Thursday, April 21, 2011

Top 10 Small Passenger Vessel Deficiencies (Subchapter T)—Part II

Excerpted from “Top Ten Deficiencies Found on Vessels.” Full text available on http://homeport.uscg.mil/. Navigate to missions/investigations/safety reports.

See Part I here.


Running Lights Inoperable 46 CFR 183.420
All vessels must have navigation lights in accordance with the International and Inland Navigation Rules. Many vessels have inoperable stern, mast, and sidelights, and, in some instances, the installation of these lights was also found to conflict with the International and Inland Navigation Rules. Vessels of greater than 65 feet in length must also have navigation lights that are compliant with UL 1104 standards.

Light Guards Missing 46 CFR 183.410, UL 595 & 1570/1/2/3/4
All light fixtures that may be subject to damage must have a guard or be made of high-strength material. Light fixtures on the open weather deck, in the engine room, or in other machinery space must be protected with guards. Lights in accommodation spaces are normally exempted from this requirement.

Expired First Aid Kit Medication 46 CFR 184.710, 46 CFR 160.041
All certificated small passenger vessels must have a first aid kit approved under 46 CFR 160.041 or an equivalent that contains all required contents listed in 160.041. Individual items in approved first aid kits may be replaced as necessary with equivalent medications. If one item in a first aid kit is expired, the whole kit does not need to be replaced.

Navigational Charts Outdated or Missing 46 CFR 184.420
All certificated small passenger vessels must carry appropriate navigational charts that cover the area in which they operate. These charts must be kept current using regularly published Notices to Mariners. Many vessels that received deficiencies for outdated or missing navigation charts were also found to be missing other required nautical publications, including the U.S. Coast Pilot, Coast Guard light list, tide tables, and current tables. Vessels may use extracts from these publications for the area of operations in lieu of carrying the complete publication.

Expired EPIRB Hydrostatic Release 46 CFR 180.64
All small passenger vessels certificated to operate on the high seas or three miles beyond the coastline of the Great Lakes must have a FCC Type Accepted Category 1, 406-MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) installed in a float-free system. Many small passenger vessels fail to replace the hydrostatic release prior to its expiration date.


For more information:
For more information about small passenger vessel inspections, contact your local Coast Guard Sector/Inspections Division. For a listing of sector offices, click on “Sector Map” at http://homeport.uscg.mil/.

Stay tuned for:
Top 10 Small Passenger Vessel Deficiencies (Subchapter K)



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