This handbook has been designed to motivate and inspire professionalism among seafarers, supported by owners and managers who are committed to the development of their crews. One of the aims of such a handbook must be to provide a means by which crucial elements of the plethora of essential mandatory, recommendatory, advisory and explanatory material available to mariners may be absorbed within a readable format. Instruments that may be encompassed will therefore include international Conventions, such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), in addition to Codes and Guidelines such as the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Guidelines for the control and management of ships’ ballast water to minimize the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens.

Legislative instruments generally do not facilitate rapid reference in practical situations, as attempts in drafting to produce unambiguous provisions often result in lengthy measures that may be clumsy when applied in practical situations. There is therefore a need for sources of information which fill the gap between the black letter law of legislative instruments and the practical aspects of seamanship.

A common theme throughout this handbook is that a ship’s crew in general and officers in particular should aim for a high standard of ethics or moral standards. The requirements of regulatory measures, e.g., IMO instruments, are indicated as often containing the minimum levels acceptable; for example, the minimum written procedures an operator should provide to ensure correct ballast operations. Officers and management are thus encouraged to fulfil duties and obligations beyond those that are strictly necessary, in the manner of the true professional seafarer.

One of the features of the handbook that encourages the “pick-up-and-read” factor is the inclusion of case studies illustrating selected issues. The general layout of the information and the