🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR Part 35 – especially the sections on oil transfer operations and Declaration of Inspection requirements • What documents related to oil transfer must be retained and for how long • Difference between pre-transfer requirements (before starting the transfer) and recordkeeping requirements (after the transfer)

💭 Think About

• Look up the specific CFR section that discusses the Declaration of Inspection and see if it specifies a retention period for the signed copy. • Ask yourself: Is the required retention period short term (days), medium term (months), or long term (a year or more) for operational safety records like this? • Compare how long other similar operational records (like log entries or cargo records) are normally kept to help you eliminate unlikely options.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 46 CFR Part 35 the exact wording about how long the signed Declaration of Inspection must be kept. • Confirm whether the regulation says the copy must be kept onboard, by the operator, or both, and for what duration. • Double‑check that you are looking at the section for vessel-to-vessel oil transfer operations, not facility or shoreside requirements.