The Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration regulate the vessels that may tow parasailers and flight activities, respectively. The Coast Guard regulates small passenger vessels and other vessels that conduct parasail operations. This does not include oversight of parasailing equipment, safety of passenger(s) aloft or interference with aircraft or banners being towed by aircraft. The FAA regulates parasail flight activities as well as aircraft and banners towed by aircraft. MSIB 002-19 addresses Navigation Rules relevant to the operations of the vessel pulling the parasail wing and provides information to promote safety while operating with passengers aloft in the vicinity of aircraft that may or may not be towing banners.
2/28/2019: A century and a half of marine safety and prevention – The Congressional Act of Feb. 28, 1871
In this post, Rear Adm. John Nadeau offers a few thoughts on The Congressional Act of 1871, which provided the nation with the basis of a functioning marine safety code. The Act of 1871 was an important change that combined all the practical features of previous legislation with a number of new requirements to form a coherent and unified body of law for the regulation of steamboats and to prevent marine casualties and loss of life.
2/7/2019: International Ice Patrol resumes operations, daily iceberg warning products for 2019 ice season
The Coast Guard International Ice Patrol announced it has commenced operations for the 2019 ice season as of Feb. 5, 2019 and will resume production of the North American Ice Service daily iceberg warning products from its operations center in New London, Connecticut.
2/5/2019: Commandant discusses Arctic, Subchapter M, and more in INSIGHTS interview
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz recently did an interview with Marine Link Magazine staff for its Jan. 30, 2019, edition of INSIGHTS. During the interview, Schultz discussed a variety of issues relavent to the maritime industry, and as a courtesy Maritime Commons is providing a link to the article in an effort to keep our subscribers informed.
1/24/2019: Commercial vessel safety during lapse in appropriations
With passage of a continuing resolution, Marine Safety Information Bulletin 01-19 is cancelled effective Feb. 1, 2019.
12/4/2018: Long Range Identification and Tracking: Have you reported in the last six hours?
Long Range Identification and Tracking plays an important role in Maritime Domain Awareness. Countries that fall under the purview of the SOLAS convention can share the necessary marine security information along with all other required information about the ships that sail through the countries’ coastal boundaries. In this post, the Navigation Center provides information about reporting requirements.
11/8/2018: U.S. Maritime Advisory 2018-014- GPS Interference in Eastern Mediterranean and Red Seas
Maritime Commons is sharing the content of U.S. Maritime Advisory 2018-014-GPS to inform our readers that significant GPS interference continues to be reported by vessels and aircraft operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea near Port Said, Egypt, the Suez Canal, and in the vicinity of the Republic of Cyprus.
11/8/2018: Avoiding tragedy 100 years after Princess Sophia sinking
Many of the safety items that Coast Guard foreign passenger vessel examiners check for are directly related to the lessons learned from the Princess Sophia disaster. For example, the primary cause of the grounding was a loss of awareness of the navigational picture that allowed the vessel to strike a charted and well-known hazard. As part of a cruise ship examination, the exam team checks the functionality of navigational equipment such as electronic charting systems, radars, and depth sounders, as well as the ship crew’s proficiency with using these systems. The team also reviews crewmembers’ licenses and training certificates to ensure that they meet the minimum qualifications to fill these key shipboard positions. In this post, read about how, the past 100 years have allowed for the development of robust regulations to ensure the safety of all passengers booking passage on one of these non-U.S. vessels.
11/5/2018: Tankers-automatic pilot systems Final Rule published
This final rule removes the previous regulatory restriction and updates the technical requirements for automatic pilot systems.
