The Coast Guard recently promulgated Marine Safety Information Bulletin 03-20 to assist owners and operators wishing to voluntarily implement a SMS. In this post, Rear Adm. Richard Timme shares the MSIB and provides his perspective on SMS.
Congressional hearing alert: Commercial and Passenger Vessel Safety: Challenges, Opportunities
Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy Rear Adm. Richard Timme will testify before a Congressional Hearing focused on passenger vessel safety, Thursday, November 14th at 2 p.m.
MSIB: Passenger vessel compliance and operational readiness
On September 2, 2019, the small passenger vessel Conception caught fire and sank off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, California with loss of life. This bulletin identifies regulations related to firefighting, lifesaving, preparations for emergencies, and means of escape that serve as a reminder for owner and operators to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew while onboard.
11/6/2017: Coast Guard-Passenger Vessel Association Quality Partnership Meeting recap
The Coast Guard and the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) held their bi-annual Quality Partnership Meeting Oct. 26, 2017 in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss safety issues and other topics affecting the professional passenger vessel industry. Maritime Commons attended the meeting and is providing a summary of the discussions and key takeaways.
10/23/2017: Two policy letters published to address issues associated with testing of machinery alarms on small passenger vessels
Policy Letter 17-07: “Required Plan Review And Design Verification Testing On Small Passenger Vessels”assists vessel owners and operators of small passenger vessels and Officer(s) in Charge, Marine Inspection with the plan review and testing of propulsion control systems that use microprocessors. Policy Letter 17-08: “Inspection of Machinery Alarms on Small Passenger Vessels” interprets “test of machinery alarms” in 46 CFR 176.804(i) and 115.804(i) and clarifies the discretionary language for “additional testing or inspections deemed reasonable and necessary.”
