Tag: USCG

The US Coast Guard has recently received a safety bulletin from Cruise Lines International Association, reporting problems with lifejacket lights. As a result, the US Coast Guard recommends that lifejackets with lights be stored in temperature and humidity controlled, water-tight environments.

Recently, along the Gulf Coast, multiple passengers on board an uninspected passenger vessel were hospitalized due to carbon monoxide poisoning. In view of this, the US Coast Guard issued a safety alert to warn operators of this 'unseen and deadly hazard' that cannot be easily spotted.

The US Coast Guard advised mariners on how to achieve safe navigation in case of GPS interference, as approximately 20 vessels transiting the northeast portion of the Black Sea have experienced such cases from June 2017.

USCG informs that a final rule is effective from October 23, 2017 requiring certain U.S. and foreign-flag ships to carry on board a Polar Ship Certificate if they engage in international voyages in polar waters. It is expected this rule to ensure that U.S.-flagged ships that need this certificate will be able to obtain it in a timely manner.

The USCG has published a revised guidance on the implemenation of the MLC amendments (2014) which focus on financial security for the repatriation of seafarers and financial security relating to shipowners’ liability in cases of seafarer injury or death.

Following deadly collisions of US warships, CNO Richardson noted that it is very hard to understand how navy ships collide, despite the sophisticated systems onboard and the lookouts on the bridge. Part of the problem, he stressed, isn’t the Navy’s ability to see the others, but everyone else’s ability to spot Navy ships.

The US Coast Guard has interdicted seven low-profile drug smuggling vessels since June 2017, resulting in the seizure of more than 22,850 pounds of cocaine worth over $306 million. Low-profile vessels are specifically designed for smuggling illicit cargo such as drugs, weapons and cash.

The US Coast Guard is advising mariners and swimmers along the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut coasts to use caution on the water this week, as Hurricane Jose transiting the Mid-Atlantic region is forecasted to impact beaches and waterways from North Carolina to Maine.

Effective from 8 p.m. Tuesday, the US Coast Guard will set port condition ZULU for Puerto Rico and the US Virgins Islands, due to the possibility of sustained gale force winds greater than 39 mph from Tropical Storm Maria that may arrive within 24 hours. Maria has the potential to develop into a Category 3 Hurricane.

The US's largest refinery, Motiva Enterprises, has restarted operations on Monday, after being shut on August 30, due to Hurricane Harvey. In the meantime, US Coast Guard, US EPA and Texas regulators, are working to clean up oil spills caused by industrial facilities flooding from Harvey.