Cayman Islands: acceptance of electronic Official Log Books

The Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands (MACI) has released a guidance note on the acceptance of electronic Official Log Books.

This guidance note was released on 1 August 2023.

Guidance Note 05/2020 (Rev. 01) offers an acceptable alternative to the printed Official Log Book (OLB) for Cayman Islands ships.

Many clients prefer keeping the OLB in electronic form since the release of the Guidance Note.

To achieve this, follow the process outlined in Guidance Note 05/2019 (Rev. 02) based on the MARPOL Convention and comply with Section 140 of the Merchant Shipping Act (2021 Revision) (MSA).

Section 140 of the MSA mandates an approved OLB for every Cayman Islands ship. The OLB and its entries hold legal validity.

Electronic OLBs follow IMO principles under MARPOL, mentioned in IMO Resolution MEPC.312(74) "Guidelines on the use of Electronic Record Books under MARPOL."

To gain approval, the electronic system must meet general principles documented by an authorized Recognized Organization (RO). The RO should issue a statement confirming acceptance, retained onboard.

Electronic signatures must meet authentication standards per the Administration's policy, adopting the advanced electronic signature standard from the European eIDAS Regulations. Data storage and offline records must comply with eIDAS advanced standards, ensuring a minimum ten-year retention.

Electronic OLBs must record all entries found in printed and bound OLBs issued by the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry or the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

For more information, please see the documents below (available only to subscribers):