1625-0101 Stat/Authority

Coast Guard, DOT

§ 31.10–21a

(b) During each inspection or reinspection for certification, all wing
voids, rakes, cofferdams, and other
void spaces on tank barges must be
opened and checked from on-deck for
the presence of water or cargo indicating hull damage or cargo tank leakage. If water or cargo is not present,
these spaces need not be gas freed, ventilated, cleaned, or otherwise prepared
for personnel entry. If water or cargo is
present, an internal structural examination may be required.
(c) If, during an internal structural
examination, cargo tank internal examination, or underwater survey, damage or deterioration to the hull plating, structural members, or cargo
tanks 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.
(d) Vessels less than 15 years of age
(except wooden hull vessels) that are in
salt water service with a 2.5 year drydock interval (as indicated in table
31.10–21(a) of this section) or that are in
fresh water service with a five year
drydock interval (as indicated in table
31.10–21(b) of this section) may be considered for an underwater survey instead of alternate drydock examinations, provided the vessel is fitted with
an effective hull protection system.
Vessel owners or operators must apply
to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, for approval of underwater
surveys instead of alternate drydock
examinations for each vessel. The application must include the following
information:
(1) The procedure to be followed in
carrying out the underwater survey.
(2) The location where the underwater survey will be accomplished.
(3) The method to be used to accurately determine the diver location relative to the hull.
(4) The means that will be provided
for examining through-hull fittings.
(5) The means that will be provided
for taking shaft bearing clearances.
(6) The condition of the vessel, including the anticipated draft of the
vessel at the time of the survey.
(7) A description of the hull protection system.

(e) Vessels otherwise qualifying
under paragraph (d) of this section,
that are 15 years of age or older may be
considered for continued participation
in or entry into the underwater survey
program on a case-by-case basis, if—
(1) Before the vessel’s next scheduled
drydocking, the owner or operator submits a request for participation or continued participation to Commandant
(G–MOC);
(2)
During
the
vessel’s
next
drydocking after the request is submitted, no appreciable hull deterioration is indicated as a result of a complete set of hull gaugings; and
(3) The results of the hull gauging
and the results of the Coast Guard drydock examination together with the
recommendation of the Officer in
Charge, Marine Inspection, are submitted to Commandant (G–MOC) for
final approval.
(f) Each vessel which has not met
with the applicable examination schedules in paragraphs (a) through (e) of
this section because it is on a voyage,
must undergo the required examinations upon completion of the voyage.
(g) The Commandant (G–MOC) may
authorize extensions to the examination intervals specified in paragraph
(a) of this section.
[CGD 84–024, 52 FR 39649, Oct. 23, 1987, as
amended at 53 FR 32230, Aug. 24, 1988; 53 FR
34872, Sept. 8, 1988; CGD 95–072, 60 FR 50461,
Sept. 29, 1995; CGD 91–045, 61 FR 39792, July
30, 1996; CGD 96–041, 61 FR 50726, Sept. 27,
1996; CGD 95–028, 62 FR 51198, Sept. 30, 1997]

§ 31.10–21a Periodic gauging of tank
vessel midbodies more than 30
years old that carry certain oil cargoes—TB/ALL.
(a) As used in this section, the term
‘‘midbody’’ means the 40-percent midship length (0.40L) of the tank vessel.
The age of the midbody is determined
from its year of original construction.
(b) Midbodies of all tank vessels certificated to carry a pollution category
I oil cargo listed in 46 CFR Table 30.25–
1 must undergo an initial gauging survey and periodic regauging surveys as
follows:
(1) An initial midbody gauging survey must be accomplished no later
than the next drydocking inspection
after the midbody becomes 30 years
old.

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§ 31.10–22

46 CFR Ch. I (10–1–00 Edition)

(2) Regaugings:
(i) Midbodies of double hull tank vessels, or single hull tank vessels with
independent tanks, that operated in
fresh water at least 6 months in every
12-month period since the last drydock
examination must be regauged at intervals not exceeding 10 years;
(ii) Midbodies of all other tank vessels must be regauged at intervals not
exceeding 5 years.
(c) The midbody gauging survey must
be comprised of at least three transverse (girth) belts of deck, bottom,
side, inner hull, trunk, and longitudinal bulkhead plating and attached
longitudinal members. The number and
specific locations of the gauging points
shall be to the satisfaction of the Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection
(OCMI).
(d) Except as provided in paragraph
(f) of this section, within 60 days of the
vessel’s required compliance date the
owner or operator shall submit the following to the OCMI that issued the vessel’s current Certificate of Inspection:
(1) The gauging survey results.
(2) An engineering analysis signed by
a registered Professional Engineer licensed by any state of the United
States or the District of Columbia, or
signed by a Coast Guard-approved organization, that—
(i) Certifies the vessel’s compliance
with the minimum section modulus
and plating thickness requirements of
subpart 32.59 of this chapter; or
(ii) Proposes structural repairs and/or
modifications that will bring the vessel
up to the required strength standards.
(e) The vessel owner or operator shall
keep a permanent copy of the Coast
Guard-approved gauging report available for inspection by the OCMI.
(f) Instead of the submittals required
by paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, current classification with the
American Bureau of Shipping or another recognized classification society,
or a load line certificate issued in accordance with the International Convention on Load Lines or the International Voyage Load Line Act, may
be submitted as evidence of compliance
with the requirements of this section.
[CGD 91–209, 58 FR 52602, Oct. 8, 1993]

§ 31.10–22

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 examination, cargo tank
internal examination, or 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 vessel’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 examination, internal structural examination, cargo tank internal examination or underwater survey or whenever
repairs are made to the barge’s hull.
[CGD 84–024, 52 FR 39651, Oct. 23, 1987]

§ 31.10–24 Integral fuel oil tank examinations—T/ALL.
(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. 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

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