Regulation 46 CFR 176.660

Coast Guard, DHS

§ 176.665

vessel’s underwater hull plating, you
must provide the OCMI with a report in
a format that is acceptable to the
OCMI, per § 176.650(b) of this part.
(c) The OCMI will evaluate the hull
examination report and grant a credit
hull exam if satisfied with the condition of the vessel. If approved and you
exclusively use divers to examine the
hull plating, you will receive a credit
hull exam of up to 36 months. (Underwater examinations are required twice
every 5 years.) If approved and you use
an underwater ROV as the predominate
means to examine the hull plating, you
will receive a credit hull exam of up to
60 months (5 years).
(d) At least 60 days prior to each
scheduled underwater exam, the owner
may request a waiver from the OCMI if:
(1) A satisfactory exam has been
completed within the last three years;
(2) The conditions during the last
exam allowed at least 80 percent of the
bottom surface to be viewed and recorded; and
(3) The results of the last exam indicated that an extended interval is safe
and reasonable.

pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with CFR

[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21086, Apr. 29, 2002, as
amended at 69 FR 47384, Aug. 5, 2004]

§ 176.660 Continued participation in
the Alternative Hull Examination
(AHE) Program.
(a) To continue to participate in the
AHE Program, vessel operators must
conduct an annual hull condition assessment. At a minimum, vessel operators must conduct an internal examination and take random hull gaugings
internally during the hull condition assessment, unless waived by the Officer
in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI). If
the annual hull assessment reveals significant damage or corrosion, where
temporary repairs have been made, or
where other critical areas of concern
have been identified, the OCMI may require an expanded examination to include an underwater hull examination
using divers. If an underwater examination is required, the examination
must focus on areas at higher risk of
damage or corrosion and must include
a representative sampling of hull
gaugings.
(b) If an underwater survey is required for the annual hull condition as-

sessment, the OCMI may require the
presence of a third party examiner and
a written hull examination report must
be submitted to the OCMI. This report
must include thickness gauging results, a copy of the audio and video recordings and any other information
that will help the OCMI evaluate your
vessel for continued participation in
the AHE program. The third party examiner must sign the report and confirm the validity of its contents.
(c) You must submit your preventive
maintenance reports or checklists on
an annual basis to the OCMI. These reports or checklists must conform to
the plans you submitted in your application under § 176.630 of this part,
which the OCMI approved.
(d) Prior to each scheduled annual
hull condition assessment—
(1) The owner may submit to the
OCMI a plan for conducting the assessment, or a request for a waiver of this
requirement, no fewer than 30 days before the scheduled assessment; and
(2) The OCMI may reduce the scope
or extend the interval of the assessment if the operational, casualty, and
deficiency history of the vessel, along
with a recommendation of the vessel’s
master, indicates that it is warranted.
[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21086, Apr. 29, 2002, as
amended at 69 FR 47384, Aug. 5, 2004]

§ 176.665 Notice and plans required.
(a) The owner or managing operator
shall notify the cognizant OCMI as far
in advance as possible whenever a vessel is to be hauled out or placed in a
drydock or slipway in compliance with
§ 176.600 or to undergo repairs or alterations affecting the safety of the vessel, together with the nature of any repairs or alterations contemplated. Hull
repairs or alternations that affect the
safety of the vessel include but are not
limited to the replacement, repair, or
refastening of planking, plating, or
structural members including the repair of cracks.
(b) Whenever a vessel is hauled out or
placed in a drydock or slipway in excess of the requirements of this subpart
for the purpose of maintenance, including, but not limited to, changing a propeller, painting, or cleaning the hull,
no report need be made to the cognizant OCMI.

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