Holland & Knight LLP, law firm in Washington D.C, USA, has provided us with the following information.

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The USCG Marine Safety Office New Orleans issued a Marine Safety Bulletin advising masters and operators to be alert to stowaways trying to gain access to and hiding in rudder trunks on deep draft vessels. The COTP may require a fax from the master of ships bound for the Port of New Orleans that requires the following information:

(1) That a thorough search for stowaways was conducted upon getting underway from a foreign port
(2) Whether or not stowaways were found on board
(3) Stowaway history in the past 24 months
(4) Whether or not the rudder compartment was checked during the search.

The MSO also distributed information on installation of grid work to make the rudder trunk inaccessible from outside. Note: the hassle resulting from carrying a stowaway into the United States these days far exceeds the manpower expended in conducting a thorough shipboard search for stowaways when getting underway.

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