The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has just published a new Final Rule, finalizing changes to the inland navigation rules and annexes in 33 Code of Federal Regulations (parts 83-88).The recent action aligns the Inland Navigation Rules in the Code of Federal Regulations with amendments to the Convention made by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and it also incorporates recommendations made by the Navigation Safety...

Port Fourchon’s most recent expansion project has progressed so quickly that Port officials are already beginning the process of another expansion.Leased-UpThe latest expansion of Slip C has moved through the dredging phase, and bulkhead construction is about to begin. Says Greater Lafourche Port Commission Director, Chett Chiasson, “We actually have the majority of Slip C spoken for either by lease or right of first refusal. We have all but about 3,000 feet on the east side that does not have...

Each vessel must have enough U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejackets, or personal floatation devices (PFDs), for all its passengers. 46 CFR 28.110 reads: “[E]ach vessel must be equipped with at least one immersion suit, exposure suit, or wearable personal flotation device of the proper size for each individual on board.” Make sure your vessel is equipped with a lifejacket for each person aboard, and consider the type of lifejackets you stock on the vessel.The Importance of Stocking PFDs on Your...

Most vessels must have some form of vessel documentation if they are to be used on U.S. waters.The agency with which you apply and the vessel documentation requirements depend upon the size of your vessel: Larger vessels – ships weighing five tons or more need to apply for a certificate of number for a vessel with the federal government through the National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC), a division of the United States Coast Guard; or Smaller vessels – smaller, undocumented boats will need...