Editor’s note: To keep our readers informed as the towing vessel industry continues to move toward full compliance with Subchapter M requirements, the Coast Guard will begin sharing TVNCOE’s TPO approval announcements on Maritime Commons.

The Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise (TVNCOE) posted on its website Jan. 3, 2018, that the Coast Guard approved Decatur Marine Audit & Survey as a third-party organization (TPO) to carry out certain functions in accordance with Subchapter M.

With the addition of Decatur Marine Audit & Survey, there are a total of eight approved TPOs. The other seven are:

• American Global Maritime
• Marine Compliance LLC
• Quality Maritime Training
• Sabine Surveyors, LTD.
• Tompkins Consulting LLC
• Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau
• WaveCrest Offshore Solutions, Inc.

The current list of all Subchapter M approved TPOs is maintained on TVNCOE’s TPO webpage.

In accordance with 46 CFR 139.110, classification societies that are recognized and/or authorized meet the requirements of a TPO. These classification societies are approved by regulation to perform certain work as a TPO without further Coast Guard approval.

Organizations other than recognized and/or authorized classification societies that conduct TPO functions for towing vessels must be Coast Guard approved.

An organization seeking approval as a TPO under Subchapter M must at a minimum, submit an application package containing all the information listed in 46 CFR 139.120. The application package must be submitted to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise, which will review the information and determine if the organization meets the minimum standards for approval as a TPO. TPO approvals are granted for a period of five (5) years.

Submit TPO application packages to:

Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise
504 Broadway St. Suite 101
Paducah, Kentucky 42001

More information, guidance, and checklists are available on the TPO webpage.

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.