Oil Record Book – Keep it honest

A recent decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals, fifth circuit, should remind us all that Oil Record Books (ORB)s are serious documents, and must be one of the most accurate documents the Chief Engineer maintains.  In an article by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, they highlight that the courts decision in the United States vs. Jho does have some serious implications for mariners.  “Previously, a shipowner and chief engineer were only likely to be prosecuted for actually “presenting” a falsified ORB to the Coast Guard during a port state control boarding.  Now, they are subject to prosecution for each US port call from the time an ORB is falsified until either the ORB is corrected or the ORB is officially retired (three years after the last entry in that particular ORB). “