The Coast Guard issued marine safety alert 11-14 to bring attention to serious incidents involving barges and the critical need for barge operators to display proper navigational lighting.

Within the U.S. Coast Guard Eighth District alone, marine casualty data indicates that over the past 12 years, 44 recreational vessels have struck, or allided with, moored barges within barge fleets, resulting in 26 fatalities and 44 injuries.

The Coast Guard urges owners and operators of barge fleets to complete the following actions:

• Review fleet lighting procedures to ensure that barges are sufficiently lit and operated in accordance with the Inland Navigation Rules1, including technical requirements as prescribed in Annex I, as well as any applicable area-specific regulations in 33 CFR Parts 162 and 165. 2
• Ensure that barge fleets remain in compliance with permits issued by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pursuant to 33 CFR Parts 320 through 332, and/or regional issuing authorities.

This alert was developed by the Coast Guard’s Eighth District.

View the full marine safety alert for further details.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.