Hours of rest violations at sea are one of the most common problems on board, and one of the least reported. Every seafarer knows the feeling: a long port stay, cargo work through the night, a drill, then a bridge watch with heavy eyes. The rules on rest are clear on paper. The real challenge is living by them and recording them honestly.
This guide explains the rest rules in simple words, why breaches happen, what is changing at the IMO in 2026, and what you can do if your own hours do not add up.
What the Rules Say About Hours of Rest
Two international instruments set the limits: the STCW Convention (Section A-VIII/1 of the STCW Code) for watchkeepers, and the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (Regulation 2.3 and Standard A2.3) for all seafarers. The core figures are the same in both:
- 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 split into no more than two periods, and one of them must be at least 6 hours long.
- The gap between two rest periods must not exceed 14 hours.
Falling short of any one of these limits counts as one of the hours of rest violations that inspectors look for.
The MLC also allows a flag State to set a maximum on work instead of a minimum on rest: no more than 14 hours of work in 24 hours and 72 hours in 7 days. The ILO explains the difference between the two options in its MLC 2006 FAQ on hours of work and rest.
Ships must post a table of shipboard working arrangements, and each seafarer’s daily hours must be recorded. The master or an authorised person signs the record, the seafarer signs it too, and you are entitled to a copy.
Musters, drills and call-outs
Drills must be run in a way that disturbs rest as little as possible. If you are on call, for example as duty engineer on an unmanned machinery space, and you are called out during rest, you should get compensatory rest. The master can suspend the rest schedule in an emergency affecting the ship, people or cargo, but once the situation is normal, those who worked through their rest must be given adequate rest.
Why Hours of Rest Violations Happen
Most hours of rest violations are not caused by bad people. They come from how the job is designed. Common causes include:
- Port calls: cargo operations, bunkering, surveys, inspections and stores all crowd into a few hours.
- The two-watch system: a 6-on, 6-off pattern leaves little room for any extra task.
- Lean crewing: fewer people share the same workload, so overtime becomes normal.
- Paperwork: reports, checklists and audits often eat into what should be rest time.
- Short sea trades: frequent port calls mean the “busy day” never really ends.
A 2026 study in the European Labour Law Journal by Baumler and colleagues found that flag States covering about 88% of world tonnage use the minimum-rest option. In theory, that model allows up to 91 hours of work in a week. The same paper cites survey data showing that only around one seafarer in ten gets a full day off each week.
The problem of “adjusted” records
Many crews feel pressure to make timesheets look compliant. Research from the World Maritime University and Solent University, based on interviews with 55 port State control officers, found that officers often see records that have been neatly aligned to the rules. Because most inspections focus on documents, the real hours stay hidden.
Hiding hours of rest violations does not make them go away, and it matters to you personally. When you sign a false record, the signature is yours. If there is an accident, a “perfect” timesheet can be used against you, and investigators may treat it as falsification.
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How Hours of Rest Violations Hurt Seafarers
Fatigue is not just tiredness. It slows reaction time, weakens judgement and affects memory, much like alcohol does. Accident reports from groundings and collisions often point to a watchkeeper who had too little sleep in the previous 24 hours.
Long-term, repeated hours of rest violations also damage health and family life. They are linked to poor sleep, stress and burnout, which we discussed in our article on seafarers’ mental health. For background on how the industry has struggled with this for years, see our earlier piece on seafarers’ fatigue.
For the ship, the stakes are high too. Port State control officers can record hours of rest violations as deficiencies and, in serious cases, detain the vessel.
What Is Changing at the IMO in 2026
The rules may finally get a fresh look. In February 2026, the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 12) began a scoping exercise on seafarer fatigue and hours of work and rest. According to BIMCO’s report on HTW 12, the review will look at whether the STCW and MLC framework is still fit for purpose. It will also cover workload, crewing levels and how hours are recorded and checked. The target completion year is 2027.
The IMO has also flagged fatigue, work and rest hours and harassment as priority issues. You can read the IMO’s briefing on seafarer fatigue and work hours.
Practical steps to avoid hours of rest violations
Until the rules change, these habits protect you and your shipmates:
- Record real hours, every day. Do not wait until the end of the month.
- Keep a simple personal log in a notebook or phone, so you have your own evidence.
- Plan ahead for port calls. Ask the master or chief engineer to share out work so nobody goes past the limits.
- Speak up early. Raise concerns with your head of department, then the master.
- Use the official channels. The MLC requires an on-board complaint procedure, and every company has a Designated Person Ashore (DPA) under the ISM Code.
- Get outside help if needed. You can contact your flag State, your union, or an ITF inspector in port.
Self-check: are your rest hours MLC-compliant?
Think about your last 7 days on board and answer five quick questions. Nothing is saved or sent.
1. In every 24-hour period, did you get at least 10 hours of rest?
2. Over the 7 days, did you get at least 77 hours of rest in total?
3. Was your rest in no more than two blocks, with one block at least 6 hours long?
4. Was the gap between your rest periods never more than 14 hours?
5. When drills or call-outs broke your rest, did you get extra rest to make up for it?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the master order me to work during my rest hours?
Yes, but only for the immediate safety of the ship, people or cargo, or to help others in distress. Once the emergency is over, you must receive adequate compensatory rest.
Are drills counted as work?
Yes. Time spent on musters and drills counts as work and must appear in your record. Drills should be planned to disturb rest as little as possible.
What should I do if I am asked to change my timesheet?
Do not sign a record you know is false, because a changed timesheet hides hours of rest violations instead of fixing them. Keep your own notes, report the request through the on-board complaint procedure or to the DPA, and contact your union or flag State if nothing changes.
Conclusion
Hours of rest violations are a safety issue, a health issue and a legal issue for every seafarer. The limits are simple: 10 hours in 24, 77 hours in 7 days, and no more than two rest blocks. The hard part is making them real on board. Record your hours honestly, plan busy periods together, and use your rights. With the IMO now reviewing the system, crews who speak up today help build a safer tomorrow at sea.
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