New nautical rules recently went into effect, increasing safety requirements for numerous vessels and leading to more registration requirements.
New nautical rules recently went into effect, increasing safety requirements for numerous vessels and leading to more registration requirements.
The rules state all commercial vessels operating more than 3 nautical miles from shore must complete a safety compliance inspection and get a safety decal or certificate of compliance. There are additional requirements for radio beacons, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Our experience shows that hazardous safety conditions like these often lead to marine casualties with loss of life and that is why we take enforcement so seriously and will turn vessels back to the dock,” said Lt. Ryan Ball, commanding officer of the USCGC Galveston Island, in a press release. “Mariners need to understand that they must meet the regulations before putting to sea. It is a matter of safety, and ultimately we want to see everyone return home after every voyage.”
The inspections are regardless of the vessel’s size although those less than 36 feet long, that operate within 15 nautical miles of shore and carry four or fewer people aboard have some flexibility.
Instead of the locators required on larger vessels, the smaller ones may use a personal locator beacon kept in a personal flotation device.
They also have reduced requirements on other training and equipment.
These regulations, among others, already have impacted three ships and sent them back into Honolulu Harbor: the 79-foot Lady Jackie, the 62-foot commercial fishing vessel Blue Sky and the 82-foot Jennifer Lynn. They had problems ranging from hazardous conditions to safety violations.
Problems included “inoperable high water alarms, inoperable and/or expired survival craft, expired distress signals, an expired emergency position indicating radio beacon, a lack of or unserviceable life jackets, crews untrained in first aid or emergency procedures and a failure to conduct regular drills,” according to the Coast Guard.
The smaller boats that dominate the Big Island coastlines are exempted from some of these requirements, said Charlie Medlicott, coordinator of the USCG’s commercial fishing vessel safety program.
Most of these boats are what Medlicott considers “subsistence fishermen,” who carry commercial licenses and largely fish for themselves and family, selling extra fish on good days.
Medlicott said these safety rules can make a difference. Four people were saved when a vessel overturned off British Columbia when someone fired a parachute flare, allowing a commercial fisherman to investigate, Medlicott said.
He said some of the most common items they discover mariners are lacking are flares, radio batteries and anchors.
Email Graham Milldrum at gmilldrum@westhawaiitoday.com.