What should be kept in red ink?

• A. Ship's engine maintenance schedule.
• B. Crew rosters and payroll.
• C. Navigational almanac entries.
• D. S.B.E, F.W.E, arrival departure info, gear tests, safety drills, pratique, stoways/ contraband, accidents or death

Answer: (D)

Red ink is used to flag critical, safety-related, or legally significant events in the ship’s official records. The entries that belong in red are those that require immediate attention or regulatory reporting: safety-related activities and drills, practical port clearances (pratique), important gear tests, and documentation of arrivals and departures, along with information on stowaways or contraband and any accidents or deaths. These items have regulatory or safety implications and need to stand out so officers, inspectors, and authorities can locate them quickly and verify proper procedures were followed.

Routine items like an engine maintenance schedule or crew rosters and payroll are normal administrative records, and navigational almanac entries are standard navigational data; they don’t carry the same urgency or regulatory impact as the events listed in red.