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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