Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez will have a team of commercial fishing vessel examiners in Cordova April 24-29 to conduct dockside exams designed to educate vessel operators and ensure vessel safety.
“These are no cost examinations and we recommend that all fishing vessels participate,” said Petty Officer Adam Rodd, the MSU Valdez commercial fishing vessel examiner.
Fishing vessels weighing five net tons and over are required to be documented with a current Certificate of Documentation. All excess lifesaving equipment on board is required to be maintained and inspected. Auxiliary gasoline engines located inside the cabin that are not intended for indoor use are not authorized.
These exams in Cordova are conducted on a limited basis. Vessel owners are advised to prepare for their scheduled exam by reviewing applicable requirements and purchasing the necessary equipment for their vessel in advance.
Fishermen are encouraged to log on to http://www.fishsafewest.infor/ and click the link to the “Checklist Generator.” This application accepts input for the fishing vessel, such as length, persons aboard, where it operates, and more, and generates a list of requirements applicable to that specific fishing vessel. By doing this, vessel owners will know exactly what dockside examiners will look for during examination of their vessel.
Mariners wishing to complete their annual exam in Cordova should contact MSU Valdez examiners before April 21 via telephone at 1-907-255-8724. Information required to schedule an exam includes the preferred ate and time, slip number, type of vessel, size, name, color of vessel, and owner contact information.
Contact is Petty Officer Adam at 1-907-835-7226 for additional information on the Coast Guard commercial fishing vessel safety program in Valdez and Cordova.
