Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit out of Duluth said the agency is stepping up enforcement in Borderland’s waters for those who need commercial licenses to guide or charter.
Lt. Aaron Gross, public affairs officer and chief of port operations for USCG MSU, said his team is finding that many local guides are aware of, and following, the regulations when it comes to commercial captain licensing and holding a Transportation Workers Identification Credentials card.
“We have come across operators who had an expired license,” he said, but added that 99 percent of those he’s spoken to have followed the rules or had already made the effort to get the documents in place. “They’re all doing the right things and working on it.”
Gross said that the Coast Guard has heard from multiple guides that are following the rules, who asked the USCG to enforce the protocols in this area. Not following the rules gives some guides an unfair advantage over others who have taken the time to obtain, and paid for, the documents, he said.
Barry “Woody” Woods, of Woody’s Fairly Reliable Guide Service, doesn’t agree on the necessity of the documents.
“I think it’s crazy,” he said. “It’s just getting to be too much.”
He said that he has already taken two trips to Duluth to get the identification card, and it just adds another expense. The paperwork he is required to maintain has cost him around $1,000, he said.
He added that he and other guides are already monitored and fingerprinted, making the TWIC card unnecessary.
Woods said that he would rather see the Coast Guard addressing other Rainy Lake safety issues, such as placing buoys near the Ranier bridge after a recent accident.
“I don’t think they’re serious about safety or they’d be addressing this problem,” he said.
Chris Granrud, of Rainy Daze Guide Service, said that he has no problem with the Coast Guard checking on documentation.
“We’re all properly licensed. For all the guys that have their license, it’s not a big deal,” he said, adding that it would be more of an issue for those who do not.
But the onus of safety is not just on the captain, it is on the passengers as well, Gross said.
“Hire someone that’s licensed,” he advises customers of guide and charter services.
Gross said that customers should ensure they are going out with a licensed captain. He said that not only are there potential dangers of hitting the water with an unlicensed captain, but it also may end in an early return to port. If the USCG finds an unlicensed captain, they will immediately end the voyage and escort the boat back to the nearest safe location.
Additional penalties for not having a TWIC card and commercial captain’s license include possible suspension and revocation of the individual’s license, civil fines of up $27,500, and if a person knowingly violates these laws, possible criminal proceedings are warranted.
Gross said that the USCG MSU is canvassing the entire international border area and is “making a concerted effort to get to all the lakes.”
He said officers may sometimes visit businesses in plain clothes, but will immediately identify themselves as USCG officers. He said that this is not part of an undercover operation, but they work in plain clothes so as to not attract negative attention to the places they visit.
There are 20 active duty officers, four civilians and nine USCG reservists involved in the project.
As of last April, all commercial captains need a TWIC card, but there are different stages of licenses that are required depending on the number of passengers they service at a time. One of the most common types of commercial captains licenses is called the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel, or six-pack license. That allows the captain to take out six people, but the operator is responsible for the maintenance of the craft. If the boat carries more than six passengers, another commercial captains license is required, and the boat is subject to inspection to determine its sea-worthiness.
Chief Petty Officer Harold Millsap said that there were two options to get a commercial license: take a USCG-approved class or take a test at the Regional Exam Center. A listing of approved classes can be found on the Coast Guard Web site at http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/training/oupv.pdf or contact the Regional Exam Center at 1-888-427-5662.
Getting a TWIC card requires a background screening and fingerprinting. The nearest location for enrollment in the TWIC program is Duluth. The number there is 1-218-624-3535.
