Musters and Abandon Ship Drill
The muster list, new crew familiarization and the frequency of abandon ship drills: the first thing a PSC inspector checks on boarding.
Operational Explanation
SOLAS III/19 sets two times: anyone assigned emergency duties must understand them before the voyage begins; onboard training in life-saving and fire-fighting appliances must be given as soon as possible and no later than two weeks after joining.
Regulatory Reference
SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 19 (Emergency training and drills). Frequency: every crew member participates in at least one abandon ship drill and one fire drill every month (§19.3.2); a drill within 24 hours of departure if more than 25% of the crew has not taken part in a drill on the same ship in the previous month; familiarization with the safety equipment as soon as possible and in any case not later than 2 weeks after joining. On passenger ships the frequency is weekly, and it is not in regulation 19: it is in regulation III/30.2 — “On passenger ships, an abandon ship drill and fire drill shall take place weekly” — which also carries the two clauses often attributed elsewhere: the entire crew need not be involved in every drill, provided each member takes part once a month, and passengers “shall be strongly encouraged to attend”.
What every abandon ship drill must contain. §19.3.4.1 lists nine items required at every drill, and three are the ones most often skipped: .5 the lowering of at least one lifeboat after any necessary preparation for launching, .6 starting and operating the lifeboat engine, .7 operation of the davits used for launching liferafts. §19.3.4.9 adds the test of the emergency lighting at each abandon ship drill, and §19.3.4.2 requires a different lifeboat to be lowered at successive drills.
What is quarterly instead. §19.3.4.3: each lifeboat shall be “launched, and manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew, at least once every three months” — that is launched and manoeuvred in the water, which is a different thing from the lowering of §19.3.4.1.5. For free-fall lifeboats, §19.3.4.4 requires every three months that the crew board and run the launch procedures up to but not including release — after which the lifeboat shall in any case either be free-fall launched with only the required operating crew on board, or lowered into the water by means of the secondary means of launching with or without the operating crew on board, and in both cases thereafter be manoeuvred in the water by the operating crew — and at intervals of not more than six months an actual free-fall launch with only the operating crew on board, or a simulated launching under the Organization's guidelines.
The items of §19.3.4.1 are mandatory at every drill, and the quarterly requirement of §19.3.4.3 is not typical practice but a Convention deadline.
Scope of Application
Every ship subject to SOLAS Chapter III, for the entire crew. On passenger ships the crew drill frequency is weekly (regulation III/30.2), with the monthly minimum for each individual member unchanged: the additional requirement is not only about informing passengers, it is first of all about how often the crew drills.
Procedure / How to Complete It
- Before the voyage begins, verify that each person with assigned duties knows the role, station and immediate actions.
- Provide onboard training in life-saving and fire-fighting appliances as soon as possible and within two weeks of joining.
- Record pre-voyage familiarisation, training and drills separately.
Practical Example
Example entry: "Abandon ship drill 2026-07-01: entire crew reaches the lifeboat no.1 embarkation station in 6 minutes, immersion suit donning verified for a sample of 3 crew members. Familiarization completed for 2 new crew members (joined 2026-06-25)."
What Typically Goes Wrong
Common Mistakes Mistake Library
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| New crew member not familiarised within the required 2 weeks | PSC deficiency, real risk in the event of an emergency before familiarization is completed | Schedule familiarization as soon as possible after joining, don't postpone it |
| Muster list not updated after a crew change | Emergency duties not correctly assigned to the crew members actually on board | Update the muster list immediately at every crew change |
| Abandon ship drill without practical donning of the equipment (immersion suit, lifejacket) | The crew does not gain real familiarity with timing and practical difficulties | Periodically include practical donning of the equipment, not just simulation of the route to the station |
What the PSCO Checks
Operational Tips
- Never postpone the familiarization of new crew members: schedule it in the first days after joining.
- Update the muster list on the same day as every crew change, not retrospectively.
- Periodically include practical donning of the equipment in drills, not just simulation of the route.
Preparation checklist
- Emergency duties understood before voyage
- Onboard training given as soon as possible and within two weeks
- Muster list and records aligned
FAQ
Related Topics
Last substantive revision of this page: 19 August 2026 · page fingerprint e8d4500336d5