2.9.3.3 ACCESS TO THE VESSEL
Access to the vessel should be restricted and controlled as required by the
SSP.
Unidentified or unauthorised individuals should be denied access. The local
correspondent may be able to assist where such individuals try to obtain access
to the ship.
When a pass system is not viable, it may be helpful to keep
a log with name, duties, name and rank of the person visited, time of
boarding and disembarking, and
a tally of the persons boarding and leaving.
It should be borne in mind that stowaways attempt to board a vessel not only
by the normal access routes but also by
climbing the mooring ropes or anchor chains
coming alongside with boats and entering over the vessel’s sides
hiding inside containerised, palletised and other unitised cargo.
Consequently
a close watch should be maintained at all times
large effective rat-guards should be placed on mooring lines well out
of reach of the vessel’s side and jetty
fairleads and hawse pipes should be sealed to prevent access
access doors to the superstructure should be locked and sealed where
possible – without compromising safety and evacuation in an emergency
stores and other access doors on deck should be properly locked
the vessel should be brightly lit.
Random checks during loading of palletised or unitised cargo may assist in
discovering stowaways.