§  80.1105   Maintenance requirements.

   (a) Equipment must be so designed that the main units can be replaced
   readily, without elaborate recalibration or readjustment. Where
   applicable, equipment must be constructed and installed so that it is
   readily accessible for inspection and on-board maintenance purposes.
   Adequate information must be provided to enable the equipment to be
   properly operated and maintained (see IMO Resolution A.569(14)).

   (b) Radio equipment required by this subpart must be maintained to
   provide the availability of the functional requirements specified in
   § 80.1081 and to meet the performance standards specified in § 80.1101.

   (c) On ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A1 and A2, the
   availability must be ensured by duplication of equipment, shore-based
   maintenance, or at-sea electronic maintenance capability, or a
   combination of these.

   (d) On ships engaged on voyages in sea areas A3 and A4, the
   availability must be ensured by using a combination of at least two of
   the following methods: duplication of equipment, shore-based
   maintenance, or at-sea electronic maintenance capability.

   (e) Irrespective of the maintenance methods used, a ship must not
   depart from any port unless and until the ship is capable of performing
   all distress and safety functions as specified in § 80.1081.

   (f) Irrespective of the maintenance methods used, all manufacturers'
   instruction manuals and maintenance manuals for each piece of equipment
   required and installed must be available on-board ship. Adequate tools,
   spare parts, and test equipment appropriate to the methods used by the
   ship as recommended by the manufacturer should be provided. The
   manuals, tools, spare parts, and test equipment, as applicable, should
   be readily accessible.

   (g) If the duplication of equipment maintenance method is used, the
   following radio installations, in addition to other equipment
   requirements specified in this subpart, must be available on-board
   ships for their sea areas as applicable. Equipment carried in
   accordance with this paragraph must comply with § § 80.1101 and 80.1103.
   Additionally, each radio installation must be connected to a separate
   antenna and be installed and be ready for immediate operation.

   (1) Ships, equipped in accordance with § 80.1087 for sea area A1, must
   carry a VHF radio installation complying with the requirements of
   § 80.1085(a)(1).

   (2) Ships, equipped in accordance with § 80.1089 for sea areas A1 and
   A2, must carry a VHF radio installation complying with the requirements
   of § 80.1085(a)(1) and an MF radio installation complying with the
   requirements of § 80.1089(a)(1) and being able to fully comply with
   watch requirements as specified in § 80.1123(a)(2). The MF radio
   installation installed for duplication must also comply with the
   requirements § 80.1089(c).

   (3) Ships, equipped in accordance with § 80.1091 for sea areas A1, A2,
   and A3, must carry a VHF radio installation complying with the
   requirements of § 80.1085(a)(1) and either an MF/HF radio installation
   complying with the requirements of § 80.1091(b)(1) and being able to
   fully comply with watch requirements as specified in § 80.1123(a)(2) or
   an INMARSAT ship earth station complying with the requirements of
   § 80.1091(a)(1). The MF/HF radio installation or the INMARSAT ship earth
   station installed for duplication must also comply with the
   requirements § 80.1091(c).

   (4) Ships, equipped in accordance with § 80.1093 for sea areas A1, A2,
   A3, and A4, must carry a VHF radio installation complying with the
   requirement of § 80.1085(a)(1) and an MF/HF radio installation complying
   with the requirements of § 80.1091(b)(1) and being able to fully comply
   with watch requirements as specified in § 80.1123(a)(2). The MF/HF radio
   installation installed for duplication must also comply with the
   requirements § 80.1091(c).

   (h) The radio installations specified in paragraph (g) of this section
   (referred as “duplicated equipment”), in addition to the appropriate
   radio equipment specified in § 80.1099 (referred as “basic equipment”),
   must be connected to the reserve sources of energy required by
   § 80.1099. The capacity of the reserve sources of energy should be
   sufficient to operate the particular installation ( i.e., the basic
   equipment or the duplicated equipment) with the highest power
   consumption, for the appropriate period specified in § 80.1099. However,
   the arrangement for the reserve sources of energy must be such that a
   single fault in this arrangement cannot affect both the basic and the
   duplicated equipment.

   (i) If the shore-based maintenance method is used, the following
   requirements apply.

   (1) Maintenance services must be completed and performance verified and
   noted in the ship's record before departure from the first port of call
   entered after any failure occurs.

   (2) Each GMDSS equipment must be tested and performance verified and
   the results noted in the ship's record before departure from every
   port. To accomplish this, each ship shall carry a performance checkoff
   sheet listing each GMDSS equipment carried on a mandatory basis.

   (j) If the at-sea maintenance method is used, the following
   requirements apply.

   (1) Adequate additional technical documentation, tools, test equipment,
   and spare parts must be carried on-board ship to enable a qualified
   maintainer as specified in § 80.1074 to perform tests and localize and
   repair faults in the radio equipment.

   (2) Only persons that comply with the requirements of § 80.1074 may
   perform at-sea maintenance on radio installations required by this
   subpart.

   (k) Satellite EPIRBs shall be tested at intervals not exceeding 12
   months for all aspects of operational efficiency with particular
   emphasis on frequency stability, signal strength and coding. The test
   may be conducted on board the ship or at an approved testing or
   servicing station.

   [ 57 FR 9065 , Mar. 16, 1992, as amended at  68 FR 46980 , Aug. 7, 2003]

Operating Procedures for Distress and Safety Communications