Vessel Safety Inspection Changes, Deadline Approach
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The Coast Guard did the inspections. “In the next year”, said Bill Lee of Gloucester, “it will be mandatory for everyone fishing beyond the 3 mile limit - hook and line, tuna, everyone - to have a safety inspection.”
Lee, an Accredited Marine Surveyor, said there are two important new parts of the Vessel Safety Inspection program. First, the coast guard now allows trained marine surveyors to do inspections and issue vessel inspection stickers. When there are enough accredited examiners the coast guard will remove themselves from the safety inspection process and these marine surveyors will take over.
This, said Lee, will enable vessel owners to have an inspection and have a sticker issued in a more timely manner. Now a call to the coast guard for an inspection may mean waiting until the coast guard can get to those on a list. Fishermen can’t legally fish until they are issued an updated inspection sticker.
Second, captains will be responsible for the safety of the vessel and crew, and must conduct scheduled onboard safety drills. Lee said that at times in the past if a boat was boarded by the coast guard and a bilge water level detector was not functioning or some other safety equipment had failed, the captain could respond that the boat owner never fixed the equipment, etc., and that responsibility lay elsewhere.
Now the captain will be held responsible for any failed equipment and resultant citations. Crew members will have to have monthly on board safety drills and carry a card indicating the last time they were in a safety drill.
The federal vessel safety law changed on 12/20/2012 when the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012 was passed. This Act modified dockside safety examination requirements changing to every five years from every two years beginning October 15, 2015. Depending on the vessel type and area of vessel operations other requirements may still apply. Clarification of specific regulations and new examination requirements is ongoing according to the Coast Guard Commandant.
The Coast Guard is encouraging vessel owners to continue on the 2 year examination schedule until the October/15/2015 deadline. Fishing vessels carrying observers will remain on the 2 years examination schedule.
Bill Lee fished out of Gloucester for 37 years. Regulations choked off his ability to make a living fishing. He sold his permits when he was 60 years old and used the money to take a 4-month marine surveying course in Florida. He later took upgrades, became an apprentice and then took the test for Accredited Marine Surveyor. Lee took a few more courses to specialize in fishing vessels.
Lee said the vessel safety program has been a long process over many years, but “it has been well done by the coast guard.” Lee said he “cares about the boys out there. A lot have died. The vessel safety program saves lives.” He and another marine inspector in Waldoboro, Maine are the only two official vessel safety inspectors between Cape Cod and the Canadian border.
Ted Harrington, Fishing Vessel Coordinator, 1st Coast Guard Sector, Boston, has said there are about 1,000 boats in New England that will need to get inspection stickers.
The vessel safety program started after large numbers of fishermen were being lost at sea in the 1990’s. Since that time many basic types of safety equipment have become standard equipment aboard fishing vessels. Included are survival suits, Epirbs, life rafts, high water bilge alarms, emergency flares, etc. In addition crews now need survival training and training in the use of the safety equipment. Inspections are done every two years.
In the past, said Lee, a crewman may not have been familiar with the wheelhouse and the equipment there. Now, should the captain have a heart attack a crewman trained in the use of the equipment knows how to use the radio to call the coast guard and give their location from the GPS.
The coast Guard recommends contacting the local Coast Guard Sector, marine Safety Unit to locate the local fishing vessel safety examiner. Information is also available at: www.fishsafe.info
Click here to download Form #5587 and the official safety check list.