TVIB News

USCG: FR Amendments to the Marine Radar Observer Refresher Training Regulations

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Federal Register Vol. 84, 026/07/2019 – 46 CFR Parts 10, 11, and 15 Amendments to the Marine Radar Observer Refresher Training Regulations

EXCERPTS – Download link below for full notice.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is revising its merchant mariner credentialing regulations to remove obsolete portions of the radar observer requirements and harmonize the radar observer endorsement with the merchant mariner credential. These revisions will reduce an unnecessary financial burden on mariners required to hold a radar observer endorsement. This rule will affect mariners who have served on radar-equipped vessels, in a position that routinely uses radar for 1 year in the previous 5 years for navigation and collision avoidance purposes, and mariners who have taught a Coast Guard-approved or accepted radar course at least twice within the past 5 years. These mariners will no longer be required to complete a Coast Guard- approved or accepted radar refresher or recertification course in order to renew their radar observer endorsements. We are retaining the existing requirements for mariners seeking an original radar observer endorsement and for mariners who do not have 1 year of routine relevant sea service on board radar- equipped vessels in the previous 5 years or have not taught a Coast Guard- approved or accepted radar course at least twice within the past 5 years. This final rule adopts, with modification, the notice of proposed rulemaking published on June 11, 2018.

DATES: This final rule is effective July 22, 2019.

Click here to download Federal Register Vol. 84, 06/07/2019 – 46 CFR Parts 10, 11, and 15 Amendments to the Marine Radar Observer Refresher Training Regulations

AWO: RCP Certificaiton​ Alignment with TSMS Certificates

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June 3, 2019

The AWO Standards Board recently shared two memos and guidance to clarify the alignment of a member’s RCP certification dates with their TSMS certificate dates for RCP certified companies that elected the TSMS option.

The two memos cover the following:

  1. The first clarifies that correspondence shared by AWO with its members in 2015 which contained an audit transition plan for AWO members implementing the AWO Board-approved changes to the RCP which were designed to ensure its acceptance by the USCG as an existing TSMS under Subchapter M. The memo notes that for those members who have aligned their RCP certification date with that of their company’s initial TSMS Certificate issuance date, the audit transition plan shared in 2015 conflicts and is therefore no longer applicable. This memo directs those companies – who have aligned their compliance dates – to follow the five-year audit schedule from that date forward.
  2. The second memo deals with the alignment of RCP certification dates and initial TSMS Certificate issuance dates (mentioned above). The RCP Standards Board is extending the date by which companies who already have already received their initial TSMS Certificate and have had it for more than 90 days to still request alignment no later than July 1, 2019. This will allow companies who perhaps have not taken the opportunity to align their dates, and still want to, to do so.

For TVIB TPO customers that are RCP certified, please confirm that you have aligned your RCP certification date to your TSMS certificate date. If you have NOT done, please take benefit of the final extension and do so NO LATER than July 1, 2019.

After this deadline you will not be allowed to align your two certifications and will likely have duplicative audit cycles.

Click here to download both memos (we have packaged them together in a singled PDF).

USCG: CG-ENG 01-18 Equivalency Determination – Fire Pumps for Subchapter C and Subchapter M Towing Vessels

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May 31, 2019 – CG – Engineering issued a new policy letter. Following are some excerpts from that letter that are specific to Subchapter M towing vessels under 65 feet long. Please click on the link below to download the full policy letter.

(1) Purpose.This policy letter provides guidance on the acceptance of fixed fire pump size requirements for towing vessels 65 ft or less to provide a level of safety that is equivalent to the requirements of reference (a) and (b), uninspected and inspected towing vessels, respectively. 

(3) Discussion. When developing references (c) and (d), the Coast Guard assumed smaller vessels would utilize portable fire pumps, while larger vessels would utilize fixed fire pumps; therefore, vessel size was not associated with fire pump requirements. This assumption imposed a larger burden on smaller vessels that opted to install fixed fire pumps. Generally, the fixed pump is required to have a higher capacity to accommodate the greater hydraulic losses expected from the extensive fire main systems used in larger vessels. In small vessels, however, the hydraulic losses of the smaller fire main systems are negligible, and the fixed fire pump need be of no higher capacity than the portable pump. Thus, in small vessels, fixed and portable pumps of similar capacity will provide similar fire streams affording an equivalent level of safety. Accordingly, for towing vessels 65 ft or less, the Coast Guard has determined a fixed pump that meets the portable pump capacity and pressure requirements meets an equivalent level of performance to the requirements in references (a) and (b). 

(4) Action.

b.   Subchapter M: For towing vessels 65 ft or less subject to 46 CFR 142.325, vessels may use a fixed pump that meets the performance requirements of 46 CFR 142.325(e)(1), instead of 46 CFR 142.325(a)(1). These towing vessels must also meet the requirements in 46 CFR 142.325 (a)(2), (b)-(d). 

Click here to download CG-ENG Policy Letter 01-19 Equivalency Determination – Fire Pumps for Subchapter C and Subchapter M Towing Vessels