International Regulations - MARPOL — Most Asked Questions
24 questions asked about international regulations - marpol across the General and Fn 3 papers, heaviest first.
Learn the system first
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1 Marpol annex all
Answer
Six annexes, six pollutions stopped: oil, chemicals in bulk, packaged harm, sewage, garbage and air.
- Annex I: oil — in force October 1983, separators, tanks and record books.
- Annex II: noxious liquids in bulk — April 1987, chemical procedures and stripping limits.
- Annex III: harmful substances in packaged form — July 1992, marking, stowage and documents.
- Annex IV: sewage — September 2003, treatment and discharge distances; V: garbage — its own discharge and placard rules; VI: air — NOx, SOx, particulates and energy efficiency.
Surveyor follow-up: grey water from the galley — which annex, if any, controls it?
Full theory: MARPOL 73/78: The Convention & Its Six Annexes -
2 Annex on ur ship
Answer
The annexes that bite depend on what she carries and burns: oil, sewage, garbage and air always; chemicals and packaged harm only in those trades.
- Annex I oil and its record book apply to every ship with machinery spaces — tankers add cargo-area rules.
- Annex IV sewage applies at 400 gross tons or 15 persons; Annex V garbage and Annex VI air apply across the fleet.
- Annex II noxious liquids in bulk bites only when carrying chemicals; Annex III packaged harmful substances only in that trade.
- Answer with your last ship: type, tonnage and cargo first, then the annexes that applied to her.
Surveyor follow-up: your ship loads a chemical parcel next voyage — which new annex wakes up?
Full theory: MARPOL 73/78: The Convention & Its Six Annexes -
3 Annex 6 latest ammendments
Also asked: “Ammendments in annex 6”, “annexe 6 latest amendment”
Answer
Annex VI keeps tightening: NOx emission control areas, the non-compliant-fuel carriage ban, and efficiency rules for new and old ships.
- North Sea and Baltic became NOx emission control areas with stricter Tier limits from January 2021.
- Since March 2020 ships without scrubbers may not even carry non-compliant fuel for burning.
- Bunker delivery notes carry tighter sulphur and compliance data for port-state checks.
- Energy rules run alongside: EEXI and CII ratings pushing hull, engine and voyage efficiency.
Surveyor follow-up: compliant fuel on board but the delivery note is missing sulphur data — pass or detain?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning -
4 Wt are the pollutants in the annex 6
Also asked: “Different pollutant in annex 6”
Answer
Annex VI chases what ships put in the air: nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, particulates and the gases behind ozone loss and warming.
- NOx from hot combustion above a thousand degrees — shaped by load, timing and scavenge temperature.
- SOx from fuel sulphur — capped by fuel limits and emission control areas in the Baltic, North Sea and North America.
- Particulate matter and smoke from poor combustion and heavy residues.
- Ozone-depleting releases and greenhouse gases sit under the same annex with efficiency rules alongside.
Surveyor follow-up: high-sulphur fuel with a working scrubber — compliant inside an ECA or not, and what paper proves it?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning -
5 Latest amendment in annex 5
Answer
The 2013 rewrite bans most garbage discharge and sorts the rest by grinding, distance and special areas.
- Revised Annex V in force January 2013 with discharge tables by garbage type, grinding and area.
- Comminuted food waste needs 3 miles out, unground 12 miles, both en route and as far as practicable.
- Special areas tighten every line; offshore platforms and nearby ships face near-zero discharge.
- Garbage record book, placards and management plan prove compliance — the surveyor reads the book first.
Surveyor follow-up: food waste ground to 20 mm at 4 miles out — discharge or hold, and what entry goes in the book?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex V — Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships -
6 New ammendments in annex 5
Also asked: “Annex 5 new amendments in detail”
Answer
New Annex V work keeps tightening garbage control: discharge tables, record-keeping and polar rules.
- The 2013 revision reset discharge allowances with grinding and distance as the levers.
- Records, placards and management plans became the proof — missing books fail faster than missing bins.
- Polar waters add near-total bans with special handling of food waste and residues.
- Port-state checks read the garbage record book against positions and receipts ashore.
Surveyor follow-up: receipts ashore missing for a month of coastal running — compliant or not, and what saves you?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex V — Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships -
7 SOPEP stands for Ship oil pollution emergency plan and as per the MARPOL 73/78 requirement under Annex I, all ships with 400 GT and above must carry an oil prevention plan as per the norms and guidelines laid down by Int
Also asked: “SOPEP stands for Ship oil pollution emergency plan and as per the MARPOL 73/78 requirement under Annex I, all ships with 400 GT and above must carry an oil prevention plan as per the norms and guidelines laid down by International Maritime Organization under MEPC (Marine Environmental Protection Committee) act”, “SOPEP – Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan Regulation 37 of Annex I of MARPOL 73/7”
Answer
SOPEP is the oil-spill drill in a folder: who reports, who is called, what the crew does first, who coordinates.
- Carried by every oil tanker of 150 gross tons and every other ship of 400 gross tons and up.
- Reporting procedures for master and crew with coastal contacts and formats ready to send.
- Immediate crew actions to stop, contain and clean the spill with the gear on board.
- Shipboard coordinator named with contact points linking ship, company and shore response.
Surveyor follow-up: small spill on deck during bunkering — SOPEP drill or deck routine, and who gets the first call?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
8 Name the various Annexes adopted under MARPOL 73/78 convention
Answer
Six annexes, six pollutions stopped: oil, chemicals in bulk, packaged harm, sewage, garbage and air.
- Annex I oil with separators, tanks and record books; Annex II noxious liquids in bulk with stripping limits.
- Annex III packaged harmful substances with marking and stowage; Annex IV sewage with treatment and distances.
- Annex V garbage with discharge tables and record book; Annex VI air with NOx, SOx, particulates and efficiency.
- Answer with the ship in front of you: type and tonnage first, then the annexes biting her.
Surveyor follow-up: chemical parcel on a product tanker — which annex wakes up besides Annex I?
Full theory: MARPOL 73/78: The Convention & Its Six Annexes -
9 with ref to MARPOL annex vi
Answer
Annex VI caps what ships put in the air: sulphur in fuel, NOx from engines, particulates and the efficiency behind them.
- Fuel sulphur capped globally with tighter emission-control areas and delivery-note proof on every stem.
- NOx tiers follow engine build date with the technical file and EIAPP certificate as evidence.
- Particulates, smoke and ozone-depleting releases sit under the same annex with incinerator limits.
- New work adds efficiency: EEXI, CII and fuel-sample verification closing the enforcement loop.
Surveyor follow-up: compliant fuel aboard but the delivery note lacks sulphur — pass or detain?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning -
10 Annex 6 new regulations
Answer
New Annex VI work tightens air rules: EEXI and CII for efficiency with fuel-sample proof closing the loop.
- Design index for new ships with attained-versus-required maths per resolution and type.
- Operational carbon intensity rating the ship year by year with correction and improvement plans.
- Fuel verification by sealed MARPOL sample to accredited labs on sulphur dispute.
- Delivery notes, samples and record books prove the new rules aboard — the surveyor reads all three.
Surveyor follow-up: EEXI file missing with CII rated — pass, endorse or detain, and which paper saves her?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning -
11 Annex 1 full marpol
Answer
Annex I is the oil Bible: discharge bans, equipment, record books and certificates from sludge tanks to shore reception.
- Discharge machinery-space rules with 15 ppm, en-route and auto-stop conditions at the core.
- Equipment is separators, monitors, slop tanks and standard connections proved on survey.
- Record Books Parts I and II with SOPEP and IOPP certificate complete the paper chain.
- Special areas tighten every line — the surveyor reads positions against boundaries first.
Surveyor follow-up: quote the five discharge conditions from memory — then show me one logged entry.
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
12 Documents in annex 1
Also asked: “Annex 1 certificate and document”
Answer
Annex I papers are IOPP, record books and SOPEP with sludge supplement: certificate, books and plan ride together.
- IOPP certificate with Form A or B proving build, equipment and surveys.
- Oil Record Books Parts I for machinery and II for cargo with sludge-supplement pages.
- SOPEP with contacts, reporting and response gear drilled per muster.
- Bunker notes and sludge receipts back the books — missing receipts fail faster than missing bins.
Surveyor follow-up: IOPP valid with Part II missing on a tanker — sail, endorse or detain?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
13 No of regulations in annex 6
Answer
Count Annex VI by subject, not memory: fuel quality, NOx tiers, SOx caps, efficiency and verification chapters.
- Fuel regulations on sulphur caps, delivery notes, samples and supplier control.
- Engine rules on NOx tiers with technical files and EIAPP certificates per engine.
- Efficiency rules with EEDI, EEXI and CII maths plus verification procedures in the appendix.
- State the range with the latest amendment date — surveyors forgive ranges, never invented totals.
Surveyor follow-up: how many regulations — exact count or subject list, and which one sizes the file you carry?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning -
14 Marpol all chapters name
Answer
MARPOL is six annexes, not chapters: oil, chemicals, sewage, garbage, air — plus the packaged-harm rules between.
- Annex I oil with its record book on every machinery ship; tankers add cargo-area discharge rules.
- Annex II bulk noxious liquids and Annex III packaged harmful substances for chemical and box trades.
- Annex IV sewage past 400 gross tons or 15 persons; Annex V garbage across the fleet.
- Annex VI air caps sulphur and nitrogen with fuel notes, NOx files and emission-area discipline.
Surveyor follow-up: your last ship’s trade changed from boxes to bulk chemicals — which new annex wakes up?
Full theory: MARPOL 73/78: The Convention & Its Six Annexes -
15 Marpol annex names
Answer
Name six annexes by pollution: oil, bulk chemicals, packaged harm, sewage, garbage and air emissions.
- Annex I oil and Annex II noxious bulk liquids guard tanks, pipes and record books.
- Annex III packaged harmful substances guards boxes, drums and containers in the dangerous-goods trade.
- Annex IV sewage and Annex V garbage guard overboard rules every crewman must quote.
- Annex VI air caps sulphur and nitrogen with delivery notes, technical files and emission-area fuel changes.
Surveyor follow-up: chemical parcel loaded next voyage with Annexes I and V aboard — which new annex must the crew quote?
Full theory: MARPOL 73/78: The Convention & Its Six Annexes -
16 All annex chapters
Answer
MARPOL is the convention and six annexes: oil, bulk chemicals, packaged harmful substances, sewage, garbage and air.
- Annex I oil — machinery and cargo discharge, oil record book, IOPP certificate and the 15 ppm limit.
- Annex II bulk noxious liquids in categories X, Y, Z and D, with the IBC Code for chemical tankers.
- Annex III packaged harmful substances in packaged form, and Annex IV sewage past 400 gross tons or 15 persons.
- Annex V garbage with its record book, and Annex VI air — sulphur, NOx, EIAPP and the emission-area rules.
Surveyor follow-up: annexes quoted for a general cargo ship with a chemical parcel this voyage — which one is now live?
Full theory: MARPOL 73/78: The Convention & Its Six Annexes -
17 Annex 4 discharge regulations
Also asked: “Annex 4 discharge regulations as per MARPOL”
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18 Annex 6 - nox requirements
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19 Cargo related regulation in annex 6
Answer
Annex VI reaches the cargo side through the fuel: sulphur in the bunker is the cargo-related limit the surveyor checks.
- Sulphur content is capped globally, with tighter limits inside emission control areas entered under their own rules.
- The bunker delivery note is the cargo document that carries the evidence, kept three years with a sealed sample.
- Nox is limited by engine speed curve, so a new engine is a cargo-trade decision as much as a machinery one.
- And a gas carrier trades in methane: her boil-off and fuel choice are both Annex VI questions, which is the surveyor’s point.
Surveyor follow-up: high-sulphur stem delivered in an emission control area — is the fuel, the area or the note the failure?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning -
20 Discharge regulation related to annex 1 in your ship?
Answer
Your ship’s Annex I rule depends on her type: machinery bilge at 15 ppm, and an oil tanker’s cargo area under the mile and rate rules.
- Machinery-space bilge: 15 ppm without dilution, en route, not from cargo pump-room bilges, and not mixed with oil residues.
- Oil-tanker cargo areas: 15 ppm, no more than 30 litres per mile, beyond 50 miles, en route, and outside special areas.
- Oil-tanker ballast at sea is bound by a stricter cargo-area rule, which is the part the surveyor usually tests.
- And the discharge must be recorded in the Oil Record Book — the regulation is the paper as much as the limit.
Surveyor follow-up: tanker discharge at 25 ppm inside 40 miles with 15 logged — which limit, and which rule?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
21 Marpol anexx 1 , documents , equipment
Answer
Annex I pairs the oil record book with the equipment that makes it true: separator, monitor, alarm, sludge tank and the 15-ppm stop.
- The IOPP certificate and the Oil Record Book Part I for machinery spaces, Part II for an oil tanker’s cargo operations.
- Equipment: oil filtering plant, oil content monitor, automatic stopping device, alarm, adequate sludge tank capacity and scuppers.
- On ships over 10 000 gross tons the alarm and automatic stopping device are required, not just recommended.
- So the document without the equipment, or the equipment without the entries, is the finding the surveyor writes.
Surveyor follow-up: separator and monitor fitted with no sludge tank capacity and a full tank — which document is that reflected in?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
22 Solas marpol isps ism(with dates)(was happy with my dates
Answer
Name the three instruments with their chapter and date: SOLAS 1974, MARPOL 1973 as modified by the 1978 Protocol, and ISPS 2004.
- SOLAS 1974 carries safety of life at sea, with Chapter IX the ISM Code and Chapter XI-2 the ISPS security regime.
- MARPOL 1973 as modified by the 1978 Protocol prevents pollution from ships, with the ballast water convention of 2004 beside it.
- ISPS is SOLAS Chapter XI-2, and the Ballast Water Management Convention entered into force in 2017.
- Give the instrument, the chapter, the date and the certificate it issues — that is the four-part answer the surveyor wants.
Surveyor follow-up: ISM dated to the MARPOL protocol instead of SOLAS — which instrument carries the safety management code?
Full theory: Maritime Codes & Conventions: The Complete List -
23 Solas – marpol annex vi
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24 With reference to MARPOL Annex VI regulations, discuss the following
Answer
Annex VI is the air annex: sulphur in fuel, NOx by engine curve, and the technical file and EIAPP that prove each engine.
- Sulphur is capped with tighter limits in emission control areas, evidenced by the bunker delivery note and a sealed sample.
- NOx is limited by the Regulation 13 curves for each engine speed, proved by its EIAPP certificate and technical file.
- EEXI and EEDI rate design efficiency, and the SEEMP and CII rate what the ship does about it in service.
- The whole annex is evidence-based: the file, the note, the certificate and the record are what the surveyor reads.
Surveyor follow-up: EIAPP held with the technical file missing the liner entry — which engine parameter decides compliance?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning
Source: 123 written papers and surveyor oral banks, 24,613 entries, merged into 17,210 topics. Ticks are stored on this device only.