# STCW and MLC Rest Hours: The 10/77 Rule | Faromo Canonical: https://faromo.com/en/resources/stcw-rest-hours Language: en Review rolling 10-in-24 and 77-in-seven rest, record, exception, endorsement and PSC boundaries from official sources and use the pre-check tool. Modified: 2026-08-16 Reviewed: 2026-08-16 Keep STCW watch and safety-duty scope distinct from MLC seafarer records, and review the normal rule, exceptions, actual work record and endorsement chain separately. STCW Code Section A-VIII/1 addresses rest arrangements for watchkeepers and personnel with designated safety, security and pollution-prevention duties. MLC Standard A2.3 permits national implementation based on maximum work or minimum rest; under the minimum-rest basis, the normal limit is at least ten hours in any 24 hours and 77 hours in any seven days. Faromo’s current calculation scans only the minimum-rest basis. “Any 24 hours” is not a calendar day; the window can start at every hour. The planned schedule should be posted onboard, the record should reflect actual work and rest, it should be endorsed by the master or authorized person and the seafarer, and a copy should be given to the seafarer. Deviations for drills, call-outs and emergencies should remain visible, with required compensatory rest managed separately. As of August 2026, the 2025 MLC amendments are not in force and are expected under the ILO timetable to enter into force on 23 December 2027. This guide applies the current normal 10/77 rule; flag-State implementation, collective agreement and company procedure must still be verified. ## 1. Hourly actual record The current day editor stores 24 one-hour work/rest blocks, overtime and remarks. This resolution is not presented as equivalent to an official form. ## 2. Rolling range check The range service scans cross-midnight 24-hour windows and complete seven-day blocks across consecutive days. ## 3. Data-gap boundary A missing day breaks the timeline and windows across the gap are skipped. The result should not be treated as compliance evidence without a separate data-sufficiency indicator. ## 4. Actual-record context Overtime and remarks can retain context, but there is not yet a linked CAPA flow from a violation to compensatory rest. ## 5. Single-user finalization Finalization locks the range and stores one authorized-user stamp; it is not dual seafarer-plus-master endorsement or copy delivery to the seafarer. ## 6. Forecast not exposed The forecasting function in the codebase is not wired to a user interface or operational workflow. The current product is therefore not described as warning before a violation. ## Workflow 1. Set the rule basis: Confirm flag, CBA, duty scope and the national maximum-work/minimum-rest basis. 2. Separate plan from actuals: Retain the posted schedule while entering call-outs, drills and operational deviations into the actual record. 3. Review range and completeness: An authorized person reviews rolling 24 hours, complete seven days, missing days and split conditions together. 4. Close deviation and endorsement: Complete authorized exceptions, compensatory rest, dual endorsement and the seafarer’s copy with separate evidence. ## Does “ten hours in 24” mean a calendar day? No. The ILO’s 2026 MLC FAQ explains “any 24 hours” as a rolling period beginning at any moment. A 00:00–24:00 total alone is therefore insufficient. ## Can the ten hours of rest be split into more than two periods? Under the normal rule, the main rest making up the minimum ten comprises no more than two periods, one at least six hours. An extra rest period alone is not a breach when two qualifying periods already provide the minimum ten; authorized exception conditions are assessed separately. ## Can everyone use the 70-hour exception? No. It is not a generic tolerance. Authorization, duration, split, consecutive-use and cooldown conditions must be verified against the applicable STCW implementation, flag and any CBA. Faromo’s current option only lowers the weekly threshold and does not validate full exception eligibility. ## How does a drill or emergency call affect the record? Actual work time should enter the record, with the basis for deviation and required compensatory rest tracked separately. The current Faromo record can retain remarks but does not provide a linked compensatory-rest close-out flow. ## Does Faromo finalization satisfy MLC endorsement requirements? Not by itself. Current finalization is a single authorized-user stamp; it is not dual seafarer-plus-master/authorized-person endorsement or delivery of a record copy to the seafarer. ## Does the pre-check tool produce an official compliance result? No. The tool scans one 168-hour input at hourly resolution against normal 10/77 thresholds. Flag/CBA interpretation, the 70-hour exception, emergencies, compensatory rest, fatigue, surrounding weeks, official forms and endorsement are out of scope; it does not replace a legal or PSC decision. ## Sources - [Seafarers’ hours of work and rest](https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/humanelement/pages/seafarers-hours-of-work-and-rest.aspx) - [MLC, 2006 Standard A2.3 — Hours of work and hours of rest](https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB%3A92%3A0%3A%3ANO%3A%3AP92_SECTION%3AMLC_A2) - [Frequently asked questions about the MLC, 2006 — 2026 edition](https://www.ilo.org/publications/frequently-asked-questions-about-maritime-labour-convention-mlc-2006) - [Procedures for Port State Control, 2025 — A.1206(34)](https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/AssemblyDocuments/A.1206%2834%29.pdf) - [Fifth meeting of the MLC Special Tripartite Committee and 2025 amendments](https://www.ilo.org/meetings-and-events/fifth-meeting-special-tripartite-committee-established-under-maritime) - [MSN 1877 (M) Amendment 2 — MLC hours of work and rest](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/msn-1877-m-maritime-labour-convention-2006-hours-of-work-and-entitlement-to-leave/msn-1877-m-amendment-2-mlc-2006-hours-of-work-and-entitlement-to-leave-application-of-the-hours-of-work-regulations-2018)