(a) This subchapter is applicable to all U.S.-flag vessels indicated in column 3 of Table 2.01-7(a) in § 2.01-7(a) of this chapter that are 100 gross tons or more, except as follows:

(1) Any vessel operating exclusively on inland waters which are not navigable waters of the United States; or,

(2) Any vessel while laid up and dismantled and out of commission; or,

(3) With the exception of vessels of the U.S. Maritime Administration, any vessel with title vested in the United States and which is used for public purposes.

(b) The requirements for notification of safety standards and for safety information and country of registry in promotional literature or advertising of a domestic passenger vessel of 100 gross tons or over having berth or stateroom accommodations for 50 or more passengers are contained in part 80 of this chapter.

(a) Except as specifically noted in paragraphs (b), (e), and (f) of this section, parts 70 to 78, inclusive, of this subchapter, are applicable to the extent prescribed by law to all foreign vessels of the following classifications indicated in column 3 of Table 2.01-7(a) in § 2.01-7(a) of this chapter that are 100 gross tons or over:

(1) Foreign vessels which carry more than 12 passengers from any port in the United States; or,

(2) Foreign vessels, other than those mentioned in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, which carry more than 6 passengers from any port in the United States, and which are:

(i) Sailing vessels of 100 gross tons or over and not more than 700 gross tons; or,

(ii) Non-self-propelled vessels of 100 gross tons.

(b) The provisions of parts 70 to 78, inclusive, of this subchapter shall not be applicable to those foreign vessels covered by paragraph (a) of this section which are:

(1) Any vessel of a foreign nation signatory to the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, and which has on board a current valid safety certificate; or,

(2) Any vessel of a foreign nation having inspection laws approximating those of the United States together with reciprocal inspection arrangements with the United States, and which has on board a current valid certificate of inspection issued by its government under such arrangements.

(c) Notwithstanding the exceptions previously noted in paragraph (b) of this section, foreign vessels of novel design or construction, or whose operation involves potential unusual risks shall be subject to inspection to the extent necessary to safeguard life and property in United States' ports, as further provided by § 2.01-13 of subchapter A (Procedures Applicable to the Public) of this chapter.

(d) The requirements for notification of safety standards and for safety information and country of registry in promotional literature or advertising of a foreign passenger vessel of 100 gross tons or over having berth or stateroom accommodations for 50 or more passengers are contained in part 80 of this chapter.

(e) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, foreign passenger vessels of over 100 gross tons having berth or stateroom accommodations for more than 50 persons and departing a United States port with passengers who are United States nationals and who embarked at that port shall comply with the provisions of the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1974.

(f) Notwithstanding the exceptions noted in paragraph (b) of this section, each foreign vessel must report marine casualties occurring while the vessel is in the navigable waters of the United States as required by subpart 78.07.

(a) At the beginning of the various parts, subparts, and sections, a more specific application is generally given for the particular portion of the text involved. This application sets forth the types, sizes, or services or vessels to which the text pertains, and in many cases limits the application of the text to vessels contracted for before or after a specific date. As used in this subchapter, the term vessels contracted for includes not only the contracting for the construction of a vessel, but also the contracting for a material alteration to a vessel, the contracting for the conversion of a vessel to a passenger vessel, and the changing of service or route of a vessel if such change increases or modifies the general requirements for the vessel or increases the hazards to which it might be subjected.

(b) [Reserved]

(a) Vessels inspected and certificated for ocean or unlimited coastwise routes shall be considered suitable for navigation insofar as the provisions of this subchapter are concerned on any inland route, including the Great Lakes.

(b) [Reserved]

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section, the regulations in this subchapter that apply to a vessel on an “international voyage” apply to a vessel that—

(1) Is mechanically propelled and carries more than 12 passengers; and

(2) Is engaged on a voyage—

(i) From a country to which the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, (SOLAS 74) applies, to a port outside that country or the reverse;

(ii) From any territory, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, all possessions of the United States and all lands held by the United States under a protectorate or mandate, whose international relations are the responsibility of a contracting SOLAS 74 government, or which is administered by the United Nations, to a port outside that territory or the reverse; or

(iii) Between the contiguous states of the United States and the states of Hawaii or Alaska or between the states of Hawaii and Alaska.

(b) The regulations that apply to a vessel on an “international voyage” in this subchapter do not apply to ships engaged on a voyage solely on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River as far east as a straight line drawn from Cap des Rosiers to West Point, Anticosti Island and, on the north side of Anticosti Island, the 63rd Meridian;

(c) The Commandant or his authorized representative may exempt any vessel on an international voyage from the requirements of this subchapter if the vessel—

(1) Makes a single international voyage in exceptional circumstances; and

(2) Meets safety requirements prescribed for the voyage by the Commandant.

(d) The Commandant or his authorized representative may exempt any vessel from the construction requirements of this subchapter if the vessel does not proceed more than 20 nautical miles from the nearest land in the course of its voyage.

(a) The Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993 (PVSA) contained an allowance for the exemption of certain passenger vessels that are—

(1) At least 100 gross tons but less than 300 gross tons; or

(2) Former public vessels of at least 100 gross tons but less than 500 gross tons.

(b) The owner or operator of a vessel must have applied for an exemption under the PVSA by June 21, 1994, and then brought the vessel into compliance with the interim guidance in Navigation and Inspection Circular (NVIC) 7-94 not later than December 21, 1996. The PVSA exemption is valid for the service life of the vessel, as long as the vessel remains certified for passenger service. If the Certificate of Inspection (COI) is surrendered or otherwise becomes invalid (not including a term while the vessel is out of service but undergoing an inspection for recertification), the owner or operator must meet the appropriate inspection regulations to obtain a new COI without the PVSA exemption. See 46 CFR 175.118 for information about applicable regulations for vessels that operate under the PVSA exemption.

(a) The regulations in this subchapter, as well as referenced requirements in other subchapters in this chapter, take into account the passenger vessel's size, construction, and equipment, as well as its intended service on the routes or waters on which it is desired to be operated or navigated, which are indications of the hazards to which such vessel may be subjected. The Commandant's determinations in this respect for a particular passenger vessel are stipulated in a certificate of inspection, which states certain terms and conditions governing such vessel when in operation.

(b) In applying the laws and regulations to passenger vessels, one criterion for invocation of safety standards is the description of passenger vessels by relative size in gross tons. When it is determined by the Commandant that the gross register tonnage for a particular passenger vessel, which is attained by exemptions, reductions, or other devices in the basic gross tonnage formulation, will circumvent or be incompatible with the application of specific safety requirements in the passenger vessel regulations for a vessel of such physical size, the Commandant shall prescribe the regulations to be made applicable to such vessel.

(c) When the Commandant determines that the gross register tonnage is not a valid criterion for the invocation of safety requirements based on relative size, the parties involved will be informed of the determination and of the regulations applicable to such passenger vessel, and before being permitted to operate such vessel, compliance therewith shall be required. Endorsements or notations on the passenger vessel's certificate of inspection may be made as appropriate.

Vessels inspected and certificated under this subchapter may carry limited quantities of combustible liquid cargo in bulk in the grades indicated, provided the certificate of inspection is endorsed to permit such carriage:

(a) Grade E in an integral tank; and

(b) Grade E in a portable tank, including a marine portable tank, in accordance with subpart 98.30 or 98.33 of this chapter.