the Navigation Safety Advisory Council is scheduled to meet November 1-2 in Arlington, Virginia, to discuss matters relating to maritime collisions, rammings, and groundings; Inland Rules of the Road; International Rules of the Road; navigation regulations and equipment, routing measures, marine information, diving safety, and aids to navigation systems.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 10/16/2017: Navigation Safety Advisory Council meeting scheduled

These national guidelines provide the maritime industry, specifically tank and nontank vessel owner or operators, with guidance on developing and submitting alternatives in accordance with the regulations.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 10/16/2017: Alternative planning criteria national guidelines now available

The Coast Guard recently completed the migration of all web content to a new, more secure server and web content managers have received many questions and comments from the maritime community about how to navigate the new sites. This post provides a list of updated web addresses for some of the industry-focused Coast Guard sites our readers visit the most.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 10/6/2017: Updated hyperlinks for frequently visited Coast Guard web sites

This notice requests individuals interested in serving on the Area Maritime Security Committee, Eastern Great Lakes, and the four regional sub-committees: Northeast Ohio Region, Northwestern Pennsylvania Region, Western New York Region, and Eastern New York Region submit their applications for membership to the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Buffalo. The Committee assists the FMSC, Buffalo, in developing, reviewing, and updating the Area Maritime Security Plan for their area of responsibility. Requests for membership should reach the FMSC, Buffalo, on November 6, 2017.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 10/5/2017: Area Maritime Security Advisory Committee, Eastern Great Lakes and regional sub-committee vacancies

The MBI concluded that the primary cause of the casualty was the decision to navigate El Faro too close to the path of Hurricane Joaquin. As the MBI expanded the investigation to explore other contributing factors, it uncovered evidence of an ineffective safety management system within the operating company, and failures by both the Coast Guard delegated representative and the Coast Guard itself to provide effective oversight of the vessel’s compliance with safety regulations.
Source: Domestic Vessels
Link: 10/1/2017: Coast Guard releases Report of Investigation into loss of 33 mariners and U.S. cargo ship, El Faro

In this safety alert, the Coast Guard warns mariners to be on the look out for signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Source: Investigations & Casualty Analysis
Link: 9/26/2017: Marine Safety Alert 10-17: Carbon Monoxide, an unseen and deadly hazard

The Committee and its working groups are scheduled to meet in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and the full Committee is scheduled to meet Friday Oct. 27, 2017, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 9/22/2017: New dates for Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee meeting

The Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee and its working groups will meet Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017, and Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 9/22/2017: New dates for Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee meeting

This final rule, effective Oct. 23, 2017, adds the Polar Ship Certificate to a list of certificates that certain U.S. and foreign-flag ships will need to carry on board if they engage in international voyages in polar waters.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 9/21/2017: Final Rule – Polar Ship certificates required for certain ships operating in Polar waters

The amendments make non-substantive edits to align Coast Guard regulations with current vessel documentation statutes, correct typographical errors, and align procedural requirements with current Coast Guard practice. This final rule is effective Sept. 20, 2017.
Source: Federal Register Notices
Link: 9/20/2017: Vessel documentation regulations-technical amendments