Hours of rest: STCW A-VIII/1 and MLC Standard A2.3, with a worked check
1The lesson in plain words
Check rest against four limits: 10 h in any 24 h from at most two periods, one ≥6 h; 77 h in any 7 days; no gap over 14 h.
STCW A-VIII/1
Every OOW, watch rating and person with safety, security or pollution-prevention duties gets at least 10 hours of rest in any 24 hours and 77 hours in any 7 days. The required 10 hours must fit into no more than two rest periods, one at least 6 hours long. The interval between consecutive rest periods must not exceed 14 hours. 'Any 24 hours' means any rolling window, not just the calendar day. Rest is off-duty time; short breaks do not count.
MLC Standard A2.3
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) lets the flag choose one of two regimes: maximum work of 14 hours in any 24 and 72 hours in any 7 days, or minimum rest of 10 hours in any 24 and 77 hours in any 7 days. The split and the 14-hour rule are the same. For watchkeepers, STCW always sets the rest limits, whichever MLC option the flag chooses.
Exceptions
Only the flag state may authorise STCW A-VIII/1 paragraph 9 exceptions. Weekly rest may fall to 70 hours for at most two consecutive weeks; before another weekly exception, allow at least twice the previous exception's duration. Separately, rest may be split into three periods in at most two 24-hour periods in any seven days: one period ≥ 6 hours, both others ≥ 1 hour; gaps ≤ 14 hours. The 10-hour daily minimum stays. MLC exceptions require collective agreements authorised or registered under flag-state law.
Drills and emergencies
Musters, fire and lifeboat drills are held so that they disturb rest as little as possible and do not cause fatigue. Drill time is work time and is recorded. A seafarer on call, for example for unmanned machinery space alarms, gets compensatory rest if called out during rest. In an emergency, or to help others in distress, the master may suspend the schedule. Afterwards everyone who worked in a rest period must get adequate rest.
Table and records
A table of shipboard working arrangements is posted in an easily accessible place. It shows each position's schedule at sea and in port, in the working language and English. Daily records of hours of rest are kept for each seafarer, in a standard format. You get a copy, endorsed by the master or a person authorised by the master, and by you. False records are a serious offence and hide fatigue.
2Key data
- Minimum rest
- 10 h in any 24 h and 77 h in any 7 days
- Split and gap
- Required 10 h in max two periods, one ≥6 h; rest gaps ≤14 h
- MLC work option
- Max 14 h work in any 24 h and 72 h in any 7 days
- STCW split exception
- Flag approval; ≤2 24 h periods/7 days; ≥6 h + ≥1 h + ≥1 h; gaps ≤14 h
- 4-on/8-off example
- Watch 0000–04 and 1200–16, day work 1100–12: rest 7 h + 8 h = 15 h
- Same example, weekly
- 15 h × 7 = 105 h ≥ 77 h; gap 1100–1600 = 5 h ≤ 14 h
3Key points
- 1
Four STCW checks: 10 h/24 h from at most two periods, one ≥6 h; 77 h/7 days; rest gaps ≤14 h.
- 2
'Any 24 hours' is a rolling window; check across midnight too.
- 3
Drills are work time: plan them to keep the split legal.
- 4
Flag-approved paragraph 9 exceptions keep 10 h/24 h and at least 70 h/7 days.
- 5
Records are signed by you and the master or delegate; you keep a copy.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: If total rest is 10 hours, the day complies.
Right: The required 10 h must fit into no more than two rest periods, one at least 6 h long. Also check gaps ≤14 h and weekly rest.
Wrong: Drills do not count, because they are required by SOLAS.
Right: Drill time is work time. Plan drills so they disturb rest as little as possible, and record them.
Wrong: Under an exception the 10 hours in 24 can be reduced.
Right: Paragraph 9 exceptions cover only the 77 h weekly figure and the split. The 10 h in any 24 h stays.
5Practice case & exam keys
You keep 6-on/6-off: watch 0000–0600 and 1200–1800. On Tuesday a fire drill runs 0900–1000. Check Tuesday against STCW A-VIII/1 paragraphs 2 and 3. Then suggest a better drill time.
Show the answer
Tuesday gives 3 h + 2 h + 6 h = 11 h, but the two longest rests give only 9 h: the ordinary split rule fails. Arrange your drill during normal duty with qualified watch cover. Include the cover officer’s hours and all other work. Preserving scheduled rest gives 12 h/day and 84 h/week; totals alone do not prove compliance. Check rolling windows, uninterrupted rest periods and gaps consistently under flag-state guidance.
Exam keys
- STCW A-VIII/1 and MLC A2.3: required 10 h/24 h in at most two periods, one ≥6 h; 77 h/7 days; gaps ≤14 h.
- MLC alternative: max work 14 h/24 h and 72 h/7 days.
- Flag-approved STCW para 9 exceptions: weekly ≥70 h for ≤2 consecutive weeks; intervals between weekly exceptions ≥twice their duration. Three rests in ≤2 24-hour periods/7 days: ≥6 h + ≥1 h + ≥1 h; gaps ≤14 h. Daily 10 h stays. MLC: authorised or registered collective agreements.
- Posted table of working arrangements; daily records endorsed by master and seafarer.
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