Transfer, Scrap or Hide a Vessel

Vessel Transfers

When a new operator takes responsibility for a vessel, its record can be transferred within the eCMID system (including, optionally, copying the latest inspection report to the new operator’s account). On the ‘Manage Vessels’ page, select the ‘Setup’ link for the vessel, then use the ‘Transfer Vessel’ button at the bottom of the page. A short form follows with full instructions, and you will be given the option to hide the old vessel data (see below).

Vessel transfers are also often requested when the new operator attempts to add the vessel and receives the error:

The entered IMO Number appears to be assigned to another vessel.
Please check that you have entered the correct number.
If you are certain that your number is correct then please contact IMCA for assistance.

You can search for the existing record via the Vessel Access pages. If you are able to locate the vessel in the database or know who it was previously registered to, you should contact them directly and ask them to transfer the vessel to your eCMID account.

If you are unable to make contact with the previous operator, you should contact the eCMID Helpdesk. Our standard process is to ask the previous operator to undertake the transfer – they can review their vessel data and optionally provide a copy of the latest inspection report when transferring the vessel.  If the previous operator is unavailable or the need for access is urgent, IMCA will process the transfer without any previous reports on receipt of documentary evidence of the change of responsibility.

The previous operator will retain a ‘locked’ copy of the vessel and access to their existing data, but this will no longer be displayed to other users.

Scrap a Vessel

If a vessel has been scrapped, you should first take it offline via the Vessel Setup page. On the ‘Manage Vessels’ you will then see a single ‘Hide’ option, which leads to a simple form for this purpose (you must be an administrator or vessel contact to do this).

Hide a Vessel

If a vessel has been transferred or scrapped, it remains visible at the bottom of your ‘Manage Vessels’ list, enabling access to existing data by the vessel operator, but will no longer be displayed to other organisations. Similarly, you can temporarily take a vessel offline via the Vessel Setup page.

If you have no further need for access to previous data, use the ‘Hide’ option to the right of the vessel name. If a vessel has been hidden in error, it can be restored by the helpdesk.