The US Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg has issued an initial Certificate of Inspection (COI) to the towing vessel ‘Endeavor’ of Marine Towing of Tampa. This marks the first COI to be issued in accordance with the Subchapter M towing vessel regulations, according to USCG Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance.
The Endeavor is an 86.7-foot, 4200 horsepower vessel used throughout Tampa Bay as an assist and escort vessel.
All towing vessels are required to comply with the provisions of 46 CFR Subchapter M by 20 July 2018. US Subchapter M regulations set up towing vessel safety regulations overseeing inspections, standards and options for safety management systems. Operators are required to have a Certificate of Inspection from the USCG to maintain fleet operations.
There is a phase in period for issuance of the COI, and the Coast Guard would like to encourage owners and operators to initiate contact and coordinate early scheduling of inspections with the local OCMI. When scheduling, please indicate whether the vessel will be using the Coast Guard or Towing Safety Management System option.
To obtain an initial COI under 46 CFR Subchapter M, the USCG has advised the following:
- Prior to the issuance of an initial TSMS certificate, an external management audit must be conducted by a TPO in accordance with 46 CFR 138.315 (a)
- USCG may issue an initial COI to a TSMS vessel after receiving objective evidence that the owner or operator is in compliance with the TSMS and the vessel meets applicable stability, structures and essential system requirements
- An owner or operator using a SMS compliant with 33 CFR 96 on its vessels may not be fully compliant with Subchapter M at the time the vessel is audited. A such, the Document of Compliance and Safety Management Certificate may not be a compete indication of a given vessel’s level of compliance on the date the initial COI is scheduled for issuance. An OCMI may accept the company’s annual verification audit as objective evidence required by 46 CFR 136.210(b)(1), that the vessel meets external management audit requirements found in 46 CFR 138.315(a)(1).
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