MLC hours of rest,
explained and checked.

The rules in one minute

Hours of rest for seafarers are set by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), Regulation 2.3, and for watchkeepers and those with safety duties by the STCW Convention, Regulation VIII/1 and Code section A-VIII/1. Most flag states apply both. The core limits are:

• At least 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period.
• At least 77 hours of rest in any 7-day period.
• Rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which must be at least 6 hours.
• The interval between consecutive periods of rest must not exceed 14 hours.

MLC also allows flag states to regulate by maximum hours of work instead: no more than 14 hours in any 24-hour period and 72 hours in any 7-day period. Ships must also post a table of shipboard working arrangements and keep records of daily hours of rest for each seafarer, who is entitled to a copy endorsed by the Master (or a person the Master authorises) and by the seafarer.

Common non-conformities

• Drills and port work eating into rest: musters, drills and cargo operations falling inside the main rest period, leaving no 6-hour block.
• Records that look too perfect: identical entries every day, or records filled in at the end of the month, which inspectors notice.
• Seven-day totals not checked: each day passes but the weekly total drops below 77 hours after a busy port stay.
• No follow-up: a breach is recorded but there is no explanation or corrective action.

Exceptions

STCW allows flag administrations to permit limited exceptions to the rest requirements under defined conditions, for example during emergencies or in overriding operational conditions, and MLC allows exceptions through collective agreements that the flag state approves. Exceptions must be justified and recorded. They are not a routine way to schedule work.

How software helps

Paper and spreadsheet records rely on someone doing the arithmetic. MarinaVex rest hours software checks each entry against the 24-hour and seven-day limits as it is saved, marks exceptions with a reason and follow-up, and lets the Master and the office review the whole crew, even when the vessel is offline. It shares the seafarer record with crewing and RPSL management.