Page 102: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1999)

== Dry Air

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Thickness gauge used to check the shell plating. (which is practically impossible for some vessels operated on restricted nav- igable waters), what are the other impli- cations for the inland passenger vessel industry? Are underwater surveys eco- nomically advantageous in the long run?

Has safety been compromised? Is it like- ly that this program will continue and possibly include more vessels than those currently eligible? This article will address these questions, and look at how the Special Drydock Extension Survey program has been applied, as well as how vessel owners, diving contractors, third party examiners, and USCG marine inspectors each play a part.

History and background

With the publication in 1980 of the research project "1980 Underwater

Technology Survey for Extension of

Time Between Drydockings", the

USCG opened the door to underwater inspections of commercial vessels in lieu of the normal periodic drydockings.

This eventually led to the 1988 revision of drydock regulations, allowing the option of substituting underwater inspections for alternate drydockings tank vessels, cargo and miscellaneous vessels, and oceanographic research vessels which are less than 15 years old.

These revisions did not include passen- ger vessels. When riverboat gaming was authorized by several state governments in the early 1990s, many new passenger vessels were built or converted and began operating on inland waters - some in areas far from traditional ship- yards and drydock facilities. Taking a vessel out of service to move it to such a facility would require laying off hun- dreds of workers. For ships on isolated waterways, drydocks or graving docks would have to be constructed. With the required five-year drydock surveys looming, ship owners began petitioning

USCG officials for extensions. Since allowances for time extensions by

USCG field offices and districts are strictly limited by existing regulations, the issue was referred to USCG head- quarters.

Analyses were done to determine whether underwater surveys using these new methods could provide a safe alter- native to traditional drydock examina-

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To Drydock or Not to Drydock?

Underwater surveys for certain passenger vessels, one year later.

In March 1998, the Commandant of certain passenger vessels operating in to enter and maintain their vessels in this the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issued benign environments. This policy state- program. Besides the obvious short-

MOC Policy Letter 3-98, which allowed ment has resulted in significant positive term advantages of a 30-month post- the extension of drydocking periods for benefits for those vessel owners opting ponement of traditional drydocking

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