Regulation 46 CFR 71.50-5

pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with CFR

§ 71.50–5

46 CFR Ch. I (10–1–13 Edition)

(b) If your vessel is operated on other
than international voyages and does
not meet the conditions in paragraphs
(c) through (f) of this section, it must
undergo a drydock and internal structural examination as follows unless it
has been approved to undergo an underwater survey per § 71.50–5 of this part:
(1) Except as provided in paragraph
(b)(2) of this section, vessels that operate in salt water must undergo two
drydock and two internal structural
examinations within any five year period. No more than three years may
elapse between any two examinations.
(2) Vessels 20 years of age or older
that operate in salt water and accommodate overnight passengers must undergo drydock and internal structural
examinations at intervals not to exceed 18 months.
(3) Vessels that operate in fresh
water at least six months in every 12
month period since the last drydock
examination must undergo drydock
and internal structural examinations
at intervals not to exceed five years.
(c) Vessels with wooden hulls must
undergo two drydock and two internal
structural examinations within any
five year period regardless of the type
of water in which they operate. No
more than three years may elapse between any two examinations.
(d) If, during an internal structural
examination, damage or deterioration
to the hull plating or structural members is discovered, the Officer in
Charge, Marine Inspection, may require the vessel to be drydocked or otherwise taken out of service to further
assess the extent of the damage and to
effect permanent repairs.
(e) Each vessel which has not met the
applicable examination schedules in
paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section because it is on a voyage, must
undergo the required examinations
upon completion of the voyage.
(f) For a vessel that is eligible per
§ 71.50–17 and the owner opts for an alternate hull examination with the underwater survey portion conducted exclusively by divers, the vessel must undergo two alternate hull exams and
two internal structural exams within
any five-year period. If a vessel completes a satisfactory alternate hull
exam, with the underwater survey por-

tion conducted predominantly by an
approved underwater ROV, the vessel
must undergo one alternate hull and
one internal structural exam, within
any five-year period. The vessel may
undergo a drydock exam to satisfy any
of the required alternate hull exams.
(g) The Commandant (CG-CVC) may
authorize extensions to the examination intervals specified in paragraph
(a) through (c) of this section.
[CGD 84–024, 52 FR 39652, Oct. 23, 1987, as
amended by CGD 84–024, 53 FR 32231, Aug. 24,
1988; GCD 95–072, 60 FR 50463, Sept. 29, 1995;
CGD 96-041, 61 FR 50729, Sept. 27, 1996; USCG–
2000–6858, 67 FR 21076, Apr. 29, 2002; USCG–
2009–0702, 74 FR 49231, Sept.25, 2009; USCG–
2012–0832, 77 FR 59779, Oct. 1, 2012]

§ 71.50–5 Underwater Survey in Lieu of
Drydocking (UWILD).
(a) The Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), may approve an underwater survey instead of a drydock
examination at alternating intervals if
your vessel is—
(1) Less than 15 years of age;
(2) A steel or aluminum hulled vessel;
(3) Fitted with an effective hull protection system; and
(4) Described in § 71.50–3(a) or (b).
(b) For vessels less than 15 years of
age, you must submit an application
for an underwater survey to the OCMI
at least 90 days before your vessel’s
next required drydock examination.
The application must include—
(1) The procedure for carrying out
the underwater survey;
(2) The time and place of the underwater survey;
(3) The method used to accurately determine the diver’s or remotely operated vehicle’s (ROV) location relative
to the hull;
(4) The means for examining all
through-hull
fittings
and
appurtenances;
(5) The means for taking shaft bearing clearances;
(6) The condition of the vessel, including the anticipated draft of the
vessel at the time of survey;
(7) A description of the hull protection system; and
(8) The name and qualifications of
any third party examiner.
(c) If your vessel is 15 years old or
older, the cognizant District Commander for the area in which the exam

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Coast Guard, DHS

§ 71.50–17
survey in accordance with § 71.50–29(d)
provided that the interval does not exceed five years between any two underwater surveys. If an underwater ROV is
used as the predominate method to examine the vessel’s underwater hull
plating, you may receive credit up to
five years. At the end of this period,
you may apply for further participation under the AHE Program.

is being completed, may approve an underwater survey instead of a drydock
examination at alternating intervals.
You must submit an application for an
underwater survey to the OCMI at
least 90 days before your vessel’s next
required drydock examination. You
may be allowed this option if—
(1) The vessel is qualified under paragraphs (a)(2) through (4) of this section;
(2) Your application includes the information in paragraphs (b)(1) through
(b)(8) of this section; and
(3) During the vessel’s drydock examination that precedes the underwater
survey, a complete set of hull gaugings
was taken and they indicated that the
vessel was free from appreciable hull
deterioration.
(d) After this drydock examination
required in paragraph (c)(3) of this section, the OCMI submits a recommendation for future underwater surveys, the
results of the hull gauging, and the results of the Coast Guards’ drydock examination results to the cognizant District Commander for review.

NOTE TO § 71.50–15: The expected hull coverage when using an ROV must be at least 80
percent.
[USCG–2000–6858, 69 FR 47382, Aug. 5, 2004]

§ 71.50–17 Eligibility requirements for
the Alternative Hull Examination
(AHE) Program for certain passenger vessels.
(a) Your vessel may be eligible for
the AHE Program if—
(1) It is constructed of steel or aluminum;
(2) It has an effective hull protection
system;
(3) It has operated exclusively in
fresh water since its last drydock examination;
(4) It operates in a reduced risk environment such as a river or the protected waters of a lake; and
(5) It operates exclusively in shallow
water or within 0.5 nautical miles from
shore.
(b) In addition to the requirements in
paragraph (a), the Officer in Charge,
Marine Inspection (OCMI), will evaluate the following information when determining your vessel’s eligibility for
the AHE Program:
(1) The overall condition of the vessel, based on its inspection history;
(2) The vessel’s history of hull casualties and hull-related deficiencies; and
(3) The AHE Program application, as
described in § 71.50–19 of this part.
(c) When reviewing a vessel’s eligibility for the AHE program, the OCMI
may modify the standards given by
paragraph (a)(5) of this section where it
is considered safe and reasonable to do
so. In making this determination, the
OCMI will consider the vessel’s overall
condition, its history of safe operation,
and any other factors that serve to
mitigate overall safety risks.

pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with CFR

[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21077, Apr. 29, 2002]

§ 71.50–15 Description of the Alternative Hull Examination (AHE) Program for certain passenger vessels.
The Alternative Hull Examination
(AHE) Program provides you with an
alternative to a drydock examination
by allowing your vessel’s hull to be examined while it remains afloat. If completed using only divers, this program
has four steps: the application process,
the preliminary examination, the presurvey meeting, and the hull examination. If the vessel is already participating in the program or if a remotely
operated vehicle (ROV) is used during
the program, the preliminary exam
step may be omitted. Once you complete these steps, the Officer in Charge,
Marine Inspection (OCMI), will evaluate the results and accept the examination as a credit hull exam if the vessel
is in satisfactory condition. If only divers are used for the underwater survey
portion of the examination process,
you may receive credit for a period of
time such that subsequent AHEs would
be conducted at intervals of twice in
every five years, with no more than
three years between any two AHEs.
The OCMI may waive an underwater

[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21077, Apr. 29, 2002]

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