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INSIGHTS

The tougher part of the deadlines is the Certi? cate of In- spection (COI) in 2019 for multi-vessel companies. Many smaller companies have not thought about the TSMS cer- ti? cate deadline prior to the COI or the vessels stretching

Pat Folan past 2019. And, it’s worse still for the one boat companies

Partner, – July 2020 is coming fast and many of the one boat com- panies that I speak with have not considered their options.

Tug & Barge Solutions

The regulations were considered and developed by the at Folan is a partner in Daphne, AL-based Tug & Barge

Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) with input

Solutions, a company that focuses on Subchapter M from the commercial towing vessel industry. In fact, industry pushed for the rules to be passed and imple- compliance for towing companies. The company also

P mented. Is industry in general happy with what they got? performs surveys of towing vessels and barges, manages safety

Generally, yes. But the devil is in the details. It appears management systems for towing companies and trains peo- ple on towing vessels and in of? ces. A professional mariner, that Third Part Organizations (TPO) will err on the side of caution because they don’t want to miss something that the he has operated towing vessels from Maine to Corpus Chris- ti, TX, including the Alabama Rivers, Lower Mississippi, USCG catches so they are looking deep and most people,

Great Lakes and Erie Canal. A graduate of St. Bonaventure companies and vessels aren’t ready for this type of scru-

University, he began his career in towing in Boston in 1985 tiny. When you have been operating a vessel that was never on a wooden single-screw tug, eventually owning a towing built to a standard, in a segment of the industry like dredg- company that specialized in Erie Canal towing. He holds a ing, and soon you will be inspected as if you were carry- ing nuclear warheads, your world is turned upside down.

Master of Towing Vessels for Near Coastal, Inland and West- ern Rivers. He was a member of the USCG’s Towing Safety The TPOs and USCG will have to apply common sense

Advisory Committee (TSAC) and a sub-committee chair for and understanding and the operators will have to up their game. It’ll be an interesting decade.

the Steel Hull Repair and Operational Stability tasks. A cer- ti? ed ISO 9001:2008 Lead Auditor, ISO 19011:2011 Inter-

The Coast Guard recently listed the approved list of 8 nal Auditor, ISM Internal Auditor, USCG-approved Desig-

Third Party Organizations. You and your ? rm are not nated Examiner and a SAMS Accredited Marine Surveyor, among them. Given your experience and background

Pat is well known, and widely regarded as one of industry’s in this sector, why is that?

most knowledgeable and experienced subject matter experts.

Tug & Barge Solutions decided early on that we wanted

This month – with a focus on the so-called subchapter M to try to help small companies make it through Sub M. The rules, he shares that knowledge with MarineNews readers, partners all have come from small towing companies and we weighing in on all things “tugboat.” feel that our strength lies in our decades of towing vessel ex- perience and understanding of the pressures on these com-

On June 20, 2016 the U.S. Coast Guard published in panies and their personnel. We are unique in that two of the Federal Register new towing vessel regulations that the three of us are licensed mariners and two of the partners establish requirements for the design, construction, on- still operate a towing company. We are able to work with a board equipment, and operation of U.S. towing vessels. large number of companies, vessels and crews to help them

Where are we on the deadline / implementation timeline? achieve compliance. We also get to help to help the mariners

The short, easy answer is all towing vessels that fall un- der Sub M will have to be in compliance by July 20, 2018. achieve higher levels of safety and that’s rewarding.

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