[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR164.80]

[Page 617-618]
 
                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 164--NAVIGATION SAFETY REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 164.80  Tests, inspections, and voyage planning.

                                * * * * *

    (c) Towing vessels described in paragraphs (b) (1) through (4) of 
Sec. 164.01 are

[[Page 618]]

exempt from the voyage-planning requirements outlined in this section. 
If any part of a towing vessel's intended voyage is seaward of the 
baseline (i.e., the shoreward boundary) of the territorial sea of the 
U.S., then the owner, master, or operator of the vessel, employed to tow 
a barge or barges, must ensure that the voyage with the barge or barges 
is planned, taking into account all pertinent information before the 
vessel embarks on the voyage. The master must check the planned route 
for proximity to hazards before the voyage begins. During a voyage, if a 
decision is made to deviate substantially from the planned route, then 
the master or mate must plan the new route before deviating from the 
planned route. The voyage plan must follow company policy and consider 
the following (related requirements noted in parentheses):
    (1) Applicable information from nautical charts and publications 
(also see paragraph (b) of Sec.164.72), including Coast Pilot, Coast 
Guard Light List, and Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners for the port 
of departure, all ports of call, and the destination;
    (2) Current and forecast weather, including visibility, wind, and 
sea state for the port of departure, all ports of call, and the 
destination (also see paragraphs (a)(7) of Sec.164.78 and (b) of 
Sec.164.82);
    (3) Data on tides and currents for the port of departure, all ports 
of call, and the destination, and the river stages and forecast, if 
appropriate;
    (4) Forward and after drafts of the barge or barges and under-keel 
and vertical clearances (air-gaps) for all bridges, ports, and berthing 
areas;
    (5) Pre-departure checklists;
    (6) Calculated speed and estimated time of arrival at proposed 
waypoints;
    (7) Communication contacts at any Vessel Traffic Services, bridges, 
and facilities, and any port-specific requirements for VHF radio;
    (8) Any master's or operator's standing orders detailing closest 
points of approach, special conditions, and critical maneuvers; and
    (9) Whether the towing vessel has sufficient power to control the 
tow under all foreseeable circumstances.