1625-0032 Stat/Authority

§ 71.50–29

46 CFR Ch. I (10–1–02 Edition)
Alternate Hull Examination (AHE),
you must provide the Officer in Charge,
Marine Inspection (OCMI), with a written hull examination report. This report must include thickness gauging
results, bearing clearances, a copy of
the audio and video recordings and any
other information that will help the
OCMI evaluate your vessel for a drydock extension. The third party examiner must sign the report and confirm
the validity of its contents.
(b) If you use an underwater ROV as
the predominant means to examine the
vessel’s underwater hull plating, you
must provide the OCMI with a report in
the format that is accepted by the
OCMI, per § 71.50–27(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 may receive a credit
hull exam up to 36 months. (Underwater examinations are required twice
every 5 years). If approved and you use
an underwater ROV as the predominant means to examine the underwater
hull plating, you may receive a credit
hull exam up to 60 months (5 years).

to identify the diver’s location with respect to the hull, within one foot of accuracy;
(3)
Take
ultrasonic
thickness
gaugings at a minimum of 5 points on
each plate, evenly spaced;
(4) Take hull plating thickness
gaugings along transverse belts at the
bow, stern, and midships, as a minimum. Plating thickness gaugings
must also be taken along a longitudinal belt at the wind and water
strake. Individual gaugings along the
transverse and longitudinal belts must
be spaced no more than 3 feet apart;
(5) Ensure the third party examiner
observes the entire underwater examination process;
(6) Record the entire underwater survey with audio and video recording
equipment and ensure that communications between divers and the third
party examiner are recorded; and
(7) Use appropriate equipment, such
as a clear box, if underwater visibility
is poor, to provide the camera with a
clear view of the hull.
(b) You may use an underwater ROV
to conduct the underwater survey. The
underwater ROV operating team, survey process and equipment, quality assurance methods, and the content and
format of the survey report must be accepted by the Officer in Charge, Marine
Inspection (OCMI) prior to the survey.
If you choose this option, you must—
(1) Locate the vessel to ensure that
the underwater ROV can operate effectively under the vessel’s keel and
around all sides;
(2) Employ divers to examine any
sections of the hull and appurtenances
that the underwater ROV cannot access or is otherwise unable to evaluate;
and
(3) If the OCMI determines that the
data obtained by the ROV, including
non-destructive testing results, readability of the results, and positioning
standards, will not integrate into the
data obtained by the divers, then a
third party examiner must be present
during the divers portion of the examination.

[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21078, Apr. 29, 2002]

§ 71.50–31 Continued participation in
the Alternative Hull Examination
(AHE) program.
(a) If you conducted the AHE Program using divers only and want to
continue to participate in the program,
you must conduct an annual hull condition assessment. At a minimum, the
hull condition assessment must include
an internal examination and random
hull gaugings taken internally. If the
annual hull condition assessment reveals significant damage or corrosion,
where temporary repairs have been
made, or where other critical areas of
concern have been identified, the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection
(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.

[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21078, Apr. 29, 2002]

§ 71.50–29 Hull examination reports.
(a) If you exclusively use divers for
the underwater survey portion of the

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Coast Guard, DOT

§ 71.53–1
amination, internal structural examination, or underwater survey or whenever repairs are made to the barge’s
hull.

(b) If an underwater survey is required for the annual hull condition assessment, 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 § 71.50–19 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 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.

[CGD 84–024, 52 FR 39652, Oct. 23, 1987. Redesignated and amended by USCG–2000–6858, 67
FR 21076, Apr. 29, 2002]

Subpart 71.53—Integral Fuel Oil
Tank Examinations
§ 71.53–1 When required.
(a) Each fuel oil tank with at least
one side integral to the vessel’s hull
and located within the hull (‘‘integral
fuel oil tank’’) is subject to inspection
as provided in this section. Each integral fuel oil tank is subject to inspection as provided in this section. The
owner or operator of the vessel shall
have the tanks cleaned out and gas
freed as necessary to permit internal
examination of the tank or tanks designated by the marine inspector. The
owner or operator shall arrange for an
examination of the fuel tanks of each
vessel during an internal structural examination at intervals not to exceed
five years.
(b) Integral non-double-bottom fuel
oil tanks need not be cleaned out and
internally examined if the marine inspector is able to determine by external examination that the general condition of the tanks is satisfactory.
(c) Double-bottom fuel oil tanks on
vessels less than 10 years of age need
not be cleaned out and internally examined if the marine inspector is able
to determine by external examination
that the general condition of the tanks
is satisfactory.
(d) All double-bottom fuel oil tanks
on vessels 10 years of age or older but
less than 15 years of age need not be
cleaned out and internally examined if
the marine inspector is able to determine by internal examination of at
least one forward double-bottom fuel
oil tank, and by external examination
of all other double-bottom fuel oil
tanks on the vessel, that the general
condition of the tanks is satisfactory.
(e) All double-bottom fuel oil tanks
on vessels 15 years of age or older need
not be cleaned out and internally examined if the marine inspector is able
to determine by internal examination
of at least one forward, one amidships,

[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21078, Apr. 29, 2002]

§ 71.50–35 Notice and plans required.
(a) The master, owner, operator, or
agent of the vessel shall notify the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection,
whenever the vessel is to be drydocked,
regardless
of
the
reason
for
drydocking.
(b) Each vessel, except barges, that
holds a Load Line Certificate must
have on board a plan showing the vessel’s scantlings. This plan must be
made available to the Coast Guard marine inspector whenever the vessel undergoes a drydock examination, internal structural examinationor underwater survey or whenever repairs are
made to the vessel’s hull.
(c) Each barge that holds a Load Line
Certificate must have a plan showing
the barge’s scantlings. The plan need
not be maintained on board the barge
but must be made available to the
Coast Guard marine inspector whenever the barge undergoes a drydock ex-

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