RIAC attended the annual LockMasters meeting in Rock Island on Tuesday, 3/25/97 of this week. It was a very good meeting and the following topics were discussed. Please review these bullets and pass them along to your boat people if possible.

1) Morning Ice reports. We felt that daily information put into the ice report was the most important thing that the Lockmaster could do to inform Industry of impending problem. Information about possible channel delays, shallow areas, etc. Lockmasters say that they will keep the ice report up.

2) Springtime Ice Couplings. Lockmasters felt that if incoming tows during early spring trips would have ice couplings, things would go a lot smoother for them. People seem to forget that ice in the spring damages gates as well as ice in the winter.

3) Helper Boats. Lock 14 has implemented a standard helper boat requirement when the outdraft sign is out due to the safety factor needed at that lock. RIAC has asked for specific cfs numbers so that Industry can be alerted when a helper boat is necessary. Lock 14 says that they will put such information on the ice report.

4) Navigation Notice One. The COE has asked Industry to look at Nav. Notice one and come up with new terminology to define how we want to word the single, set over and jackknife lockage situation used mainly at locks on the upper Illinois. When we receive the latest 1997 Nav Notice, Industry will reply with our thoughts.

5) Crews Jumping from moving barges. Some locks are still witnessing crew members jumping from the tows while they are still making their entry into the locks. These are not only deckhands but pilots, cooks as well. This is a unsafe practice and Industry should remind their people of this unsafe act.

6) Running short-handed at locks. Some smaller boats with small tows are trying to run the upper Illinois and Upper with less than their compliment of required crew members. Lockmasters have been letting some of these boats get by with less than the required amount and the boats seem to be taking advantage of their kindness. Industry is advised that this will no longer be permitted.

7) Oil drenched lockline. Some locks have notice that a new type of lockline is being used by some companies that secrets oil when a strain is put on them. It is causing the deck crews to slip on this oil and seems to present a safety hazard. You may want to check with your crews to make sure that you are not getting any of this type of line on your boats.

8) HAZMAT signs. Lockmasters would like companies to make sure that their vessels have red triangle Hazmat approved signs on any barges carrying hazardous cargo such as you will see on trucks carrying hazardous cargo so that people can be alerted to such barges transiting through the locks.

9) Vessels not monitoring channel #14. Lockmasters still complain that the towboat will change channels while entering the locks to work with the tug and mates. RIAC suggested that the lockmaster get radios that have multiple channels so that they can switch over to the same channel as the towboat, tug and mate. RIAC mentioned that #14 is not a good channel to work on while entering the locks because it is used for other boats and other locks that constantly transmit over that channel.

10) Tows waiting above Lockport Lock. Lockport Lockmaster reports that small tows that could move on down towards the lock are not doing so. This takes longer for a lock turn around to occur. He realizes that two 15 barge tows might want to play it safe and wait above the lock a safe distance but smaller tows could meet and pass with no problems.

UPDATE ON WIER INSTALLATION AT THE UPPER ENTRANCE OF THE CHAIN OF ROCKS CANAL, UM MILE 194,2- COE ST. LOUIS ADVISES THAT WIER CONSTRUCTION IS ONGOING AT THIS TIME. WORKING HRS ARE 7 AM TO 6 PM, MON - FRI. THIS SECTION OF RIVER WILL BE CLOSED TO NAVIGATION DURING WORKING HRS. AND REOPEN FOR NAVTGATION DURING EVENING HRS AND WEEKENDS. ESTIMATED TIME FOR COMPLETION IS TWO WEEKS FROM THIS DATE. THE M/V SCHERYL AND M/V BOBBY WILL BE CONSTRUCTING THE WIERS AND CAN BE CONTACTED ON CHANNELS 13 OR 72, FOR MORE INFORMATION,