b'SAFETY MATTERSReady for InspectionSAFETY Avoiding Needless DelaysERIC CHRISTENSEN // PVA DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS & RISK MANAGEMENTO verthelastyear,PVA150 passengers or more than 49 over- and systems. The Coast Guard has long programmingatRegionnightpassengers);orSubchapterTmaintained comprehensive inspection Meetings and the PVA An- (small passenger vessels less than 100checklists and references by inspection nualConventionatMariTrendshasGRT carrying 150 or fewer passengersSubchapter.Whatwereoncecalled included a session on being ready foror 49 or fewer overnight passengers).840 books (CG-840 book), in a nod U.S. Coast Guard inspections. VesselFor small passenger vessels (K or T)to the Coast Guard form number 840 operators and PVA staff provided in- thereistheaddedcomplexitybasedused to document inspections, are now sight, best practices, and recommen- on when the vessel was built and cer- electronic and available to download. dations into the best way to managetificated. Vessels built or certificatedPVAhasthemostrecentversionsof inspections. What follows is a distil- before March 1996 are considered ex- these documents in the Member Re-lation of these best practices so thatisting vessels and there are areas wheresourcessectionofthePVAwebsite. vessel operators are not only ready forthesevesselsdonotneedtomeetTheseformsnotonlycontainthe inspection but keeping their vessels innew vessel regulations. requirement,butalsotheregulatory continuous compliance. reference, should someone have a ques-The best way to keep track of the re- tion about the requirement. KNOW THE APPLICABLEquirementsapplicabletoaparticular REGULATIONS AND vessel is to have a checklist, either paperVesselownersandoperatorsareen-OPERATING CONDITIONSor electronic, that is used to conductcouraged to modify the downloaded FOR THE VESSEL routine maintenance, inspections, andinspection documents to be applica-Thevesselrepresentativeonhandpre-inspectionsofvesselequipmentble to their specific vessel(s). If a vessel fortheinspection,usuallythecap-tainorowner,shouldbethemost knowledgeablepersonregardingthe requirementsforthevesselandthe inspection. The Coast Guard marinePOWER CONSULTATION DEALERinspectorisonboardonlytoverifySUPPORTthevesselisincompliancewithap-AVAILABLE PRODUCTEXPERTS AVAILABLEHERE TO SUPPORT plicableregulationsatthetimeofPORTFOLIO RANGINGTO DETERMINEYOUFOR THE FROM 300HP TO 11,000HP.THE BEST POWERLIFETIME OF YOUR the inspection. Ensuring continuousMORE EFFICIENTAND EMISSIONSENGINE FROMDESIGN POWER WEIGHTSOLUTIONS. TOINTHE WATER.compliance is the responsibility of theRATIO COMPARING TO vessel owner and operator.PREVIOUS MODELS.For domestic passenger vessels, the re-quirements applicable to a particular vessel will be found in Title 46 Code ofFederalRegulation(CFR)Sub- READY TO SUPPORT YOUR OPERATION WITH chapter H (passenger vessels over 100 grossregulatorytons(GRT));Sub- OUR GLOBAL DEALER NETWORKchapter K (small passenger vessels lessFor more information, contact your local Cat dealer.than100GRTcarryingmorethan 2024 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LETS DO THE WORK, their respective logos, Caterpillar Corporate Yellow, the Power Edge and Cat Modern Hex trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.35 MAY 2025'