First COI Issued Under Subchapter M

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued its very first certificate of inspection (COI) under the Subchapter M requirements, which set new rules for the inspection, standards and safety policies of towing vessels.

The COI issued to Marine Towing of Tampa's 90-foot tug Endeavor was signed Wednesday by Capt. Holly Najarian, commander of Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., and was presented Thursday morning at the company’s corporate office in Tampa, Fla.

The 4,200-horsepower Endeavor, built in 2000 in Lockport, La., works as an assist and escort vessel throughout Tampa Bay.

With the first COI under Subchapter M, Endeavor leads more than 5,500 vessels that will need to be certified to the new regulation. All U.S flagged towing vessels are required to comply with the provisions of 46 CFR Subchapter M by July 20, 2018. There is a phase-in period for issuance of the COI.

“We have been fortunate to have a very helpful relationship with our local Coast Guard and ABS [who served as Marine Towing of Tampa's third-party organization (TPO)]. To simplify documenting our compliance, we use HELM connect which is user friendly allowing our staff and crew members an easy and intuitive approach to this complex requirement,” said Capt. Scott Moorhead, Marine Towing of Tampa’s ISM & Safety Coordinator.

“Obtaining and maintaining our ISM Certification, obtaining the Survey of compliance Sub-M on each vessel and having the USCG UTV inspection went a long way to forming a good foundation for the goal of the COI,” Capt. Moorhead added.