With passage of a continuing resolution, Marine Safety Information Bulletin 01-19 is cancelled effective Feb. 1, 2019.
12/21/2018: Port Access Route Study: Alaskan Arctic Coast
The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register that it is seeking public comments as part of an Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study (AACPARS) to evaluate the need for establishing vessel routing measures along the Arctic Coast of the United States for vessels proceeding to or from ports or places of the United States and transiting within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone.
11/26/2018: NOAD Schema 3.6 and Nat’l Vessel Movement Center Workbook 7.6 released
The National Vessel Movement Center recently announced release of updated Notices of Arrival and Departure schema version 3.6, as part of efforts to enhance maritime domain awareness and improve handling of essential data contained within NOAD.
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.
10/26/2018: Summary of recent Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee meeting
The Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee held a meeting Sept. 10, 2018 at Saint Lawrence Seaway Pilots’ Association in Cape Vincent, New York, to discuss Committee matters relating to Great Lakes pilotage, including review of proposed Great Lakes pilotage regulations and policies. This post provides a summary of the discussions as well as links to the meeting transcript and other related documents.
