SOLAS V/23 revised: The 2028 timeline for pilot ladders

With resolution MSC.572(110), adopted on 26 June 2025, the IMO Maritime Safety Committee completely rewrote regulation 23 of SOLAS Chapter V, which covers pilot transfer arrangements. The amendment will enter into force on 1 January 2028 and directly concerns the operators and masters of ships covered by SOLAS, as well as shipyards. The technical details are set out in the performance standards in MSC.576(110), which the regulation makes mandatory.

Which arrangements does it apply to, and when?

• Arrangements installed on or after 1 January 2028 must be designed, manufactured and installed in accordance with the introduction and Parts A, B and C of MSC.576(110).
• Arrangements installed before that date must be brought into compliance with the same requirements no later than the first survey after 1 January 2029 on ships to which SOLAS Chapter I applies.
• On ships to which Chapter I does not apply, this deadline is 1 January 2030.
• Parts D and E, covering inspection, stowage, maintenance, replacement and crew familiarisation, apply to all arrangements regardless of the installation date.
• The term "installed" in the regulation refers to the contractual delivery date or, where there is no such date, the actual delivery date.

Key new features of the regulation

• Mechanical pilot hoists will no longer be used.
• Adequate fixed or portable lighting is required to illuminate all transfer arrangements overside and the position on deck where persons embark or disembark; if portable lamps are used, a positioning bracket must be provided.
• A pilot who suspects that an arrangement is not compliant must report this to the master and must refuse to use it until it has been made compliant.
• New lines are being added to the Record of Equipment forms (P, E and C) for the pilot ladder and man-ropes, the spare pilot ladder and man-ropes, and the intermediate-length securing arrangement.

Inspection, maintenance and replacement: Part D

Part D, which applies regardless of the installation date, contains rules that will feed directly into shipboard routine:

• Pilot ladders are stowed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, away from moisture, icing, sunlight, chemicals and grease.
• A responsible officer checks them before and after each use; in addition, a detailed inspection is carried out every three months.
• A maintenance plan is kept, including a checklist, a log, and the dates of putting into service and removal from service.
• Repair or replacement of steps and spreaders is prohibited.
• At least one spare compliant pilot ladder and one spare set of man-ropes are kept on board.
• Pilot ladders and man-ropes are removed from service when they are no longer compliant, or when 36 months have elapsed since manufacture or 30 months since being put into service, whichever comes first.

Part E covers crew familiarisation; on ships covered by SOLAS Chapter IX, this duty lies with the company under STCW I/14. According to IMO's MSC 110 meeting summary, the amendment has also been reflected in the HSC, SPS and fishing vessel codes, and a separate circular on voluntary early implementation has been approved.

This article is not legal advice; for implementation details, you should check the current text and instructions of your flag State and classification society.

For pilot ladder inspection, spare planning and renewal, you can visit our pilot ladders service page.