28 regulations, organized by
legal weight.

SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 23, Pilot Transfer Arrangements

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Root mandatory obligation for ships on which pilots may be employed. Requires pilot transfer arrangements to enable safe embarkation and disembarkation. A pilot-ladder-only arrangement is permitted where the required climb is not less than 1.5 m and not more than 9 m above the surface of the water. Where the distance from the surface of the water to the point of access exceeds 9 m, an accommodation ladder used in conjunction with the pilot ladder, or another equally safe and convenient means, is required. Requires arrangements to be clean, properly maintained, stowed, regularly inspected, and used solely for embarkation and disembarkation of personnel. Requires rigging and embarkation to be supervised by a responsible officer with communication to the navigation bridge. Requires manufacturer certification, permanent ladder identification for survey/inspection/recordkeeping, associated equipment, and adequate lighting. Mechanical pilot hoists shall not be used.

46 CFR Part 163, Subpart 163.003, Pilot Ladder

US-flag vessels.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

US Coast Guard regulations for approval, construction, production testing, and marking of pilot ladders. Covers approval procedures, materials, construction, independent laboratory involvement, and permanent step marking for Coast Guard-approved ladders. CG-ENG Policy Letter 01-21 clarifies that ladders complying with ISO 799-1:2019 (tested by a USCG accepted independent laboratory) qualify as approved alternatives under 46 CFR 163.003-9(c). Not directly applicable to foreign-flagged vessels in US ports, which are governed by SOLAS.

Recommendation on Pilot Transfer Arrangements

Will be superseded by MSC.576(110) effective 1 January 2028.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

The principal current operational guidance document governing pilot ladder construction and rigging, adopted in 2011 and amended by A.1108(29) in 2015. Covers step dimensions and materials; spreader placement; side-rope specifications; step securing by properly designed mechanical clamping device or seizing method; retrieval line requirements; permanent length markings; combination arrangement geometry; trapdoor requirements; access-to-deck requirements; safe pilot-boat approach clearance; pilot ladder winch-reel installation requirements; and prohibition on mechanical pilot hoists. Combination-arrangement requirements include a 45-degree maximum accommodation-ladder slope, 600 mm minimum accommodation-ladder width, lower platform horizontal and secured to the ship's side, lower platform at least 5 m above sea level, pilot ladder extending at least 2 m above the lower platform, and a 0.1-0.2 m horizontal distance between pilot ladder and lower platform.

Amendments to the Recommendation on Pilot Transfer Arrangements

Amends A.1045(27).

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Amends A.1045(27) section 5 on access to deck. For gateways in rails or bulwarks, adequate handholds must be provided on each side of the access point, spaced 0.7-0.8 m apart, at least 32 mm in diameter, rigidly secured at or near the base and at a higher point, and extending at least 1.2 m above the deck to which they are fitted. For bulwark ladders, two separate handhold stanchions are required, with the bulwark ladder secured against overturning. The stanchions must be spaced 0.7-0.8 m apart, at least 32 mm in diameter, rigidly secured, and extending at least 1.2 m above the top of the bulwark. Stanchions or handrails must not be attached to the bulwark ladder.

Guidelines for Construction, Installation, Maintenance and Inspection or Survey of Means of Embarkation and Disembarkation, Revision 1

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Provides IMO guidance for construction, installation, maintenance, inspection, and survey of accommodation ladders and gangways required under SOLAS II-1/3-9. Covers accommodation ladders, gangways, associated winches, fittings, markings, lighting, lifebuoys, safety nets or side nets, maintenance records, and annual/five-yearly survey items. Relevant to pilot transfer when an accommodation ladder is used as part of a combination arrangement. The pilot-specific 45-degree combination-arrangement limit, lower-platform horizontality, pilot-ladder extension above the platform, and pilot-ladder/platform interface dimensions are sourced from A.1045(27) and MSC.576(110), not this circular.

Unified Interpretation of SOLAS Regulation V/23

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Provides the IMO unified interpretation of what 'installed on or after 1 July 2012' means for SOLAS V/23 paragraph 1.2. For new ships, the date is tied to the building contract date, keel-laying date, or equivalent construction stage. For other ships, the date is tied to the contractual delivery date of the equipment or arrangement, or the actual delivery date if no contractual delivery date exists. Operationally relevant because vessels may claim pre-2012 grandfathering for older pilot transfer arrangements. Replacement equipment is addressed separately under SOLAS V/23 paragraph 1.4 and should comply with current requirements insofar as reasonable and practicable.

Unified Interpretation of the Term 'First Survey' Referred to in SOLAS Regulations

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Clarifies what 'first survey' means for transitional compliance timelines across SOLAS regulations. Relevant to the 1 July 2012 cutoff in V/23 para. 1.5 and the forthcoming 1 January 2029 compliance deadline under MSC.572(110). Not a source of equipment requirements; informs when a vessel's compliance obligations under the new 2028 standards activate. Pilots need not engage with this document directly but should understand that survey timing determines when existing installations must be upgraded.

Required Pilot Transfer Arrangements, Revised Pictorial Circular (Rev.1)

Officially published September 2025; fully in effect alongside 2028 amendments from 1 January 2028. Original Circ.1428 revoked 1 April 2030.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Updated IMPA illustrated poster aligned with MSC.576(110) performance standards. Three panels: (1) Required Arrangements showing standard ladder rigging (up to 9 m freeboard) and combination arrangement (over 9 m freeboard) with updated dimensions and manufacturer-approved intermediate securing language; (2) Required Arrangements for Trap Door and Side Door; (3) Non-Compliant Practices panel. Key additions versus original: side rope end finishing explicitly shown; manrope rigging for trapdoor and non-trapdoor arrangements; stanchions with secondary deck securing for side-door configurations; magnetic or suction hull-securing shown as compliant alternative for combination arrangements; Duties of the Responsible Officer box added; QR code for additional diagrams. All terminology aligned with new performance standards.

Required Boarding Arrangements for Pilots, Original Pictorial Circular

Will be revoked 1 April 2030 when MSC.1/Circ.1428/Rev.1 fully replaces it.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

The original IMPA illustrated poster showing compliant boarding arrangements under SOLAS V/23 and A.1045(27). Displayed aboard ships globally as the crew's primary visual reference. Depicts ladder-only rigging (less than 9 m freeboard), combination arrangement (greater than 9 m freeboard), non-compliant practices, and winch reel installation requirements. Still current for vessels operating under pre-2028 standards. Pilots encountering vessels still using the older poster should be aware it remains valid until 1 April 2030 but does not reflect the 2028 requirements.

Revised Unified Interpretation of SOLAS Regulation V/23.3.3 on Pilot Transfer Arrangements

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Clarifies the application of SOLAS V/23.3.3.1 and V/23.3.3.2. Under V/23.3.3.1, single-ladder arrangements are limited to a climb of not more than 9 m regardless of trim or list conditions. Combination arrangements are governed by V/23.3.3.2 and A.1045(27) section 3; the 15-degree adverse-list requirement does not apply to combination arrangements. This circular is an interpretation of SOLAS V/23.3.3 and is not a source of combination-platform geometry requirements; those derive from A.1045(27) and MSC.576(110).

CG-ENG Policy Letter No. 01-21, Pilot Ladders, Embarkation Ladders, and Pilot Transfer Arrangements

Current USCG policy interpretation.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

The current primary USCG guidance document on pilot ladder approval and pilot transfer arrangements. Establishes that pilot ladders tested by a Coast Guard accepted independent laboratory and found to comply with ISO 799-1:2019 are approved alternatives under 46 CFR 163.003 and satisfy SOLAS V/23. Confirms there are no Coast Guard approved mechanical pilot hoists. Explicitly states the Coast Guard is in the process of cancelling NVIC 4-91 because its IMO basis (A.667(16)) has been superseded twice. Strongly recommends operators comply with A.1045(27) and obtain and post the IMPA required boarding arrangements poster. References applicable 46 CFR sections: 32.90-1, 77.40-1, 96.40-1, 108.719, and 195.40. For pilots in US waters, this document defines USCG's current position on what constitutes an approved ladder.

Marine Safety Information Bulletin, Pilot Transfer Arrangements

Operational alert.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

USCG operational safety bulletin issued after recent maritime pilot fatalities. Reminds vessel owners and operators of SOLAS V/23 requirements and strongly recommends following IMO Resolution A.1045(27). Specifically highlights combination arrangements involving trapdoor configurations. For equipment and arrangements installed on or after 1 July 2012, the bulletin states that trapdoor combination arrangements are required to comply with SOLAS V/23.3.3.2.1 and includes a graphic depiction of a SOLAS-compliant trapdoor arrangement. Also notes that, for U.S.-registered vessels, Coast Guard marine inspectors and classification society surveyors verify pilot transfer arrangements during initial construction, and that changes to approved configurations should be brought to the OCMI or class surveyor.

Ships and Marine Technology, Pilot Ladders, Part 1: Design and Specification

Normatively referenced in MSC.576(110) performance standards.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Current ISO design and specification standard for pilot ladders. ISO describes ISO 799-1:2019 as specifying requirements for pilot ladders used to allow a maritime pilot to embark and disembark safely against a vertical portion of the ship's hull, and as applicable to merchant ships embarking and disembarking pilots while underway. CG-ENG Policy Letter 01-21 states that pilot ladders tested by a Coast Guard-accepted independent laboratory and found to comply with ISO 799-1:2019 are approved alternatives under 46 CFR 163.003-9(c) and satisfy SOLAS V/23. MSC.576(110) also references ISO 799-1:2019 in connection with pilot ladder construction requirements.

Ships and Marine Technology, Pilot Ladders, Part 2: Inspection and Maintenance

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Current ISO standard covering maintenance, use, storage, survey, and inspection of pilot ladders. Useful as a technical reference for maintenance programs, inspection practices, storage, and onboard use. The mandatory 2028 service-life rule should be cited to MSC.576(110), section 30, rather than to ISO 799-2 alone.

Ships and Marine Technology, Pilot Ladders, Part 3: Associated Equipment

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Current ISO standard covering attachments and associated equipment for pilot ladders. ISO describes its scope as including, but not limited to, securing ladders at less than full length, deck securing points, hull securing equipment, manropes, bulwark openings and accesses, deck access, stanchions, anti-chafing arrangements, and interfaces between pilot ladders and accommodation ladders for combined use.

Shipping Industry Guidance on Pilot Transfer Arrangements, Ensuring Compliance with SOLAS

Industry guidance.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

The shipping industry's principal practical reference document on pilot transfer arrangement compliance, co-published by ICS and IMPA and widely distributed to ship operators and officers. Version 3 adds a dedicated section on combination embarkation platform (trapdoor) arrangements with photographs of a compliant trapdoor configuration. Documents management and on-board responsibilities for safe rigging, inspection regimes, and crew training. States explicitly that pilots have the right to decline to board vessels offering defective arrangements and may report defects to PSC, which could trigger a full inspection. Operationally useful for pilots because it defines what ships have been instructed to do, making it harder for Masters to claim ignorance. The trapdoor photograph (Figure 2) is a valuable positive visual reference.

IMPA Annual Safety Survey, Pilot Ladder Compliance Data

Informative.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

IMPA's Annual Safety Survey collects pilot reports on boarding arrangement conditions worldwide during a two-week window each May. The 2025 survey received over 5,000 reports with a 14 percent non-compliance rate, approximately one in seven vessels presenting a deficient arrangement. IMPA's safety campaign materials, including the required boarding arrangements poster (basis for MSC.1/Circ.1428) and the non-compliant practices panel, are the most widely recognized field-reference materials for pilots globally. Survey data provides statistical grounding for deficiency frequency analysis.

Securing of Pilot Ladders at Intermediate Lengths, Testing Report

Technical reference.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Laboratory-based physical testing commissioned by IMPA from nC2 Engineering Consultancy (University of Southampton). Three work packages: (WP1) baseline response to loading of thimble-secured lengths across rope materials; (WP2) slip and grip of various attachment securing methods and resultant damage to side ropes; (WP3) effect of cyclic D-shackle loading on ladder components. Findings provide the evidentiary technical basis for the shackle prohibition at intermediate lengths now codified in MSC.576(110). Demonstrates that shackle securing causes progressive side rope damage under cyclic loading that is invisible externally.

PSC Pilot Ladder Focused Inspection Campaigns, Deficiency Data

PSC enforcement context.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Regional PSC bodies conduct targeted focused inspection campaigns on pilot ladder arrangements under PSC Deficiency Code 10101 (Pilot Ladders and Pilot Transfer Arrangements). Global trend: 197 deficiencies and 1 detention in 2020; 523 deficiencies and 12 detentions in 2024. Tokyo MOU FIC February 2025: 2,357 inspections, 176 pilot ladder deficiencies, 3 vessel detentions (approximately 7.5 percent deficiency rate). Most frequently cited deficiencies: absent or invalid certification; serial number mismatch; missing maintenance records; broken, cracked, or painted steps; worn or damaged side ropes; improper securing; retrieval line errors; missing lifebuoy; accommodation ladder platform unsafe. This enforcement trend context is relevant for pilot pre-boarding risk assessment. Vessels with prior PSC deficiency history under Code 10101 are at elevated risk of recurrence.

Amendments to SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 23, Pilot Transfer Arrangements (2025, adopted MSC 110)

Enters into force 1 January 2028.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

Comprehensively revises SOLAS V/23 to require compliance with the new performance standards in MSC.576(110). Pilot transfer arrangements installed on or after 1 January 2028 must comply with the introduction and Parts A, B, and C of MSC.576(110). Existing arrangements installed before 1 January 2028 on SOLAS Chapter I ships must comply with those requirements not later than the first survey on or after 1 January 2029. Existing arrangements on ships to which SOLAS Chapter I does not apply must comply not later than 1 January 2030. Inspection, stowage, maintenance, replacement, and familiarization requirements apply to all pilot transfer arrangements regardless of installation date through the introduction and Parts D and E of MSC.576(110). Part D contains the onboard inspection, maintenance, spare-ladder, and removal-from-service requirements, including the maximum service-life rule of 36 months from manufacture or 30 months from being placed into service, whichever comes first. Part E covers familiarization. Administration approval is required for pilot transfer arrangements covered by the new performance standards. The amended SOLAS V/23 text also states that where a pilot or other personnel suspect the pilot transfer arrangement is non-compliant, they should inform the master and refuse to use the arrangement until it is made compliant.

Performance Standards for Pilot Transfer Arrangements (2025, adopted MSC 110)

Enters into force 1 January 2028.

Pilot-Relevant Summary

New performance standards for pilot transfer arrangements taking effect with the SOLAS V/23 amendments on 1 January 2028. Organized as follows: Introduction; Part A, Design, Manufacture, and Construction; Part B, Rigging; Part C, Installation of Pilot Ladder Winch Reels; Part D, Operational Readiness, Onboard Inspection, and Maintenance; Part E, Familiarization; and Part F, Approval. Part A includes pilot ladder construction, combination arrangements, securing arrangements, ships' side openings, doors and platforms, access to deck, protection from chafing, safe approach of the pilot boat, and associated equipment. Part D covers inspection, maintenance, stowage, spare ladders/manropes, and removal from service. Key field-observable changes include 20-22 mm side ropes, manufacturer markings on the underside of the uppermost step and lowermost spreader step, measuring marks every three steps, four lowest steps of rubber or equivalent material, no paint/varnish/coatings on wooden steps, prohibition on cable ties/U-clamps/worm-driven clips as step-securing methods, and detailed combination/trapdoor geometry including the 0.1-0.2 m ladder/platform gap. The pilot-refusal authority language appears in the amended SOLAS V/23 text under MSC.572(110), not in MSC.576(110).