permit to Operate High-Speed Craft.
OR:
Appendix 1
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OFFSHORE

Dynamically Supported Craft Construction and

Certificate (DSC Certificate); and
Permit to Operate a Dynamically Supported Craft.

Equipment

SHIPS/UNITS (as applicable)

Special Purpose Ships Safety Certificate;
Certificate of Fitness for Offshore Support Vessels;
Diving System Safety Certificate;
Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Safety Certificate.

YACHTS (as applicable)

Commercial Yacht Code Certificate

Appendix 1
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