Press Release Date: May 5, 2005
13th Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator
COAST GUARD TERMINATES FISHING VESSEL FOR SAFETY VIOLATION
SEATTLE- The Coast Guard terminated the voyage of a 42-foot fishing vessel near Charleston, Ore., Wednesday afternoon for having an expired life raft aboard.
A boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter Orcas boarded and inspected the fishing vessel Intrepid at 10:13 a.m., and found that the life raft inspection documentation had expired in September 2004.
The master of the vessel was cited for the violation and escorted to Charleston by a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Coos Bay, Ore.
To avoid loss of valuable fishing time, commercial fishing vessel operators are encouraged to get a courtesy fishing vessel safety dockside exam. The Coast Guard provides courtesy dockside exams to help ensure that all of the required safety equipment is on board and in good condition. The exam is done as a service and is not a law enforcement exam. Any discrepancies are provided to the owner as a work list.
Vessels found to have all of the required equipment are issued a decal. This decal indicates to any future Coast Guard boarding personnel, that the vessel has all of the required safety equipment. Getting a courtesy dockside exam can save time during a boarding and reduce the risk of the vessels voyage being terminated. Mariners interested in the courtesy dockside exam program can contact 13th Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator
The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.
http://www.piersystem.com/external/index.cfm?cid=21&fuseaction=EXTERNAL.docview&documentID=70565
That could have been disastrous had the ship gotten into trouble & that life boat failed!