Page 88: of Marine News Magazine (November 2015)

87 89

WORKBOAT REGULATIONS “We thought if we took [TBS’] domain-level knowledge and coupled that with our technical expertise, we’d be able to add a lot of value.

By digitizing their domain expertise, they took us to another level.” – Dean Shoultz, MarineCFO CTO

GETTING IN –

AND STAYING IN THE GAME

Roughly 5,000 uninspected vessels will be affected by Subchapter M, some of which are members of the AWO, which mandates that all members within a year of joining, be certi? ed on its own U.S. Coast Guard- approved SMS, the Responsible Carrier Pro- gram (RCP). While they wait for SubM to partnership offers tug owners the opportunity to create a wend its way through the regulatory process, operators can comprehensive USCG compliant SMS through a single get SMS-certi? ed by going either with RCP and IMO’s port of entry at an affordable rate of investment. Else-

ISM program. And, they’ve got plenty of choices to get to where, a herd of equally passionate service providers hope the Promised Land, when they do. to do the exact same thing.

To that end, TBS’ Pat Folan brings his operational experi- MarineCFO’s Dean Shoultz puts a positive spin on what ence to the table when he says, “We have come across a few many might view as a daunting process: “Sub-Chapter M companies on the East and Gulf Coasts that have no inten- is a ? nancial opportunity for marine operators to invest tion of complying with Sub M and those operators are plan- in their company’s long term welfare as well as the long ning on retiring when the USCG tells them to, but for those term stability of the domestic waterborne industry. The who are planning on staying in the business, they see oppor- Gas & Oil industry implemented SIRE, BIRE, & TMSA tunity with Sub M and are embracing it. Our partnership as protocols to protect the commercial interests of various with RINA and MarineCFO can help streamline the process parties. Tug operators seeking contracts with the Gas & and costs for those operators and help keep them in business.” Oil Majors need to comply with these protocols or risk no

Separately, citing 2013 numbers submitted to the U.S. contract opportunities. Sub-Chapter M ought to be con-

Coast Guard by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) sidered as codi? cation of these commercial protocols, but and the Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC), it was with an emphasis placed upon professional & corporate estimated that the cost to install an SMS could reach $2.9 accountability instead of contract performance.” million for an average company. Smaller operators can feel Shoultz clearly gets it. But, he and his RINA and TBS overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Subchap- partners are not alone. The SubM service provider ? eld ter M, RCP, ISM and other SMS plans are all designed to is deep, it brings a varied approach to a common prob- be scalable to ? t the needs of every operation, be it a one- lem and it promises economical, real world compliance to boat out? t or a ? eet of 100. It can be as simple or sophisti- operators who might not have the internal resources and cated as it needs to be. Having a safety compliance of? cer is wherewithal to otherwise get the job done. All of that said; not required, although larger operations will probably need marine operators in the so-called “subM” space should them. Fortunately, SubM assistance abounds. celebrate any new entry into this space. And, apparently,

The newly announced TBS, RINA, and MarineCFO they’ve got a good one.

November 2015

MN 88

MN Nov15 Layout 82-97.indd 88 10/23/2015 2:39:44 PM