Vice admirals Daniel Abel and Michael McAllister will testify July 24, 2018, before the House Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Subcommittee (CG&MT).
Source: USCG
Link: 7/23/2018: Congressional hearing alert – “Update on Coast Guard acquisition programs and mission balance and effectiveness”

A Final Rule published June 20, 2016, set July 20, 2018, as the compliance date for all towing vessels subject to Subchapter M even if the vessel does not have a Certificate of Inspection. Towing vessels have a strong record of safe operations, so while July 20, 2018 represents a beginning of a new regulatory regime, these vessels will continue to operate safely and provide a valuable service to the nation’s economy.
Source: USCG
Link: 7/20/2018: A milestone for towing vessel safety

Foreign flag passenger vessels arriving in the United States that embark passengers for the first time or make an initial U.S. port call while carrying U.S. citizens as passengers, must participate in the Initial Certificate of Compliance exam process. This post provides a few points to help ensure the ICOC exam is efficient as possible.
Source: USCG
Link: 7/18/2018: Foreign flag passenger vessels and the Initial Certificate of Compliance exam

The following products are available from the Navigation Center website:

• The Eighth (Gulf) Coast Guard District Local Notice to Mariners (29-2018): https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm0829g2018.pdf
• The weekly update to the 2018 USCG Light List, Volume Four: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lightListWeeklyUpdates
  
• The Summary of Corrections: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lightLists/corrections/V4D08GM.pdf

If the links above do not work, you should either copy and paste the links into your web browser or follow the LNM links from the Navigation Center LNM page.

The Local Notice to Mariners, Light List, and Summary of Corrections are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and viewing them requires a PDF reader.  PDF readers are readily available on the internet, generally free of charge.

To download the latest information:

• Place your mouse over the “PDF” symbol next to the corresponding week.
• Right click for PC / Control click for Mac.
• Choose “Save Target As”.
• Save the PDF to your computer and open using your PDF reader.

If you have questions regarding this message, please contact the Navigation Center (use “LNMs, Charts, Chart Corrections, or Light Lists” as the subject from the pull down menu).

Source: LNM District 8
Link: District 08 (GULF) Week 29 LNM Now Available on Navigation Center Website

The Ship Structure Committee announced the publication of a new report, SSC-474, titled “Structural Assessment of Aged Ships,” by Mr. Gregory Walker, Mr. Brendan Connell and Mr. Sean Kery of CSRA. The report describes the development of an assessment process to accurately predict the survivability of a corrosion-degraded ship in specific wave conditions.
Source: USCG
Link: 07/17/2018: New Ship Structure Committee report released: SSC-474

TugSafe Lite has been expanded and retitled TugSafe Central and is an important online source for Subchapter M compliance requirements and guidance. It has two new sections and new links to regulatory cites, USCG guidance documents and a link to a downloadable electronic version that is also printer-friendly.
Source: USCG
Link: 07/17/2018: TugSafe Lite is now TugSafe Central with two new sections and more links to useful information

The evolution of passenger amenities on cruise ships has far surpassed the original language of the existing regulations. This is particularly evident on open deck areas where the current trend to situate a variety of cooking, dining, and entertainment options has increased the fire risk. When combined with an overhanging deck, awning, or similar covered area, these risks are compounded. This post provides information and guidance to minimize the risk of fires stemming from overhanging decks on board passenger ships.
Source: USCG
Link: 7/16/2018: Covered areas on open decks – risks and requirements for passenger vessels

The following products are available from the Navigation Center website:

• The Eighth (Gulf) Coast Guard District Local Notice to Mariners (28-2018): https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm0828g2018.pdf
• The weekly update to the 2018 USCG Light List, Volume Four: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lightListWeeklyUpdates
  
• The Summary of Corrections: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lightLists/corrections/V4D08GM.pdf

If the links above do not work, you should either copy and paste the links into your web browser or follow the LNM links from the Navigation Center LNM page.

The Local Notice to Mariners, Light List, and Summary of Corrections are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and viewing them requires a PDF reader.  PDF readers are readily available on the internet, generally free of charge.

To download the latest information:

• Place your mouse over the “PDF” symbol next to the corresponding week.
• Right click for PC / Control click for Mac.
• Choose “Save Target As”.
• Save the PDF to your computer and open using your PDF reader.

If you have questions regarding this message, please contact the Navigation Center (use “LNMs, Charts, Chart Corrections, or Light Lists” as the subject from the pull down menu).

Source: LNM District 8
Link: District 08 (GULF) Week 28 LNM Now Available on Navigation Center Website

The Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise in Ft. Lauderdale recently released its semi-annual newsletter and Maritime Commons will be releasing individually several of the articles that we think will be of particular interest to our readers. For more information about the CSNCOE, or to […] Source: USCG
Link: 7/10/2018: Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise summer newsletter highlights most common reasons for PSC detentions, deficiencies

Director of Inspections and Compliance for the U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jennifer Williams had the opportunity to address about 250 members of the international shipping community last month during Korea Maritime Week. This post provides a recap of her remarks made during the Ballast Water Management Forum for the benefit of our readers unable to attend.
Source: USCG
Link: 7/6/2018: Recap of Coast Guard remarks during Korea Maritime Week