The American Waterways Operator News

Management software: vendors, consultants, class strive to provide turnkey service. Unless you’ve been lost at sea for the last few years, you know about Subchapter M. You know the June publication of the U.S. Coast Guard’s regulations for ensuring minimum safety standards on tows and tugs, which will extend inspection requirements to the majority of these vessels for the first time, moved the long-awaited, and in some cases, dreaded program from the haze of eventually out into the cold light of day.

With fleets spread over 25,000 miles of waterways, the inland tow and barge industry faces training and communication challenges intensified in comparison to other sectors of the maritime industry. Even though they may be close to home, inland waterways crew are constantly on the move and lunch bucket crews need to preserve valuable time spent onboard and commuting. The abundance of locks, bridges and other traffic along the waterways keeps crew busy performing critical navigation duties, making it essential that time spent on training is efficient and maximizes value. Large operators face the challenge of constantly improving the value of training dollars spent and driving industry best practices.

The American Waterways Operator has developed a model vessel security plan in an effort to mitigate vessel vulnerabilities to terrorist attack. The goal of the AWO Model Vessel Security Plan is to protect people and property and prevent vessels from being used as weapons of mass destruction. The Plan was developed after 9/11 by a special AWO Security Working Group, in close consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was recently approved by the AWO Board of Directors at the association's Spring Convention in Washington, D.C. Care, and Protection. AWO President Tom Allegretti noted, "In developing this Model Vessel Security Plan…