At the 107th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC107) in June 2023, the amendments to SOLAS II-1 to provide safety requirements on lifting appliances and anchor handling winches were adopted and Regulation 3-13 was newly established as per the resolution MSC.532(107). Additionally, "Guidelines for Lifting appliances" (MSC.1/Circ.1663) and "Guidelines for Anchor handling winches" (MSC.1/Circ.1662) were approved. These new guidelines are referenced in SOLAS II-1/Reg.3-13.
In addition, please refer to ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-1340 dated 16 December 2024 and ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-1303 dated 16 August 2023.

This technical information introduces the new requirements for anchor handling winches. Since some parts of the above contents are still under discussing between IACS members, additional or revised information will be informed by revising this ClassNK Technical Information etc.
Also, draft amendments of ClassNK Rules and Guidance relevant to the requirements have been approved at the 3rd Meeting of the 2025 Technical Committee are now available on ClassNK website

1. Application
Anchor handling winches*1 on vessels engaged in international voyages of 500 gross tonnage and above engaged in international voyages.

There is a class notation "AHV" to the anchor handling vessels which is a vessel engaged in the installation, moving and taking up of the mooring anchors of mobile offshore drilling units, dredgers, etc., in accordance with Chapter 8, Part O of ClassNK Rules. On the other hand, since the requirements of the SOLAS amendment apply to the anchor handling winches (not vessel), it may apply not only anchor handling vessels.
As an example, vessels equipped with towing winches that are also used for anchor handling (excluding those not covered by the SOLAS Convention) are also applicable.

*1 The expression "anchor handling winch" means any winch for the purpose of deploying, recovering and repositioning anchors and mooring lines in subsea operations. (SOLAS II-1/Reg.2.31)

(To be continued)