Vessel Equipment

As a general rule, all equipment placed onboard or replaced should be type-approved.
 
Rules on how vessels must be equipped are stated in the regulations issued by the Swedish Maritime Administration. Each regulation may cover a certain equipment category and be applicable to several vessel categories or may cover a certain vessel category and contain rules on several equipment categories.

Type approval of equipment is governed by an EC directive. The directive is a “harmonised” directive, which means that a product that has been type approved by a notified body in one member state in the European Community may be placed on any Community vessel (regardless of flag). The Directive took force with the Swedish Maritime Administration’s regulations and general guidelines (SJÖFS 1999:8, reprinted 2003:2) on marine equipment. Any exceptions from the requirement are specified in the regulations that specify equipment standards.

Equipment categories in accordance with SJÖFS 1999:8

  • Life-saving appliances
  • Marine pollution prevention
  • Fire protection
  • Navigation equipment
  • Radio communication equipment
  • Equipment required under COLREGS 72 (navigation lights and sound signal appliances)
  • Bulk carrier safety equipment (loading instruments)

Equipment that is not covered by the Marine Equipment Directive may be subject to other regulations, e.g., those on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and CE-marking.

Vessel categories

  • Vessels covered by international conventions, cargo ships and passenger ships in international traffic
  • Vessels covered by the EC Directive; passenger ships in national traffic and fishing vessels
  • High-speed craft (HSC)
  • Other vessels in commercial traffic not covered by the aforementioned regulations
  • Merchant vessels with a length of at least 5.5 metres but less than 15 metres may be equipped according to the Nordic Boat Standard (NBS-Y) according to applications in SJÖFS 1997:3

International conventions and EC Directives take force in Sweden through laws, ordinances and regulations.