R 121642Z APR 12 ALCOAST 169/12 COMDTNOTE 16114 SUBJ: 45FT RESPONSE BOAT-MEDIUM HEAVY WEATHER CAPABILITY A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 111459Z APR 12 B. U.S. COAST GUARD BOAT OPERATIONS AND TRAINING (BOAT) MANUAL, VOL I, COMDTINST M16114.32 (SERIES) C. U.S. COAST GUARD BOAT OPERATIONS AND TRAINING (BOAT) MANUAL, VOL II, COMDTINST M16114.33 (SERIES) 1. PURPOSE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO ANNOUNCE THE HEAVY WEATHER CAPABILITIES OF THE 45FT RESPONSE BOAT-MEDIUM (RB-M). REF A IS CANCELLED AND REPLACED BY THIS MESSAGE. 2. BACKGROUND. A. THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT REQUIRED THE RB-M TO BE MISSION CAPABLE IN UP TO 8 FOOT SEAS, 30 KNOT WINDS AND SURVIVABLE UP TO 12 FOOT SEAS AND 50 KNOT WINDS. THE RB-M WAS EVALUATED AT THE NATIONAL MOTOR LIFEBOAT SCHOOL (NMLBS), STA CASTLE HILL, AND STA HONOLULU FOR OPERATIONS UP TO 12FT SEAS, 50KT WINDS WITH NO SURF CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, COMDT (CG-4) CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OF THE RB-M EXPECTED SERVICE LIFE AND THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY WEATHER (HWX) USE. THE RESULTS OF THESE EVALUATIONS SUPPORT THE USE OF THE RB-M IN HWX. B. COMDT (CG-731), FORCECOM (FC-T), AND NMLBS COLLABORATED TO DEVELOP AN INTERIM EXPORTABLE HWX TRAINING COURSE. THIS WAS A HWX COXSWAIN COURSE (COURSE CODE 502444), WHICH PROVIDED A TRAIN THE TRAINER COMPONENT FOR HWX UNITS WITH TWO RB-MS FOR THIS HWX SEASON. THE COURSE WAS CONDUCTED BY NMLBS INSTRUCTORS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WHO ARE MOST FAMILIAR WITH OPERATING THE RB-M IN HWX. MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THIS COURSE ARE AUTHORIZED, ONCE APPROVED BY THEIR CO/OIC, TO TRAIN AND SIGN OFF PQS. 3. DISCUSSION. A. SINCE THE RB-M HWX CAPABILITY IS NEWLY APPROVED, A SYSTEMATIC ROLL OUT OF HWX UNITS AUTHORIZED TO OPERATE THE RB-M IN HWX PARAMETERS LISTED BELOW WILL BE IMPLEMENTED WHILE TRAINING AND SAFETY ASPECTS ARE ASSESSED. B. CURRENTLY, ONLY STA HONOLULU, STA CAPE MAY, STA CASTLE HILL, AND STA JUNEAU ARE AUTHORIZED, WITH APPROPRIATE COMPETENCY, TO OPERATE AND TRAIN WITH THE RB-M IN HWX. C. AS ADDITIONAL UNITS ARE PROVIDED TRAINING, I ANTICIPATE CONTINUED ROLL OUT TO OTHER HWX STATIONS. 4. REVISED RB-M OPERATIONAL LIMITS. A. ONLY THE HWX STATIONS WHO HAVE RECEIVED TRAINING FROM AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL, FOLLOWED CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS PER REFS B AND C, AND HAVE A WAIVER FROM COMDT (CG-731) TO OPERATE AND TRAIN ON THE RB-M IN HWX ARE AUTHORIZED TO OPERATE THE RB-M IN UP TO 12FT SEAS AND 50KT WINDS WITH CERTIFIED HWX COXWAINS. AND 50KT WINDS WITH CERTIFIED HWX COXWAINS. B. WHEN OPERATING IN HWX IT IS REQUIRED THAT THE AFT DOOR AND ALL WINDOWS ARE CLOSED AND THAT PERSONNEL ARE STRAPPED IN AND WEARING APPROPRIATE PPE. C. ALL OTHER HWX DESIGNATED UNITS WITH A RB-M SHALL LIMIT OPERATIONS UP TO 8FT SEAS AND 30KT WINDS, UNTIL HWX TRAINING REQUIREMENTS ARE MET PER PARAGRAPH 5 AND 6 AND SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED IN WRITING BY COMDT (CG-731). D. THE RB-M SHALL NOT BE OPERATED IN SURF. 5. RB-M HWX COXSWAIN TASKS. PRIOR TO TRAINING FOR AN ADVANCED CREW POSITION, THE TRAINEE SHALL BE PREVIOUSLY CERTIFIED IN THE NEXT LOWER CREW POSITION AND FOLLOW THE PROGRESSION OF QUALIFICATION PER REF B: RB-M BOAT CREW MEMBER, RB-M COXSWAIN, RB-M HWX COXSWAIN. HWX COXSWAIN QUALIFICATION TASKS SHALL BE COMPLETED PER REF C WITH SPECIFIC CHANGES TO THE FOLLOWING TASKS. THESE CHANGES ONLY APPLY TO THE RB-M: A. TASK HWX-03-03-TYPE: OPERATE A BOAT IN HEAVY SEAS. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. B. TASK HWX-03-04-TYPE: PILOT A BOAT IN HEAVY SEAS. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. C. TASK HWX-03-05-TYPE: CONDUCT A PERSON-IN-THE-WATER (PIW) RECOVERY IN HEAVY SEAS. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. D. TASK HWX-03-06-TYPE: MAINTAIN A STATIONARY POSITION (STATION KEEPING) RELATIVE TO ANOTHER VESSEL (OR DRIFTING OBJECT) IN HEAVY SEAS. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. E. TASK HWX-03-07-TYPE: CONDUCT A DIRECT PASS OF EQUIPMENT TO ANOTHER VESSEL IN HEAVY SEAS. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. F. TASK HWX-03-08-TYPE: TAKE A BOAT IN TOW IN HEAVY SEAS USING HEAVY WEATHER APPROACH. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. G. TASK HWX-03-09-TYPE: TAKE A BOAT IN TOW IN HEAVY SEAS USING STERN-TO-SEAS APPROACH. THIS TASK SHALL NOT BE PERFORMED WITH THE RB-M. H. TASK HWX-03-10-TYPE: COUNTERACT SHOCKLOADING DURING TOW OF A VESSEL IN HEAVY SEAS. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. I. TASK HWX-03-11-TYPE: SHORTEN TOW IN HEAVY SEAS. THIS TASK SHALL BE PERFORMED IN 8 TO 12 FT SEAS. J. TASK HWX-03-12-TYPE: TOW A VESSEL IN HWX ACROSS AN INLET OR BAR. MAXIMUM SEA STATE WILL BE AT COMMAND DISCRETION BASED ON AREA OF OPERATION BUT NOT TO EXCEED 12 FT. UNITS THAT DO NOT HAVE AN INLET OR BAR IN THEIR AOR MAY PERMANENTLY DEFER THIS TASK. K. THE RB-M SHALL NOT BE OPERATED IN THE SURF. ALL HWX TASKS THAT REQUIRE SURF CONDITIONS (HWX-03-13, HWX-04-01 TO HWX-04-10) DO NOT APPLY TO RB-M HWX COXSWAIN. THESE TASKS SHALL NOT BE PERFORMED WITH AN RB-M. L. ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO QUALIFICATION TASKS (TYPE VS. ANY) AND TMT ARE FORTHCOMING. UNIT CO/OICS SHOULD CONSIDER DISCUSSING ALL ANY TASKS AS THEY APPLY TO THE RB-M. 6. RB-M HWX COXSWAIN TRAINING. A. AS WITH ANY COURSE, STUDENTS WILL NOT RECEIVE CERTIFICATION UPON COURSE COMPLETION. THE GOAL OF TRAINING IS FOR EACH STUDENT TO RETURN TO THEIR STATION HAVING PERFORMED AND COMPLETED ALL REQUIRED TASKS. CERTIFICATION IS COMPLETED VIA THE APPROVAL OF THE CO/OIC AFTER DEMONSTRATING THE ABILITY TO PERFORM HWX TASKS AND MEETING ALL OTHER CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS PER REFS B AND C. B. SHORT TERM PLANS: GRADUATES OF THE EXPORTABLE HWX COXSWAIN COURSE (COURSE CODE 502444) ONCE CERTIFIED BY THEIR HOME UNIT ARE AUTHORIZED, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CO/OIC, TO CONDUCT UNIT LED TRAINING AND SIGN RB-M HWX COXSWAIN QUALIFICATION TASKS. ADDITIONAL CONVENINGS OF THE EXPORTABLE HWX COXSWAIN COURSE (COURSE CODE 502444) WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON. C. LONG TERM PLANS: COMDT (CG-731) AND FC-T ARE EXPLORING FUTURE TRAINING OPTIONS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF RESIDENT TRAINING AT NMLBS. 7. POCS. A. MR. DAVID SHEPARD, RB-M PLATFORM MANAGER, COMDT (CG-7312) AT (202) 372-2468 OR DAVID.M.SHEPARD(AT)USCG.MIL. B. CDR HEATHER HANSON, POLICY AND COMPETENCIES DIVISION CHIEF, COMDT (CG-7311) AT (202) 372-2453 OR HEATHER.W.HANSON(AT)USCG.MIL. C. LCDR LYNDA LECRONE, FORCECOM TRAINING MANAGER, AT (202) 475-5482 OR LYNDA.C.LECRONE(AT)USCG.MIL. 8. VADM B. SALERNO, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR OPERATIONS, SENDS. 9. INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.