SAFER SEAS FOR SIX-PACK VESSELS.

• Author: A. LYONS, PAC TOD
• Position: Brief Article

The new Coast Guard Five-Star Safety Program helps small charter boat owners prepare vessels so passengers have an improved chance of survival in case of accident.

Charter boats carrying six passengers or less is big business in Alaska. This year, the Coast Guard reports more than 2,000 vessels registered as "Six-Pack" boats in the state. Combined, these small, uninspected passenger boats will carry nearly one million passengers on fishing trips, whale watches, sightseeing tours or water taxis. Many will be tourists visiting Alaska on vacation.

In March, the 17th Coast Guard District Office in Juneau announced a pioneer program for small charter boats known as the Five-Star Safety Rating Program. This voluntary, Alaska-only program is designed to make sailing on this smallest-size class of passenger vessel safer. Vessel owners that implement all of the suggested safety upgrades can earn a Five-Star Safety Rating for their crafts.

According to Coast Guard Capt. Ed Page, chief of marine safety in Alaska, "This program outlines a suite of recommended safety measures, and is designed to provide safety-conscious operators recognition for their efforts to provide a safer vessel for their passengers."

Lieutenant Chris Woodle, supervisor of Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Kenai, was in Homer May 10 when the first Five-Star sticker was earned by Robert Ward, owner/operator of the charter fishing vessel No Problem. "There's been some concern amongst the charter fishing fleet that the smaller vessels don't have to meet the strict Coast Guard guidelines the larger charter boats are required to meet," he said. "This non-regulatory program will help bridge the gap between the larger inspected charter boats and the uninspected 'six-pack' charter boats, and could save lives."

Another reason the Five-Star Program was developed was because of the sinking of two boats last summer in Alaska. One, the charter boat Irene's, sank in Cook Inlet in July 1999. Six passengers on vacation from California and the skipper and his first mate had to be rescued by the Coast Guard when the Irene's began taking on water about 30 miles southwest of Homer with no immediate help in sight. Skipper John Ferrell and...