Coast Guard Loopholes Could Be Linked to Miami Barge Crash, Maritime Experts Say

Coast Guard Loopholes Could be Linked to Miami Barge Crash, Maritime Experts Say

If a commercial tugboat is under 26 feet, it is subject to fewer requirements and restrictions, a retired ferry, barge and tugboat captain and a longtime South Florida barge/tugboat company said.

Coast Guard loopholes could be linked to barge crash, maritime experts say

The loopholes apply to tugboats under 26 feet. While the Coast Guard hasn’t confirmed the tugboat’s length, a Miami Herald review of photographs estimate the tugboat is under 26 feet.

Regulations questioned in crash

The tugboat pushing a barge that slammed into a sailboat carrying summer campers in Biscayne Bay — killing three girls and injuring one other — may not have been operated by a licensed captain because of loopholes in Coast Guard regulations, maritime experts told the Miami Herald. If a commercial tugboat is under 26 feet, it is subject to fewer requirements and restrictions, a retired ferry, barge and tugboat captain and a longtime South Florida…