PSC deficiency code 10111: Charts
Code 10111 is about the charts on the bridge: whether the ship has the charts it needs for the voyage it's on and the next one, and whether they are corrected. On a ship that navigates on paper they are the primary means; on an ECDIS ship any paper charts kept as the approved backup are checked the same way.
What the inspector looks at
The inspector usually starts from the voyage: last port, this port, next port. Then they pull the charts for that route and compare them with the latest Notices to Mariners on board.
- charts held for the whole intended voyage, including port approaches and berths
- scale adequate for coastal passages and pilotage waters, not only small-scale ocean charts
- corrections entered and recorded on the chart (number and year of the notice)
- chart correction log or folio record matching what's on the charts
- latest weekly Notices to Mariners received and the date they were applied up to
- temporary and preliminary notices tracked and plotted where relevant
Common findings
- Charts for the intended voyage not on board (next port approach chart missing)
- Charts not corrected up to date; last correction several weeks behind the latest NtM held
- Chart in use is a superseded edition
- Chart correction log not maintained or does not match the corrections on the chart
- T&P notices not recorded or plotted
- Only small-scale charts held for coastal passage and port approach
- Paper charts declared as ECDIS backup but not corrected
The rule behind it
SOLAS chapter V, regulation 19 requires ships to carry nautical charts to plan and display the route for the intended voyage and to plot and monitor positions. Regulation 27 requires those charts to be adequate and up to date. If the paper charts are the backup to ECDIS, the flag's acceptance of that backup arrangement defines which charts must be kept.
Action codes you are likely to see
Missing or uncorrected charts for the next leg are commonly written as 17, rectify before departure, because the ship should not sail without them. Record-keeping gaps where the charts themselves are correct tend to get 16 or 18. A ship with no adequate charts at all for its voyage, or plainly unsafe chart status combined with other navigation findings, can be detained (30). See action taken codes for what each code requires.
How to close it
Order the missing charts through the agent or chart supplier and get them on board before sailing. Bring all charts for the voyage up to the latest Notice to Mariners, and enter every correction in the log. Keep the supply invoice or delivery note, the NtM numbers applied and copies of the updated log. Show the inspector the corrected charts on re-inspection and file the evidence with the Form B. Then find out why it happened, for example a missed weekly NtM delivery.