Chapter X (SOLAS)

SOLAS Chapter X, Safety Measures for High-Speed Craft, makes the High-Speed Craft Code mandatory as an alternative safety regime for fast ferries and similar craft. Adopted in 1994 and in force from 1 January 1996, it applied the 1994 HSC Code (resolution MSC.36(63)) to craft built on or after that date; resolution MSC.97(73) introduced the 2000 HSC Code for craft built on or after 1 July 2002. The chapter trades conventional construction rules for an operational regime built on route restriction, reduced exposure to bad weather, and shore-based support, evidenced by an HSC Safety Certificate and Permit to Operate.