Digital Part 1 Certificates

[laika]

Thinking of heading to France this week. On last renewal I got sent a link to a digital part 1 certificate rather than a nice laminated one. Has anyone encountered any issues with giving these to French authorities? I don’t have a working printer and finding a print shop is a faff I’d like to avoid if I don’t need it.

 

[Sandy]

No problems at all with the non laminated one.

The document, as were all documents, was checked, by people with guns.

Do you have a local library, it might be called a hub these days, mine does printing at 10 pence per sheet.

P.S. Passports were closely inspected and stamped.

 

[Yngmar]

Marina office surely has a printer? Whether it's laminated or not only matters for durability

How are you going to "give" a digital one to an officer checking you from a boat? Wouldn't want to hand over an unlocked phone or tablet with other personal data on it.

 

[Kukri]

The theory of the digital certificate is that the Port State can check it remotely without coming on board your vessel.

This is imho a Good Thing.

At one point the MCA appointed a Commercial Manager. He did not last long and his one lasting achievement was to stop the laminating of Certificates of Registry.

* Ships have lots of Certificates of this that and the other - Safety Construction, Cargo Gear, Safety Management, Oil Pollution Insurance, Wreck Removal Insurance, etc. These will be found in a fat folder in the Master’s desk and they get checked at every port.

We had a phase of buying Russian fuel oil at Vladivostok because it was about five dollars a ton cheaper. We didn’t have cargo for Vladivostok, we just called for fuel. On one occasion the Agent called and took the Certificates folder ashore for the Port Captain to check. An hour later two Customs officers came on board and demanded the Certificates. On being told they were with the Agent they fined the ship US$5,000.00 (paid in cash from the safe) for not having them on board.

 

[doug748]

French Customs in port don't seem particularly interested in paperwork except passports. However if you are unlucky enough to be visited on the water things may be different so I would certainly make the effort to have things to hand.

Further to Kukri's comments, still seems to be some dodgy dealings in the former Soviet:

 

[Kukri]

Actually Norwegian fine.

Longyearbyen has changed since my day.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Actually Norwegian fine.

Longyearbyen has changed since my day.

View attachment 142872

If that's your ship and the date is 1974, I was there before you (summer, 1972!)

(Also 1983, 1985 and 1986 if I've remembered the dates right!)