The Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance has issued Marine Safety Information Bulletin 06-18, “Amphibious Passenger Vessel Operations,” following the tragic loss of the amphibious passenger vessel Stretch Duck 07.
On July 19, 2018, the Stretch Duck 07 encountered a storm and sank near Table Rock Lake, Missouri, with loss of life. A Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) has been convened and will conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation to determine casual factors that contributed to this tragic incident.
The Coast Guard and amphibious passenger vessel industry do not have to delay until the MBI has completed their investigation before taking immediate and positive action. It is recommended that all Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), owners, operators, and masters immediately complete the following:
• Review the routes and conditions listed on the vessel’s Certificate of Inspection (COI). Ensure crews are familiar with and clearly aware of their obligations. Additionally, ensure everyone is aware of all operational limitations of each vessel.
• Review the company’s operations manual recommended by Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) No. 1-01. If there is currently no operations manual, it is highly recommended that one be developed. Additionally, owners and operators may wish to incorporate programs and procedures characteristic of a Safety Management System to effectively mitigate risk and establish a culture of continuous improvement.
• Conduct crew training and drills in accordance with the vessel’s Emergency Response Plans with a specific focus on: crew duties and responsibilities, inclement weather monitoring and response, flooding, methods and locations for beaching, and vessel evacuations.
• Take a proactive approach to vessel oversight to include frequent communications with the master for hazard monitoring, to include changes in weather conditions.
Questions concerning this notice may be directed to the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance, Commandant (CG-CVC) at 202-372-1135 or CG-CVC@uscg.mil.
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.
