BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Referat Nautik
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Peer Lange
Phone: +49 40 361 37-319
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mobile: +49 171 882 70 68
Mail: nautik@bg-verkehr.de
BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Referat Brandschutz
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Jens Niehus
Phone: +49 40 361 37-201
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: jens.niehus@bg-verkehr.de
Carsten Hackl
Phone: +49 40 361 37-241
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: carsten.hackl@bg-verkehr.de
John Martens
Phone: +49 40 361 37-269
Fax: +49 40 361 37-204
Mail: john.martens@bg-verkehr.de
Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Sachgebiet S 21
Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 78
20359 Hamburg
Matthias Lafrentz
Phone: +49 40 31 90-7210
Fax: +49 40 31 90-50 00
Mail: matthias.lafrentz@bsh.de
BG Verkehr / Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit
Seeärztlicher Dienst
Brandstwiete 1
20457 Hamburg
Jan Schultz
Phone: +49 40 36137-335
Fax: +49 40 36137-333
Mail: jan.schultz@bg-verkehr.de
Equipment for the ship
No conversions for a change of flag
The German flag stands for high safety standards. This does not mean, however, that a ship has to undergo conversion construction upon changing the flag. German special provisions are a thing of the past. Although, different to other flag states, the German flag state applies the recommendations of the International Maritime Organization on a mandatory basis. An example: in the SOLAS Convention, chapter II-2, regulation 13, 4.2, emergency exits in the engine room are recommended to offer seafarers an easy way to escape in case of fire. Present-day ships readily fulfill these safety standards. On older ships additional Emergency Escape Breathing Devices (EEBD’s) make up for the poor accessibility of emergency exits.
At a change of flag, ship’s equipment with a SOLAS-approval which does not meet the requirements of the Marine Equipment Directive (so called wheel mark) may remain on board and does not have to be exchanged. A verification and listing of the equipment concerned as well as approval by the Ship Safety Division is required.
We have compiled the few additional German/ EU requirements regarding ship safety in the list "Additional statutory requirements".
Equip your ship: bring legislative texts on board and install new home port
Although the shipping industry is very international, a change of flag always means a change to the legal requirements of the respective flag state. Please equip your ship for a change of flag with the legislative texts and information boards according to our equipment list. You can bring the legislative texts as electronic data on board.
With a change of flag the home port of the ship changes too; the new German home port needs to be installed at the stern of the ship. A new load line mark is not necessary, however.
Up-to-date on-board pharmacy for change of flag
According to the Maritime Labour Convention seafarers on board a seagoing vessel are entitled to a comparable medical standard to the one in their homeland. Hence why, the German flag stipulates higher medical requirements in comparison to the international standard. For a change of flag, you, as shipowner, have to equip the on-board pharmacy to German standard. The easiest way to go about this is to contact a pharmacy with experience in medical equipment for seagoing vessels. Read about the necessary medical equipment on board (“State of medical knowledge”) under our heading "Maritime Medicine".