Category: – Fishing Vessels

10/6/2017: Marine Safety Alert 11/17: Remain upright by fully understanding vessel stability

photo of pots on the deck of a fishing vessel

The need for operators to understand their vessel’s Stability Instructions cannot be overstated. This post provides resources and tips to help vessel operators reduce the risk of capsizing due to excessive icing or weight, vessel conversions or modifications, or compromised water tight integrity. Although the content is geared toward commercial fishing vessel operators, it is information that any mariner should be familiar with.

10/1/2017: Coast Guard releases Report of Investigation into loss of 33 mariners and U.S. cargo ship, El Faro

The MBI concluded that the primary cause of the casualty was the decision to navigate El Faro too close to the path of Hurricane Joaquin. As the MBI expanded the investigation to explore other contributing factors, it uncovered evidence of an ineffective safety management system within the operating company, and failures by both the Coast Guard delegated representative and the Coast Guard itself to provide effective oversight of the vessel’s compliance with safety regulations.