U.S Coast Guard, Sector Columbia River

Area of Responsibility: 420 nautical miles of Washington and Oregon coastline, 33 ports, 465 miles of navigable rivers throughout WA, OR, and ID, including the Columbia River, Salmon & Snake Rivers in the east (Idaho).

MSU PORTLAND 2022 INSPECTIONS DIVISION YEAR IN REVIEW

Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Portland Oregon’s Domestic Vessel Inspectors and Port State Control Examiners cover the marine inspections needs for the Nation’s 5th busiest port, accounting for $29B in annual commerce. Our vast area of operation covers 425 miles of coastline from Brookings, Oregon in the south to Quinault River, Washington in the North. In addition, MSU Portland oversees vessel inspections along 550 river miles on the Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers, spanning three states.

Port State Control conducted pre-arrival screenings on 1167 foreign vessels entering the Columbia River Captain of the Port Zone, of which 289 had on site exams, which resulted in the issuance of 132 deficiencies, 51 Captain of the Port Orders and two detentions, action that increased safety across the Columbia River Basin and protected our diverse, sensitive eco-system from a catastrophic pollution incident.

Our US Vessel Branch oversees the inspection requirements of 314 certificated vessels. This past season our inspectors conducted 459 inspections, including 89 Certifications of Inspections, 154 Annuals, 20 Damage Surveys and 30 Hull Exams. 296 deficiencies were identified, ranging from non-operational machinery to inadequate lifesaving and insufficient structural integrity, to name a few. Safeguarding both passengers and crew across the Pacific Northwest and inland waters is the objective.

This past year was the implementation of Sub Chapter M, which required all Towing Vessels to obtain and maintain a Certification of Inspection from the Coast Guard. Through this policy change, our US Vessel Branch absorbed 109 previously un-inspected towing vessels into inspected service, which increased our fleet of responsibility by 53 percent. In order to provide the best service to our Industry partners, we humbly request vessel operators and management companies utilize the below emails to schedule inspections as early as possible, preferably no less than 30 days in advance of the requested date. As always, we will provide the best service possible and this will help us remain Semper Paratus!

US Vessels: PDXinspect@USCG.mil

Towing Vessels: TowPDX@uscg.mil