Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (September 2012)

full subchapter M solution is delivered. Inspections in this case would be done under the same sorts of agreements with USCG that COI?s and TVE?s, for example, would be conducted. According to GL?s North American Vice President Ryan Bishop, GL?s services are based on a tariff system. He adds, ?Through this partnership, we are able to provide integrated service to industry at a reasonable price. The new service will provide an economy of scale for inland rivers operators, a savings that GL is happy to pass along as we help customers with planning and logistics.? He went to describe a system where one surveyor could tackle a  eet over the course of many days, saving, time, money and transit expenses over individual assignments, done one-by-one. LOOKING AHEADGL?s Bishop told MarineNews in August, ?Customers can get ahead of the curve now and show that they are prudent operators.? He added, ?GL wants inland operators to know that there are other options.? Putting real meat to those comments, Baker Lyman then announced in August the appointment of Tug & Barge Solutions, LLC (TBS) as the lead implementation manager for Baker Lyman?s signature ?RCP-TSMS Model Transition Plan?. Simply put, the ?RCP-TSMS Model Transition Plan? allows current AWO RCP companies to enroll into a statutorily certi ed TSMS process prior to the Sub-Chapter M Final Rule, according to Corinne Titus, Baker Lyman?s CEO. The new initiative, coupled with Baker Lyman?s TSMS strategic alliance with Germanischer Lloyd and the CORSAIR Towing Vessel Record software, position BL as an attractive TSMS option for towboat operators. For its part, TBS helped to de ne not only the cost savings this package offers tugboat operators, but also put demonstrable function to a process that, today, many see as abstract. In other words, operators can now move forward with the transition to subchapter M compliance.Rocky Marchiano, Director of Baker Lyman?s Maritime Compliance Division, suggested that Baker Lyman will likely be the only option for AWO RCP enrollees for some time. To be fair, that remains to be seen. Coast Guard of cials in August told MarineNews that, pre-subchapter M, not too many of the major classi cation societies showed real interest in the inland sector. Now, says the Coast Guard, that?s changed. Hence, the BL/GL partnership might be  rst, but it is likely that many others will follow. After all, 5,000+ potential inspections beckon.Still, Marciano is optimistic about his chances to garner a larger share of this market. He insists, ?Since TSMS 3rd Party Recognized Organization applicants face a tremendous economic and legal challenge in order to gain USCG approval it?s sensible to conclude that there will be few, if any, USCG approved TSMS 3rd Party RO?s outside of Germanischer Lloyd and ABS.? Marchiano adds, ?Due to this probability, the Baker Lyman- Germanischer Lloyd TSMS Strategic Alliance will be left as the most affordable TSMS track industry-wide.? First out of the gate, and packaged in a turnkey solution that facilitates a logical TSMS transition plan, the BL/GL partnership is arguably good news at a time of real uncertainty for towboat operators. This and the high pro le ?RCP-TSMS Model Transition Plan? will likely spur more organizations ? and more choices ? into the mix. In the meantime, Coast Guard of cials refuse to speculate on when the subchapter M rule might be  nalized. Operators know only that it is coming. Fortunately, the solution may already be here. mmÜÜWW==EEPPPPTTFFOOPPTTJJRRMMNNNN ccññWW==EEPPPPTTFF==UUPPTTJJTTTTUURRbbWW==ÜÜÉÉ~~ÇÇÑÑääììëëÜÜÉÉêê]]~~ÜÜÉÉ~~ÇÇíí~~ååââKKÅÅççããttÉÉÄÄWW==ïïïïïïKK~~ÜÜÉÉ~~ÇÇíí~~ååââKKÅÅççãã++==``ÜÜÉÉããááÅÅ~~ää==ooÉÉëëááëëíí~~ååíí==++==ooììëëíí==CC==``ççêêêêççëëááççåå==mmêêççççÑÑ====++==llÇÇççêê==ccêêÉÉÉÉ==++==aaììêê~~ÄÄääÉÉ==++==``ççããéé~~ÅÅíí====++==iiááÖÖÜÜíí==ttÉÉááÖÖÜÜííqqóóééÉÉ==ffff==ppÉÉïï~~ÖÖÉÉ==qqêêÉÉ~~ííããÉÉååíí==mmää~~ååíí==EEppqqmmFFrp=`ç~ëí=dì~êÇ=`ÉêíáÑáÉÇ ~åÇ=fjl=OMNM=^ééêçîÉÇ qqÜÜÉÉááëë==ÅÅççååëëííêêììÅÅííÉÉÇÇ==ççÑÑ==eeÉÉ~~îîóódd~~ììÖÖÉÉ==iiii==mmççääóóÉÉííÜÜÉÉääóóååÉÉ==ììëëááååÖÖ==ííÜÜÉÉ==ããççëëíí~~ÇÇîî~~ååÅÅÉÉÇÇ==ëëíí~~ííÉÉJJççÑÑJJííÜÜÉÉJJ~~êêíí==êêççíí~~ííááççåå~~ääããççääÇÇááååÖÖ==ééêêççÅÅÉÉëëëë==ÅÅêêÉÉ~~ííááååÖÖ==~~==ììååááíí==ííÜÜ~~íí==ááëëWW++==iiççïï==jj~~ááååííÉÉåå~~ååÅÅÉÉ38 MNSeptember 2012MNSept2012 Layout 32-42.indd 38MNSept2012 Layout 32-42.indd 388/30/2012 3:35:00 PM8/30/2012 3:35:00 PM