Legal

Data retention policy

Last updated: October 19, 2026

Vessel Vanguard keeps your vessel's safety and maintenance records for as long as they are needed to meet legal, regulatory and contractual requirements, and keeps personal information only for as long as it is needed. This page explains what we hold, how long we keep it, and what happens when it is deleted.

Who this policy applies to

This policy covers all data stored in the Vessel Vanguard platform. That includes our web app, our mobile app, and the copies of your data held on your devices for offline use.

Your organisation (the vessel operator) owns its data and decides how it is used. Vessel Vanguard stores and processes that data on your behalf. The periods on this page are our defaults; your organisation can ask us to keep records for longer where its flag state, class society, insurer or contract requires it.

We never delete a record that is under legal hold, part of an open investigation, or linked to an unresolved deficiency or defect.

Our principles

Safety records are kept for as long as they are needed. Anything that shows the condition of a vessel or proves a safety task was done is kept for as long as legal, regulatory or contractual requirements apply. This covers tasks, work orders, inspections, deficiencies, defects, log entries, signatures and attached photos. These records are never deleted by age alone while the vessel is active on Vessel Vanguard.
Personal information is kept only as long as the record it supports. When someone leaves, we remove their login, contact details and devices. Their name stays on any safety record they signed, because that record needs to show who signed it.
Short-lived system data expires quickly. Notifications, temporary uploads, report previews and system logs are deleted automatically, usually within days or months.
We can always prove what happened. When a record is deleted, a secure audit trail keeps evidence that it existed and was removed.
Deleted data is removed from use. When data is deleted, we remove it from our live systems, file storage and synced devices. Copies may remain in encrypted backups for a limited time until those backups expire.

How long we keep your data

The clock starts from the event shown in the "Starts from" column. Periods marked "extendable" can be lengthened by your organisation, but never shortened below the default.

Type of data	What it includes	How long we keep it	Starts from
Vessel and equipment register	Vessels, systems, equipment, parts, warranties, storage locations	For as long as the vessel is on Vessel Vanguard, then as long as necessary to meet legal, regulatory or contractual requirements (extendable)	Vessel archived or organisation leaves
Maintenance and safety records	Tasks, work orders, schedules, defects, procedure steps, notes, change history	As long as necessary to meet legal, regulatory or contractual requirements (extendable); kept while the vessel is active	Record completed or closed
Compliance and inspection records	Checklists, inspections, forms, deficiencies, readings, weather observations	As long as necessary to meet legal, regulatory or contractual requirements (extendable)	Inspection or deficiency closed
Logbook entries	Trip, fuel and general log entries	As long as necessary to meet legal, regulatory or contractual requirements (extendable)	Entry date
Stock and inventory	Stock counts, transfers and ledger entries	As long as necessary to meet legal, accounting or contractual requirements	Entry date
Photos, files and signatures on a record	Attachments and signature images linked to a safety record	Same as the record they belong to	Record expires
Files not linked to any record	Uploaded files never attached to anything	12 months	Upload
Active user accounts	Name, email, phone, role and permissions	For as long as the account is active	—
Former users and crew	Name kept on signed records; contact details removed	Full details for 90 days, then name only, for as long as the signed records are kept	Account deactivated or crew assignment ended
Unaccepted invitations	Invitations to join an organisation	30 days	Invitation sent
Sign-in security records	Login attempts, verification codes, password resets	90 days	Created
Audit trail	Tamper-evident record of every change, including deletions	As long as necessary to meet legal, regulatory or contractual requirements	Change made
In-app notifications	Notification bell messages	13 months	Sent
Notification delivery records	Email, SMS and push delivery receipts	90 days	Sent
Communication preferences	SMS consents and email unsubscribes	As long as necessary to prove your choice	Opt-out
Scheduled reports	Report runs, delivered PDFs, external recipients	13 months	Report run
Report previews	Draft previews	7 days	Generated
System and access logs	Server and access logs, which can include IP addresses	30 to 90 days	Written
Backups	Encrypted database backups	Only as long as needed to recover your data	Backup taken
Data on your devices	Offline copies in the web and mobile apps	Until you log out, or 30 days without a sync	Last sync

We also hold a shared equipment library of manufacturer catalogues and task templates. It does not contain your organisation's data. Fleet-wide maintenance statistics derived from it are de-identified and cannot be linked back to your vessel.

How deletion works

When a record reaches the end of its retention period, or your organisation asks us to delete it, we remove it from our live systems and file storage. Deleted records are also removed from your devices the next time they sync. Copies of deleted information may remain in our encrypted backups for a limited time until those backups expire.

A secure audit trail keeps evidence that a record existed and was removed.

Legal hold. Where records must be preserved, for example during a dispute, claim or investigation, we can place an organisation, vessel or single record on hold. Nothing under hold is deleted until the hold is lifted. An open deficiency or defect automatically holds the records linked to it until it is closed.

When someone leaves your organisation

When a user is deactivated or a crew assignment ends, their login is disabled and their devices are signed out the same day. After 90 days we remove their email, phone number, address, profile picture and login account.

Their name stays on every safety record they signed, for as long as that record is kept. This is how a maintenance or inspection record shows who carried out and signed off the work.

When a vessel is sold or archived

The vessel's records keep their full retention period and can still be exported. To transfer records to a new owner, your organisation can produce a certified PDF export of the vessel's history.

When your organisation leaves Vessel Vanguard

When your organisation's subscription ends, your account is deactivated and all users are signed out. You can ask us for an export of your data before it is deleted. We then delete your data in line with this policy, except where we need to keep it to meet legal, regulatory or contractual requirements.

If your account is under dispute, an open claim or a legal hold, deletion is paused until that is resolved.

Your privacy rights

We follow the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Both require that personal information is kept no longer than needed, and both give you the right to access, correct and request deletion of your information.

Because your organisation controls its data, please send requests about your personal information to your organisation's administrator first. On request, we can remove a person's contact details without waiting the usual 90 days.

We may decline to remove a person's name from a signed safety record while that record is still within its retention period. Maritime law requires these records to show who completed and signed off safety work, and GDPR allows records to be kept where the law requires it.

The rules behind these periods

ISM Code. Requires maintenance, non-conformity and internal audit records to be kept and available for audit.
ISO 23323 and ISO 21745. Set standards for digital maintenance and record books: original entries and every amendment stay visible, and records become read-only once signed.
MARPOL. Sets minimum periods for keeping record books such as the Oil Record Book.
NZ Privacy Act 2020 and GDPR. Require personal information to be kept no longer than necessary.

Where these rules differ, we keep safety records for the longest period that applies, and personal information for the shortest.

If there is a data breach

If we discover a breach that affects personal information, we will notify the affected organisations and individuals within 72 hours, or without undue delay where the breach is likely to affect their rights and freedoms. Questions about a breach can be sent to support@vesselvanguard.com.

Changes to this policy

We review this policy at least once a year and whenever the law or our platform changes. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated. We will tell customers about any change that shortens how long we keep their data.

Contact us

For questions about this policy or to request a longer retention period for your organisation, contact us at support@vesselvanguard.com.