The Marine Safety Center (MSC) published Marine Technical Note (MTN) 1-17, “Guidance on Verification for Subchapter M Towing Vessels,” Dec. 8, 2017.

MTN 1-17 clearly identifies the process for requesting and documenting verification of compliance with design standards. The MSC concurrently published a number of Design Verification Guides for Subchapter M vessels, which provide detailed discussion and interpretation of the regulatory requirements to ensure plan submitters understand the Coast Guard’s requirements.

Additionally, MTN 1-17 incorporates previously issued guidance. A number of design verification related Frequently Asked Questions are available on the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise’s website.

MSC Bulletin 04-16 is canceled. Following the publication of Subchapter M, Inspection of Towing Vessels, the MSC published Bulletin 04-16, Submittal of Documents to MSC for Review per 46 CFR Subchapter M, which provided initial information regarding submission of plans to the Coast Guard.

For more information and resources regarding Subchapter M, review our other posts on Maritime Commons.

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.