1625-0032 Stat/Authority

Coast Guard, DHS

§ 115.615

(d) Whenever damage or deterioration to hull plating or structural members that may affect the seaworthiness
of a vessel is discovered or suspected,
the cognizant OCMI may conduct an
internal structural examination in any
affected space, including fuel tanks,
and may require the vessel to be
drydocked or taken out of service to
assess the extent of the damage, and to
effect permanent repairs. The OCMI
may also decrease the drydock examination intervals to monitor the vessel’s structural condition.
(e) For a vessel that is eligible per
§ 115.625 of this part 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 portion conducted predominantly by an
approved underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the vessel must undergo one alternate hull and one internal structural exam, within any fiveyear period. The vessel may undergo a
drydock exam to satisfy any of the required alternate hull exams.

wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with CFR

[CGD 85–080, 61 FR 892, Jan. 10, 1996, as
amended at 62 FR 51348, Sept. 30, 1997; USCG–
2000–6858, 67 FR 21079, Apr. 29, 2002]

§ 115.610 Scope of drydock and internal structural examinations.
(a) A drydock examination conducted
in compliance with § 115.600 of this part
must be conducted while the vessel is
hauled out of the water or placed in a
drydock or slipway. During the examination all accessible parts of the vessel’s underwater body and all through
hull fittings, including the hull plating, appendages, propellers, shafts,
bearings, rudders, sea chests, sea
valves, and sea strainers shall be made
available for examination. Sea chests,
sea valves, and sea strainers must be
opened for examination. The accuracy
of draft or loading marks, if required
by § 122.602 of this subpart, must be
verified if not already verified at construction or a previous drydock examination.
(b) An internal structural examination conducted in compliance with

§ 115.600 of this part may be conducted
while the vessel is afloat or out of the
water and consists of a complete examination of the vessel’s main strength
members, including the major internal
framing, the hull plating, voids, and
ballast, cargo, and fuel oil tanks.
Where the internal framing or plating
of the vessel is concealed, sections of
the lining, ceiling or insulation may be
removed or the parts otherwise probed
or exposed so that the inspector may
be satisfied as to the condition of the
hull structure. 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.
[CGD 85–080, 61 FR 892, Jan. 10, 1996, as
amended by USCG–2007–0030, 75 FR 78082,
Dec. 14, 2010]

§ 115.615 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 § 115.600(b) or (c) of
this part.
(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 condition of the vessel, including the anticipated draft of the
vessel at the time of survey;
(6) A description of the hull protection system; and

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§ 115.620

46 CFR Ch. I (10–1–14 Edition)

(7) The name and qualifications of
any third party examiner.
(c) If your vessel is 15 years old or
older, the cognizant District Commander, 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)(7) of this section; and
(3) During the vessel’s drydock examination, preceding 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 by 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 District Commander for cognizant review.

wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with CFR

[USCG–2000–6858, 67 FR 21080, Apr. 29, 2002]

§ 115.620 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
survey in accordance with § 115.655(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.
NOTE TO § 115.620: The expected hull coverage when using an ROV must be at least 80
percent.
[USCG–2000–6858, 69 FR 47383, Aug. 5, 2004]

§ 115.625 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 rivers or protected
lakes; 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) of this section, 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 § 115.630 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,

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