PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Personnel from the Coast Guard and the Virginia Maritime Association sponsored the 14th annual Towing Vessel Safety Seminar at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth Thursday.
The event brought more than 140 professional mariners from the Hampton Roads community together for courses on merchant marine documentation and marine license requirements, cold water survival training, damage control training and oil spill response.
“This outreach event connects mariners, industry partners and the Coast Guard together to discuss safety concerns within the maritime community,” said Capt. John Little, commander of Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads. “The Towing Vessel Safety Seminar’s success reinforced lasting partnerships between the maritime industry and the Coast Guard, educating mariners on requirements for safe operations in the Hampton Roads area. The collaborative event also highlights Virginia Maritime Association’s selection as last year’s Coast Guard Harbor Safety Committee of the Year.”
The event concluded with the tugboat Olympics, in which mariners demonstrated their skill in line throwing, knot tying and other nautical tasks.
