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MARGARET MARY BELL
MARGARET MARY BELL is a 1958 towing vessel. The Coast Guard has recorded 17 inspections since 1992, most recently in July 2025, along with 17 deficiencies and 1 casualty investigation in 2012.
Records from 1992 to 2025. Most recent: inspection, 1 July 2025.
- Built
- 1958
- Last inspected
- 1 July 2025
- Documentation
- Valid · documentation file of 10 August 2026
- Deficiencies
- 17 recorded · 0 without a recorded resolution
- Controls
- None recorded without a removal date
- Casualties
- 1 investigation · 2012
Coast Guard record current through 23 August 2026, retrieved 5 September 2026 from PSIX. Every field on this page was recorded by the Coast Guard. Records for the Towing Vessel class in Maury's sources begin in 1980.
Inspection record
Last inspected
1 July 2025
…with no type recorded8
Deficiencies
17 recorded · 0
without a recorded resolution
Operational controls
None recorded without a removal date
Years with a record
12 calendar years (1992–2025)
Every line above is a count of records the US Coast Guard wrote, or a date it recorded.
A blank resolution means none was recorded in this data; it does not establish that a
deficiency is outstanding. Years with a record are calendar years in which a record
exists, not years in service. What Maury does
not do.
Identity
278306
WDN6505
75052
Flag
UNITED STATES
Maury page id
psix-75052
Documentation record
Registered dimensions (L × B × D)55.2 ft × 21.0 ft × 6.3 ft
Registered tonnagegross 62 / net 42
ITC dimensions (L × B × D)Not recorded
ITC tonnageNot recorded
BuilderMISSOURI VALLEY STEEL · LEAVENWORTH, KS, UNITED STATES · built 1958
Hull materialSteel
PropulsionDiesel Reduction
Hull shapeUNSPECIFIED
Hull configurationUNSPECIFIED
Hailing portCHICAGO, IL
Trade endorsementsCoastwise, unrestricted
DocumentationValid · issued 2 June 2026 · expires 31 July 2027
Service, as the file records itTowing Vessel
Hull formpowered (Maury's inference from propulsion, hull shape, material and length, rule hf-1; not a recorded fact)
Tonnage as PSIX records it62 - Regulatory (Subpart C or D), Gross Ton
42 - Regulatory (Subpart C or D), Net Ton
42 - Regulatory (Subpart C or D), Net Ton
Every line above is a field of the National Vessel Documentation Center's file as served by NOAA Fisheries, dated 10 August 2026, matched to this hull on its Official Number. Registered and ITC measurements are two systems and are never combined. One snapshot is held so far; documentation history begins with the next.
Vessel history report
Every record for this hull, in one document — $299
Every recorded inspection, 1980 to 2026 for this class, in one chronology · every deficiency, with system, dates and resolution · operational controls imposed and removed · every name this hull has been recorded under · the vessels it was inspected alongside, and when · how its record compares with hulls of similar age and size, as a fact about the population and never a judgement about this vessel.
Read one first, in full: a forty-year chronology · a hull that changed operators four times · the sparse case, shown as an example, not for sale.
This report is in development and is not for sale yet. There is no date, and nothing is charged. Leave an email and we will tell you when it exists, once.
Used only to tell you when the report exists. Not shared, not sold, and not added to a mailing list.
Inspected as a tow unit · 5
The Coast Guard recorded this vessel and the following in the same inspection activity — normally a tug and the barges in its tow. A recreational or unclassed hull in the same activity is held and not published, so it does not appear here: these lists are a floor, not a complete manifest.
JCRT 3 Freight Barge · MISLE 22629 · 9 August 2012 · activity 4406721JCRT 4 Freight Barge · MISLE 22630 · 9 August 2012 · activity 4406721JAMIE LEIGH Towing Vessel · MISLE 132700 · 9 August 2012 · activity 4406721VH 12010 Freight Barge · MISLE 1203651 · 9 August 2012 · activity 4406721ART 465 Freight Barge · MISLE 166165 · 8 October 1992 · activity 87996Inspection history · 17
1 July 2025
Administrative Inspection · Deficiency Check · Annual Inspection
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 8170354
30 June 2025
Administrative Inspection
Administrative · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 8170105
2 July 2024
Annual Inspection · Administrative Inspection
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 7926363
7 June 2023
Annual Inspection · Administrative Inspection · Deficiency Check
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 7706962
9 September 2022
Annual Inspection
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 7555006
7 July 2021
Deficiency Check · Initial Certification · Administrative Inspection
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 7176591
22 January 2021
Damage Survey
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 7128885
17 September 2019
Administrative Inspection · Examination of Repairs · Damage Survey
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 6814307
28 March 2013
Industry Initiated Exam · Deficiency Check
Physical examination · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 4539569
9 August 2012
Type not recorded
No type recorded · Sector Upper Mississippi River · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 4406721
26 July 2000
Type not recorded
No type recorded · MSO ST LOUIS · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 280412
4 May 1998
Type not recorded
No type recorded · MSO ST LOUIS · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 415568
30 November 1993
Type not recorded
No type recorded · MSO ST LOUIS · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 122973
3 December 1992
Type not recorded
No type recorded · MSO ST LOUIS · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 103726
8 October 1992
Type not recorded
No type recorded · MSO ST LOUIS · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 87996
7 June 1992
Type not recorded
No type recorded · MSO ST LOUIS · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 111631
30 March 1992
Type not recorded
No type recorded · MSO ST LOUIS · USCG Heartland District (CGD-H) · Activity 102138
Deficiency record · 17
02 - Structural Conditions › N/A - No Subsystem › Closing devices/watertight doors
Issued 7 August 2025
Resolved
Closure devices must be provided for deck house or hull penetrations, which open to the exterior of the vessel and which may allow water to enter the vessel. These devices must be suitable for the expected route. Install missing port aft hatch gasket.
09 - Working and Living Conditions › 092 - Working Conditions › Electrical
Issued 7 August 2025
Resolved
Individual circuit breakers on switchboards and distribution panels must be labeled with a description of the loads they serve. Label the distribution panel breakers located in the space under the pilothouse. Replace missing breaker blank. Replace missing plug in the bottom of panel.
01 - Certificates & Documentation › 011 - Ships Certificates › USCG Certificate of Documentation (COD)
Issued 1 July 2025
Resolved
Requirement for renewal of endorsement. Endorsements on Certificates of Documentation are valid for 1 year. Prior to the expiration of that year the owner of a vessel must apply for renewal. The COD was found to be expired. Renew COD prior to operating.
13 - Propulsion and Auxiliary Machinery › N/A - No Subsystem › Other (machinery)
Issued 1 July 2025
Resolved
Means must be provided for stopping each fan in a ventilation system serving machinery spaces and for closing, in case of fire, each doorway, ventilator, and annular space around funnels and other openings into such spaces. Plug and close the two open pipes in the engine room overhead.
01 - Certificates & Documentation › 011 - Ships Certificates › USCG Certificate of Documentation (COD)
Issued 8 August 2024
Resolved
Any vessel of at least five net tons which engages in coastwise trade, must have a Certificate of Documentation bearing a valid endorsement appropriate for the activity in which engaged. The COD was expired.
02 - Structural Conditions › N/A - No Subsystem › Bulkhead -corrosion
Issued 13 June 2023
Resolved
Decks and bulkheads designed to be watertight or weathertight must be maintained in that condition. Several openings were noted in the E/R and Galley area that need to be closed.
09 - Working and Living Conditions › 092 - Working Conditions › Electrical
Issued 13 June 2023
Resolved
Individual circuit breakers on switchboards and distribution panels must be labeled with a description of the loads they serve. The labels for the circuit breakers are faded and unreadable.
03 - Water/Weathertight Conditions › N/A - No Subsystem › Railing, gangway, walkway and means for safe passage
Issued 13 June 2023
Resolved
Rails or equivalent protection must be installed near the periphery of all decks accessible to crew. Equivalent protection may include lifelines, wire rope, chains, and bulwarks that provide strength and support equivalent to fixed rails. The stanchion at STBD quarter is cracked at the base has little to no strength.
08 - Alarms › N/A - No Subsystem › Other (alarms)
Issued 13 June 2023
Resolved
Each towing vessel must have a reliable means to provide notification when an emergency condition exists or an essential system develops problems that require attention. High bilge level alarms must be provided. The high bilge level alarm onboard is not permanently mounted
08 - Alarms › N/A - No Subsystem › Fire alarm
Issued 13 June 2023
Resolved
Each towing vessel must have a fire-detection system installed to detect engine room fires. The owner or managing operator must ensure that each detector, control panel, remote indicator panel, and fire alarm are approved by the Commandant. The fire alarm strobe in the engine room is not operational.
09 - Working and Living Conditions › 092 - Working Conditions › Electrical
Issued 13 June 2023
Resolved
Each wire and cable run must be installed in a manner to prevent contact with personnel, mechanical hazards, and leaking fluids. The wire leading from the E/R to the loud hailer on the stern deck has been cut.
01 - Certificates & Documentation › 011 - Ships Certificates › Certificate of Inspection (COI)
Issued 7 June 2023
Resolved
A towing vessel may not be operated without having onboard a valid COI issued by the Coast Guard as required by 46 CFR 136.202. Vessel MARGARET MARY BELL, previously named PIASA, has new owner / operator therefore current COI is INVALID. The vessel shall be made available for a Coast Guard COI inspection and the vessel may no longer be permitted to operate as a commercial towing vessel.
13 - Propulsion and Auxiliary Machinery › N/A - No Subsystem › Propulsion main engine
Issued 7 July 2021
Resolved
Make repairs to both main diesel engine mounts prior to operating.
07 - Fire Safety › N/A - No Subsystem › Fire fighting equipment and appliances
Issued 7 July 2021
Resolved
Mount all potable fire extinguishers in approved brackets.
09 - Working and Living Conditions › 092 - Working Conditions › Pipes, wires (insulation)
Issued 7 July 2021
Resolved
Install missing lagging on generator exhaust pipe.
07 - Fire Safety › N/A - No Subsystem › Fire fighting equipment and appliances
Issued 7 July 2021
Resolved
Secure semi portable fire extinguisher.
02 - Structural Conditions › N/A - No Subsystem › Steering gear
Issued 17 September 2019
Resolved
Vessel experienced a steering casualty disabling the movement of the rudders. Vessel was able to safely moor, but reason for issue is undetermined. Plans are to tow vessel to shipyard to examine steering gear and assess condition of rudders for possible blockage. Determine cause of steering casualty and if steering gear or rudders are damaged make repairs to the satisfaction of the Coast Guard prior to placing the vessel back in service.
Casualty record · 1
9 August 2012Routine · role: Sighted in Area · activity 4406721
Each line is an incident investigation the Coast Guard recorded with this hull among the vessels involved, with the date and the classification the Coast Guard gave it. Involvement is not fault. The investigation narrative is not published. Source: IIR, through 2026.
Recorded names · 1
PIASA (2012). Names as the Coast Guard recorded them in incident records, with the years they appear; some are renames and some are spelling variants.
Ownership record
The Coast Guard's documentation record for this hull -- the Abstract of Title,
with its owners and liens as filed -- is not in PSIX. Ask, and Maury buys it from the National
Vessel Documentation Center, files it here with its date, and every reader of this page gets it.