The latest from the Coast Guard…

USCG Marine Safety Alert 1-08
Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship
May 9, 2008

Washington, DC

Maintaining Vessel Watertight Integrity

This Safety Alert addresses two issues: watertight integrity and high level
bilge alarms.

Recently a marine casualty involving a fishing vessel in the Bering Sea
resulted in multiple fatalities and complete loss of the vessel. A Marine
Board of Investigation is currently examining the various circumstances
surrounding the casualty. Although the investigation is not complete,
testimony indicates the flooding of the vessel may have been exacerbated
due to open or leaking watertight doors and other compartmental deficiencies
which impacted the vessel’s overall watertight integrity.

As a result of this and other similar casualties, the U. S. Coast Guard
strongly recommends vessel owners and operators:

WATERTIGHT INTEGRITY

Ensure all watertight decks and bulkheads are inspected periodically to
verify that there are no unprotected openings or improper penetrations that
will allow progressive flooding and that closure devices (e.g. watertight
doors, duct closures, etc.) are in place and in working order.

Ensure all crewmembers are familiar with the locations of the watertight
doors (WTDs) and weather tight closures throughout their vessels. Knowing
the locations of such WTDs and weather tight closures should be part of the
crewmember vessel familiarization process.

Ensure WTDs and hatches are closed while at sea and as otherwise specified
in the stability guidance provided to the master or individual in charge.
The importance of keeping WTDs and hatches closed should be emphasized on a
regular basis (e.g. at safety meetings). WTDs and hatches should be opened
only briefly to allow passage and labeled appropriately to remind
crewmembers to close them. If they must remain open to permit work, WTDs
and hatches should be attended at all times so that they can immediately be
closed. Any WTDs permitted to be open while the vessel is underway should
be secured during drills to ensure they work properly.

Implement a WTD inspection program to ensure each WTD is regularly
inspected and properly maintained. As part of the inspection of each WTD, the
following should be examined: straightness of the knife edge; the door
assembly for twisting or warp-age; evidence of loose, missing seized or
damaged components; permanent set in gasket material, cracks in the gasket;
gaps at gasket joints; paint, rust, or other foreign material on gaskets,
knife-edges and working parts; binding and difficult operations; and loose
or excessively tight dogs. Rotating spindles of the dog, handles and
hinges, and other points of friction should be lubricated to prevent seizing and
allow proper closure. If fitted, the spindle packing should also be
examined.

Ensure watertight hatches, dogged manholes, bolted manhole covers, and
access plates are given similar examinations, focusing on the sealing
surfaces and the method by which the hatch is secured. Gasket materials
should be replaced whenever they are found insufficient. Regardless of the
type of hatch or access, every component that secures the device, such as
dogs, wing nuts, or bolts should be inspected, lubricated and free, and
repaired or replaced as necessary to ensure they operate properly. As with
watertight doors, hatches and accesses should be labeled to indicate they
remain closed while underway. Most importantly, all securing devices must
be used when the hatch or access is closed. Improper closure of a hatch
will not prevent flooding.

Ensure compartments and external hull structures fitted with ventilation
ducts that have hinged covers with gaskets, hinges, sealing surfaces and
securing mechanisms are regularly inspected and properly maintained (see
above for guidance).

Ensure electrical cables and conduits, piping runs, remote valve actuators,
and other components that penetrate watertight bulkheads, decks, and
compartments are inspected frequently and properly maintained. Each may
have a unique sealing method involving glands with packing assemblies,
penetration seals, or other methods. Frequent inspection and proper
maintenance of these various fittings and assemblies will assist in
minimizing the possibility of progressive flooding.

BILGE AND HIGH WATER ALARMS

Ensure water accumulation is minimized and all spaces are kept dry unless
permitted by the stability instructions provided to the master or
individual in charge.

Ensure bilge high level alarms are arranged to provide the earliest
warnings of abnormal accumulation. The high level bilge alarms should be set as low
as possible to the deck or bilge well and positioned along the centermost
area of the compartment or in a location at which the fluids will gravitate
to first. In areas where bilge water routinely accumulates, the bilge high
level alarms should be placed just above the point where under normal
working conditions the accumulation would be pumped to a holding tank,
overboard, or through an oily water separation system if required. Alarms
may be fitted with short time delays to prevent nuisance alarms caused by
the rolling and pitching of the vessel.

Ensure all crewmembers understand the importance of minimizing water in the
bilges.

Provide the funding, labor, spare parts, and vessel availability necessary
to ensure leakages stemming from machinery, equipment and other components
are kept to a minimum at all times in accordance with good marine practice.

This safety alert is provided for informational purposes only and does not
relieve any domestic or international safety, operational or material
requirement. Developed and distributed by the Office of Investigations and
Analysis, United States Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC.

*******

Office of Investigations and Analysis -
http://www.marineinvestigations.us
To subscribe - Kenneth.W.Olsen@uscg.mil

Here is the latest from the Holland and Knight newsletter regarding Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) for all you passenger vessels out there.

The US Coast Guard promulgated its final rule requiring certain ships to report identifying and position data electronically, utilizing the Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system. The rule requires transmission of the LRIT data, effective December 31, 2008 for the following ships, while engaged on an international voyage: (1) passenger ships, including high speed passenger craft; (2) cargo ships, including high speed craft, of 300 gross tonnage or more; and (3) mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) while underway and not engaged in drilling operations.

For the rest of the document, click 73 Fed. Reg. 23310

In case you missed the latest in Homeland Security news yesterday, here are the new compliance dates for obtaining your TWIC:

- October 15, 2008 – ALL 33 CFR Part 105 compliant facilities in Sector Southeastern New England must comply with TWIC.

- April 15, 2009 – ALL Merchant Mariners and 33 CFR Part 104 compliant vessels must comply with TWIC.

- June 2008 – Sector Southeastern New England will sponsor Port Safety and Security Forum’s in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to answer additional questions regarding TWIC compliance.

The Department of Homeland Security Press Release on TWIC compliance dates is provided below for your information. If you have questions, please call LT Merridith Morrison at (401) 435-2361 or Merridith.R.Morrison@uscg.mil.

Department of Homeland Security Press Release

From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security….

DHS REALIGNS TWIC COMPLIANCE DATE

WASHINGTON – The U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced that the final compliance date for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program will be April 15, 2009, which reflects a realignment of the Sept. 25, 2008 compliance date set in the final rule. The seven month extension is a direct result of collaboration with port officials and industry, and realigns the enrollment period with the original intent of the TWIC final rule.

TWIC was established in the Maritime Transportation Security Act and the SAFE Port Act to serve as an identification program for all Coast Guard credentialed mariners and personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas within a port. The program is on track to complete enrollment for a substantial number of jurisdictions by the end of 2008, and several ports will be required to comply with TWIC regulations this year.

Owners and operators of facilities located within Captain of the Port Zones Boston, Northern New England, and Southeastern New England will need to comply by October 15, 2008. These three ports were selected based on favorable conditions that facilitate near-term implementation. These ports are ideal for initial compliance based upon geographic proximity, the size of their TWIC enrollment population, and respective enrollment efforts to date. Additional ports will be announced in the coming weeks, and the Coast Guard will provide at least 90 days notice prior to enforcement.

The TWIC program is progressing steadily and has opened more than 100 fixed enrollment centers and dozens of mobile sites nationwide. More than 250,000 workers have enrolled to date and thousands more are processed each week. Enrollment began at the Port of Wilmington, Del. in October 2007.

Workers can pre-enroll online at www.tsa.gov/twic. Pre-enrollment can accelerate credentialing by allowing workers to provide biographic information and schedule a time to complete the application process in person. This eliminates delays at enrollment centers and reduces total enrollment time for each worker.

Although the compliance date has been extended seven months, workers are encouraged to enroll as soon as possible. Additional information can be found on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Homeport site, http://homeport.uscg.mil, and on the Transportation Security Administration’s web site at www.tsa.gov/twic.

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Please note: We are experiencing a delay in credential notification due to various reasons. For enrollees with fingerprint capturing problems, LM has implemented a series of patches to remedy the problem. The final patch is due out on June 6.

If you enrolled in November – January and have not received notification, please check your status at twicinformation.tsa.dhs.gov or contact the Help Desk at 866-DHS-TWIC. The call center is experiencing a high volume of calls and there might be a long wait for assistance.

If you are interested in a mobile station at your location or area, please go to twicinformation.tsa.dhs.gov at FAQs for more information.

From the Holland and Knight Newsletter: USCG – reminder to replace older EPIRBs

The US Coast Guard issued a press release reminding mariners that older model Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) that broadcast on 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz will not be monitored by satellite as of February 1, 2009. Effective that date, the satellites will only monitor for radio beacons broadcasting on 406 MHz. Some of the newer EPIRBs are equipped with embedded GPS, which will automatically signal the location of the distress.

The official press release after the jump.