Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (March 2019)

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SAFETY

Sub M is here, now what?

All Images: courtesy TBS

Captain Pat Folan outlines the way forward, especially for the smaller towboat frms.

It’s not rocket science, but it does involve common sense.

By Pat Folan uly 20, 2018 came and went, and we are all still have gotten in to the industry. He had a few words for here – mostly. The reality of Sub M has begun to me: “Mini-storage.” They can’t destroy your life when you sink in and for some it signals the end of a business store things for a living. And, his boat is in good shape

J and career. The AWO RCP members, oil movers and early with a current Loadline. adopters are going to make it. But for some of the ‘Mom & Pops,’ this is looking like a bridge too far.

So, what if they paSSed a law and

And some of this group are the ones that needed to be no one complied?

weeded out. It’s tough for the companies that are doing

I’ve spoken with the U.S. Coast Guard in multiple dis- their best to comply to compete with the guys that don’t tricts and they are wondering what the owners are going run with licensed mariners and won’t spend a dime on life- to do. I have spoken with owners and they are wondering saving or frefghting equipment or even steel and glass. what they are going to do. The Coast Guard doesn’t have

Sub M will level the playing feld.

the manpower to shut down a big piece of an industry

It is also true that there are operators that don’t have (although it could order them to moor the vessels and stop deep pockets, are trying to make it and may not get there. trading)nor do I believe that it wants to. But what happens

The Coast Guard itself recently stated that they are far if 1,000 boats just don’t comply? The Coast Guard at the behind where they thought they would be in issuing District level is looking at the same thing. Probably more

COIs. The TPOs are looking for the work and we meet problematic for them is what would happen if all those many owners who either have no desire to comply, think boats waited until the last minute and then applied for a it doesn’t apply to them or plan on running until the blue COI? This is also a TPO worry. And, it’s ours at Tug & suits say they can’t run anymore. One single boat owner Barge Solutions. We were pushing companies to get their told me he was selling the boat as soon as he could. He TSMS audits done before Christmas, but that also makes said if he had known it would be this bad, he never would June a tough month. And all the while the clock is ticking.

March 2019 40 MN