§  80.409   Station logs.

   (a) General requirements. Logs must be established and properly
   maintained as follows:

   (1) The log must be kept in an orderly manner. The log may be kept
   electronically or in writing. The required information for the
   particular class or category of station must be readily available. Key
   letters or abbreviations may be used if their proper meaning or
   explanation is contained elsewhere in the same log.

   (2) Erasures, obliterations, or willful destruction of written logs, or
   deletions of data or willful destruction of computer files or computer
   hardware containing electronic logs, is prohibited during the retention
   period. Corrections may be made only by the person originating the
   entry by striking out the error, initialing the correction and
   indicating the date of correction. With respect to electronic logs,
   striking out the error is to be accomplished using a strike-through
   formatting effect or a similar software function, and the correction is
   to be acknowledged through a dated electronic signature at the location
   of the strike-through.

   (3) Ship station logs must identify the vessel name, country of
   registry, and official number of the vessel.

   (4) The station licensee and the radio operator in charge of the
   station are responsible for the maintenance of station logs.

   (b) Availability and retention. Station logs must be made available to
   authorized Commission employees upon request and retained as follows:

   (1) Logs must be retained by the licensee for a period of two years
   from the date of entry, and, when applicable, for such additional
   periods as required by the following paragraphs:

   (i) Logs relating to a distress situation or disaster must be retained
   for three years from the date of entry.

   (ii) If the Commission has notified the licensee of an investigation,
   the related logs must be retained until the licensee is specifically
   authorized in writing to destroy them.

   (iii) Logs relating to any claim or complaint of which the station
   licensee has notice must be retained until the claim or complaint has
   been satisfied or barred by statute limiting the time for filing suits
   upon such claims.

   (2) Logs containing entries required by paragraph (c) of this section
   must be kept either at the principal control point of the station or
   electronically filed at the station licensee's primary office or
   available to the Commission via secured access to the licensee's
   Internet web site. Logs containing entries required by paragraphs (e)
   and (f) of this section must be kept at the principal radiotelephone
   operating location while the vessel is being navigated. All entries in
   their original form must be retained on board the vessel for at least
   30 days from the date of entry. Additionally, logs required by
   paragraph (f) of this section must be retained on board the vessel for
   a period of 2 years from the date of the last inspection of the ship
   radio station.

   (3) Ship radiotelegraph logs must be kept in the principal
   radiotelegraph operating room during the voyage.

   (c) Public coast station logs. Public coast stations must maintain a
   log, whether by means of written or automatic logging or a combination
   thereof. The log must contain the following information:

   (1) "ON DUTY" must be entered by the operator beginning a duty period,
   followed in the case of a written log by the operator's signature. "OFF
   DUTY" must be entered by the operator being relieved of or terminating
   duty, followed in the case of a written log by the operator's
   signature.

   (2) The date and time of making an entry must be shown opposite the
   entry.

   (3) Failure of equipment to operate as required and incidents tending
   to unduly delay communication must be entered.

   (4) All measurements of the transmitter frequency(ies) must be entered
   with a statement of any corrective action taken.

   (5) Entries must be made giving details of all work performed which may
   affect the proper operation of the station. The entry must be made,
   dated and in the case of a written log signed by the operator who
   supervised or performed the work and, unless the operator is regularly
   employed on a full-time basis at the station, must also include the
   mailing address, class, serial number, and expiration date of the
   operator license.

   (6) Entries must be made about the operation of the antenna tower
   lights when the radio station has an antenna structure requiring
   illumination by part 17 of this chapter.

   (7) All distress or safety related calls transmitted or received must
   be entered, together with the frequency used and the position of any
   vessel in need of assistance.

   (d) Ship radiotelegraph logs. Logs of ship stations which are
   compulsorily equipped for radiotelegraphy and operating in the band 90
   to 535 kHz must contain log entries as follows:

   (1) The date and time of each occurrence or incident required to be
   entered in the log must be shown opposite the entry and the time must
   be expressed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

   (2) "ON WATCH" must be entered by the operator beginning a watch,
   followed by the operator's signature for stations maintaining written
   logs. "OFF WATCH" must be entered by the operator being relieved or
   terminating a watch, followed by the operator's signature for stations
   maintaining written logs. All log entries must be completed by the end
   of each watch.

   (3) During the watch, all calls and replies to and from the station
   must be entered to include the time, frequencies, and call letters of
   the station communicated with or heard. Also, any messages exchanged
   must be entered to include the time, frequency, and call letters of the
   station(s) communicated with or heard.

   (4) All distress calls, automatic-alarm signals, urgency and safety
   signals made or intercepted, the complete text, if possible, or
   distress messages and distress communications, and any incidents or
   occurrences which may appear to be of importance to safety of life or
   property at sea, must be entered, together with the time of such
   observation or occurrence and the position of the ship or other mobile
   unit in need of assistance.

   (5) The position of the ship at least once per day.

   (6) A daily entry must be made comparing the radio station clock with
   standard time, including errors observed and corrections made. For this
   purpose, authentic radio time signals received from land or fixed
   stations will be acceptable as standard time.

   (7) All test transmissions must be entered, including the time of the
   transmissions and the approximate geographical location of the vessel.

   (8) Any failure of equipment to operate as required and any incidents
   tending to unduly delay communications must be entered.

   (e) Ship radiotelephone logs. Logs of ship stations which are
   compulsorily equipped for radiotelephony must contain the following
   applicable log entries and the time of their occurrence:

   (1) A summary of all distress and urgency communications affecting the
   station's own ship, all distress alerts relayed by the station's own
   ship, and all distress call acknowledgements and other communications
   received from search and rescue authorities.

   (2) A summary of safety communications on other than VHF channels
   affecting the station's own ship.

   (3) The time of any inadvertent transmissions of distress, urgency and
   safety signals including the time and method of cancellation.

   (4) An entry that pre-departure equipment checks were satisfactory and
   that required publications are on hand. Daily entries of satisfactory
   tests to ensure the continued proper functioning of GMDSS equipment
   shall be made.

   (5) A daily statement about the condition of the required
   radiotelephone equipment, as determined by either normal communication
   or test communication;

   (6) A weekly entry that:

   (i) The proper functioning of digital selective calling (DSC) equipment
   has been verified by actual communications or a test call;

   (ii) The portable survival craft radio gear and radar transponders have
   been tested; and

   (iii) The EPIRBs have been inspected.

   (7) An entry at least once every thirty days that the batteries or
   other reserve power sources have been checked and are functioning
   properly.

   (8) Results of required equipment tests, including specific gravity of
   lead-acid storage batteries and voltage reading of other types of
   batteries provided as a part of the compulsory installation;

   (9) Results of inspections and tests of compulsorily fitted lifeboat
   radio equipment;

   (10) When the master is notified about improperly operating
   radiotelephone equipment.

   (11) At the beginning of each watch, the Officer of the Navigational
   Watch, or GMDSS Operator on watch, if one is provided, shall ensure
   that the navigation receiver is functioning properly and is
   interconnected to all GMDSS alerting devices which do not have integral
   navigation receivers, including: VHF DSC, MF DSC, satellite EPIRB and
   HF DSC or INMARSAT SES. On a ship without integral or directly
   connected navigation receiver input to GMDSS equipment, the Officer of
   the Navigational Watch, or GMDSS Operator on watch, shall update the
   embedded position in each equipment. An appropriate log entry of these
   actions shall be made.

   (12) An entry describing any malfunctioning GMDSS equipment and another
   entry when the equipment is restored to normal operation.

   (13) A GMDSS radio log entry shall be made whenever GMDSS equipment is
   exchanged or replaced (ensuring that ship MMSI identifiers are properly
   updated in the replacement equipment), when major repairs to GMDSS
   equipment are accomplished, and when annual GMDSS inspections are
   conducted.

   (f) Applicable radiotelephone log entries. The log entries listed in
   paragraph (e) of this section are applicable as follows (vessels
   subject to the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
   should also refer to subpart W of this Part for additional guidance on
   maintenance of station logs):

   (1) Radiotelephony stations subject to the Communications Act and/or
   the Safety Convention must record entries indicated by paragraphs
   (e)(1) through (e)(13) of this section. Additionally, the
   radiotelephone log must provide an easily identifiable, separate
   section relating to the required inspection of the ship's radio
   station. Entries must be made in this section giving at least the
   following information.

   (i) For ships that pass the inspection:

   (A) The date the inspection was conducted.

   (B) The date by which the next inspection needs to completed.

   (C) The inspector's printed name, address and class of FCC license
   (including the serial number).

   (D) The results of the inspection, including any repairs made.

   (E) The inspector's signed and dated certification that the vessel
   meets the requirements of the Communications Act and, if applicable,
   the Safety Convention and the Bridge-to-Bridge Act contained in
   subparts R, S, U, or W of this part and has successfully passed the
   inspection.

   (F) The vessel owner, operator, or ship's master's certification that
   the inspection was satisfactory.

   (ii) For ships that fail the inspection:

   (A) The date the inspection was conducted.

   (B) The inspector's printed name, address and class of FCC license
   (including the serial number).

   (C) The reason that the ship did not pass the inspection.

   (D) The date and time that the ship's owner, operator or master was
   notified that the ship failed the inspection.

   (2) Radiotelephony stations subject to the Great Lakes Agreement and
   the Bridge-to-Bridge Act must record entries indicated by paragraphs
   (e)(1), (3), (5), (6), (7), (8), (10), (11), and (13), and of this
   section. Additionally, the radiotelephone log must provide an easily
   identifiable, separate section relating to the required inspection of
   the ship's radio station. Entries must be made in this section giving
   at least the following information:

   (i) The date the inspection was conducted;

   (ii) The date by which the next inspection needs to be completed;

   (iii) The inspector's printed name, address and class of FCC license
   (including the serial number);

   (iv) The results of the inspection, including any repairs made;

   (v) The inspector's signed and dated certification that the vessel
   meets the requirements of the Great Lakes Agreement and the
   Bridge-to-Bridge Act contained in subparts T and U of this part and has
   successfully passed the inspection; and

   (vi) The vessel owner, operator, or ship's master's certification that
   the inspection was satisfactory.

   (3) Radiotelephony stations subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act must
   record entries indicated by paragraphs (e)(1), (3), (5) (6), (7), (10),
   and (11) of this section.

   [ 51 FR 31213 , Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at  52 FR 35245 , Sept. 18, 1987;
    54 FR 40059 , Sept. 29, 1989;  61 FR 25807 , May 23, 1996;  63 FR 29659 ,
   June 1, 1998;  68 FR 46972 , Aug. 7, 2003;  69 FR 64676 , Nov. 8, 2004;  73 FR 4486 , Jan. 25, 2008;  78 FR 23156 , Apr. 18, 2013]

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