Uninspected to Inspected Vessel

[unbusted67]

Hello,

Has anyone on here undergone the process of taking an uninspected vessel and getting it USCG inspected and getting a COI? I am interested in buying a 6 pack charter catamaran and getting it inspected.

[Benz]

AFIK you don't need a COI to do six packs (that's why the six-pack license is called OUPV).
If you're talking of using a former six-packer to pack more people on, Subchapter T of 46 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) has all the rules for COI vessels. Biggest initial screen is whether the boat was built in the US. Boats built foreign cannot be given a COI.

[ranger58sb]

A local fishing charter once told me he looked into it, found it was A LOT less expensive to just buy an inspected boat. The one he had would have taken way too much work to be brought up to the standard...

-Chris

[Snore]

Suggest you contact the USCG on this one directly. Somewhere i recall hearing that if the vessel is over 6-7 years old, even if it is foreign, it can get a COI. But there is a significant review of the construction of the vessel.

[jmorrison146]

We have a Jeanneau 44 and provide private, captained charters for up to six guests. My 100-ton Master's license would easily cover this boat for up to 12 guests. We researched the COI requirements and concluded that $25K to $30K in equipment would be required and that the expense wasn't reasonable to accommodate the occasional request for Marie than six. Some requirements, such as much taller lifelines, would ruin the boat.

[Kijit]

I agree with a previous post that you need to review Subchapter T and see how difficult it is going to be. I run an inspected sailing vessel for a museum and to get the COI it had to be retrofitted with three water tight bulkheads, 39-1/2" rails, multiple bilge pumps and high water alarms, etc. The museum has another vessel that we would love to have COI on, but the retrofit costs are too prohibitive. The comment that it might be less expensive to purchase a vessel that already has a COI may very well be correct.



Also, a long time ago, I won a brand new "charter" fishing boat in a raffle that was built by a builder that regularly builds charter vessels for inspected service. However, they did not build this one to the CFR requirements and it was going to require $50K in additional mods and equipment to make it meet the requirements.



So, review subchapter T and talk with the domestic inspection branch of your CG sector to see how close this vessel is and what you would have to do to it.



As for the question of foreign built that someone asked, if a vessel is foreign built, it will need a Jones Act waiver before it can be endorsed for "coastwise" service on its document and that endorsement is required to get a COI.



Gerhard

[unbusted67]

Thanks for the replies. I should have been more specific in my initial post. I have 100 ton license and manage a T boat. I am relatively familiar with Chapter T.

The boat I am looking at leads me to suspect it would be easy enough to modify:

-US built

-It already has watertight bulkheads (FYI not every T boat has to have watertight bulkheads),

-Much of the existing lifelines look to be at 39 inches

-It has an EPIRB

Other than that it is pretty bare bones, which, in the world of annual CG inspections is a good thing because the fewer systems = shorter inspections and less for them to pop you on.

I guess I am looking to hear from others who have gone through this process but so far it sounds like everyone has found it to be cost prohibitive.

But, to play devils advocate, do a quick yachtworld search for inspected Catamarans. There's nothing out there for less than $500k. This boat would get me in the door at $125k, so you get the idea.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Benz

AFIK you don't need a COI to do six packs (that's why the six-pack license is called OUPV).
If you're talking of using a former six-packer to pack more people on, Subchapter T of 46 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) has all the rules for COI vessels. Biggest initial screen is whether the boat was built in the US. Boats built foreign cannot be given a COI.

I believe I recently saw that you may now use a foreign built vessel for charters if it is only a six pack. Anything with more than six passengers still needs to be built in the U.S. I would check to be sure since things change but I believe there is now an endorsement for foreign built vessels.

[jmorrison146]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

I believe I recently saw that you may now use a foreign built vessel for charters if it is only a six pack. Anything with more than six passengers still needs to be built in the U.S. I would check to be sure since things change but I believe there is now an endorsement for foreign built vessels.

Nope. The MARAD refs don't differentiate between six-pack and inspected vessels. If foreign-built, you must have a MARAD waiver.

https://www.maritime.dot.gov/ports/d...waiver-program

Regardless of build country, you sit have a "Coastwise" endorse,ent on your USCG vessel document. If there's a loan on the boat, the lender must agree tot he endorsement change.

[mbuckely]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

I believe I recently saw that you may now use a foreign built vessel for charters if it is only a six pack. Anything with more than six passengers still needs to be built in the U.S. I would check to be sure since things change but I believe there is now an endorsement for foreign built vessels.

It's actually up to 12 persons for the waiver. I just got ours, but with a New York Harbor exclusion.:-(

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by jmorrison146

Nope. The MARAD refs don't differentiate between six-pack and inspected vessels. If foreign-built, you must have a MARAD waiver.

https://www.maritime.dot.gov/ports/d...waiver-program

Regardless of build country, you sit have a "Coastwise" endorse,ent on your USCG vessel document. If there's a loan on the boat, the lender must agree tot he endorsement change.

Right! It was the waiver I was thinking of. Thanks for the correction and for the link. I was also wrong on the number of passengers. One is allowed up to 12 passengers. There are also some other restrictions but they are not really too bad. Per the Maritime Administration (https://www.maritime.dot.gov/ports/d...waiver-program) of the U.S. government, these are the restrictions:

"The vessel must be at least three years old.
The vessel, when in service, cannot carry more than 12 passengers and must meet separate USCG requirements.
The intended use must be to carry passengers only. Activities such as carriage of cargo, commercial fishing, towing, dredging and salvage do not qualify for this program. Sport fishing is permitted as long as the fish caught are not sold commercially.
The vessel must be owned by a U.S.-Citizen.

Again, the vessel must meet all other U.S. Coast Guard requirements before it can engage in commercial service.

This is not a waiver of any vessel documentation, vessel manning or vessel inspection requirements. Once a waiver is received, the applicant should file for a Coastwise Trade Endorsement for the passenger trade with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).+

[unbusted67]

This boat was built in Florida. You can apply for a waiver but that doesn't mean the CG is gonna give you a waiver.

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Thanks for the replies. I should have been more specific in my initial post. I have 100 ton license and manage a T boat. I am relatively familiar with Chapter T.

The boat I am looking at leads me to suspect it would be easy enough to modify:

-US built

-It already has watertight bulkheads (FYI not every T boat has to have watertight bulkheads),

-Much of the existing lifelines look to be at 39 inches

-It has an EPIRB

Other than that it is pretty bare bones, which, in the world of annual CG inspections is a good thing because the fewer systems = shorter inspections and less for them to pop you on.

I guess I am looking to hear from others who have gone through this process but so far it sounds like everyone has found it to be cost prohibitive.

But, to play devils advocate, do a quick yachtworld search for inspected Catamarans. There's nothing out there for less than $500k. This boat would get me in the door at $125k, so you get the idea.

[jmschmidt]

You don't need and inspected vessel for six-pack. the Six Pack license is technically known as OUPV, which stand for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel. This is limited to six passengers only, no cargo and no foreign voyages.

To covert to "inspected status" will cost thousands of dollars. For starters all the lifelines, fire-fighting and other safety gear will have to be upgraded. It doesn't pay for less that 20 to 30 passengers.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

You don't need and inspected vessel for six-pack. the Six Pack license is technically known as OUPV, which stand for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel. This is limited to six passengers only, no cargo and no foreign voyages.

To covert to "inspected status" will cost thousands of dollars. For starters all the lifelines, fire-fighting and other safety gear will have to be upgraded. It doesn't pay for less that 20 to 30 passengers.

Maybe I am not making myself clear. It is currently a six pack boat and I am trying to get it inspected so I can carry more passengers. Please read through the whole thread before responding. I've addressed some of the things you've mentioned above.

As for your numbers, I don't disagree but most inspected charter cats can cary 20 plus pax. That's a huge increase in earning potential.

The current lifeline arrangement on this boat is already at 39 inches, it has outboards so no fire boy, already has epirb, needs a raft but, so what?

[Benz]

Sounds like you have a pretty good start on it. If you're in Islesboro, as your profile says, why not pop down to Camden and chat with the schooner headboaters there? Most of those schooners had to get extensively retrofitted to get a COI, I'll bet.