The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90) requires all oil vessel owners to ensure their crew members are properly trained to prevent and mitigate oil disasters. Furthermore, Regulation 37 of Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL 73/ 78), requires all oil ships to have an oil spill response plan.Vessel emergency plans pursuant to MARPOL 73/78 provide the actions that must be taken and the reporting...

Mariners and boaters often use the phrase “Rules of the Nautical Road” to refer to the rules within the instruction manual, Navigation Rules, International-Inland (COMDTINST M16672.2D), published by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Navigation Standards Branch. This publication contains the navigation rules to which all vessels operating on U.S. waters must adhere.An Overview of the Navigation Rule HandbookThere are 38 rules contained within the publication, many containing several sub-rules. The...

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) works in cooperation with each state to enforce local and federal laws related to boating under the influence (BUI). The USCG also enforces BUI penalties specific to those who operate commercial vessels while holding USCG licenses or Merchant Mariner’s Documents (MMD).The punishment for operating a commercial vessel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol typically includes thousands of dollars in fines and the loss of a USCG-issued license. Factors...

The 42,000-plus active duty members of today’s United States Coast Guard (USCG) operate under the motto of Semper Paratus, or, “always ready.” The USCG, which now falls under the direction of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been protecting federal waters for more than 200 years.This includes overseeing and protecting maritime interests in: public waterways; ports; open water; inland waters; rivers; and international waters. The USCG also is charged with protecting and defending...