The Hellenic Coast Guard suspended Dodekanisos Express’s departure from Leros on the morning of 7 November after checking crew working arrangements.
What the authorities found
The planned voyage lasted 13 hours and 30 minutes. Authorities said no second or alternative crew had been arranged, although the schedule exceeded permitted daily working hours.
Only a single voyage to Rhodes without passengers or cargo was authorised. Administrative penalty proceedings are to follow.
The framework for work and rest
Beyond this incident, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 treats regulated working hours and rest as an essential protection for seafarers. It requires daily records so that compliance can be monitored, rather than relying solely on a vessel’s published timetable.
The general international framework provides for maximum working hours or minimum rest periods. A voyage’s duration therefore cannot be considered entirely separately from an individual seafarer’s overall working arrangements. The Coast Guard bulletin does not specify the detailed limits applied to this particular high-speed vessel.
Why working arrangements matter for safety
IMO has issued fatigue guidelines with separate modules covering companies, seafarers, training, ship design and maritime authorities. This approach places prevention across different parts of shipping operations, rather than treating it solely as an individual crew member’s responsibility.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, AMSA, explains that simply complying with work and rest requirements is not enough to manage fatigue risk. Other factors must also be considered when assessing the consequences for seafarers’ health, vessel operations and the marine environment.
These international materials provide context for understanding why working-hours checks form part of maritime safety oversight. They are not additional findings about Dodekanisos Express or evidence that an accident or a fatigue-related incident occurred on board. The circumstances of the departure suspension remain those described in the Greek authority’s announcement.