[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 61 (Thursday, March 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17219-17220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7386]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Coast Guard
[USCG-2001-9187]
Tonnage--Application for Simplified Measurement
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability of form.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard has revised the Application for Simplified
Measurement (CG-5397) used to determine vessels' tonnages under the
system of Simplified Measurement and has made the form available on the
Web site of its Marine Safety Center. The new revision date is 12-00.
The new form should help to reduce errors in calculating tonnage.
Having it available on our Web site will provide easier access to
obtaining the form, as well as information on formulation and
estimation of vessels' tonnage.
DATES: The new Application for Simplified Measurement became effective
on January 19, 2001. The form is available now. This notice calls for
no public comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on this notice, contact
Mr. Frank Perrini, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center, Attn: Tonnage
Survey Branch, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001,
telephone (202) 366-6441, e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Congress authorized a system of Simplified Measurement under the
Tonnage Measurement Simplification Act of 1980 [Pub. L. 96-594] to
provide owners of specific categories of vessels with an alternative to
formal measurements of tonnage by the Coast Guard or by authorized
measurement organizations. The rules for all domestic measurements of
tonnage appear at 46 CFR part 69.
To get a vessel documented under the system for Simplified
Measurement, an owner measures it, enters the dimensions on the
Application for Simplified Measurement (CG-5397), and submits it to the
National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) along with an Application
for Documentation (CG-1258), title evidence, processing fee, and any
other requirement identified by the NVDC. Under some circumstances, in
lieu of an Application for Simplified Measurement, the dimensions may
be taken from a Builder's Certificate and First Transfer of Title (CG-
1261) which has the information in Part III ``Dimensions'' completed. A
documentation officer of the NVDC enters the data into a computer
system to calculate the tonnage. If the vessel measures at least five
net register tons and qualifies, the NVDC can process the Application
for Documentation and issue a Certificate of Documentation reflecting
the appropriate tonnage.
Until the advent of personal computers, owners of vessels lacked
ready access to the formulas for Simplified Measurement and to copies
of CG-5397. Many would have to call the Marine Safety Center (MSC) or
the NVDC to determine their vessels' tonnages to compare them with
thresholds either for documentation or to meet regulatory requirements.
They would also have to ask the NVDC for paper copies of CG-5397.
Beyond the difficulties with obtaining copies of the form, there
were a number of problems with the previous version of CG-5397,
including these:
(1) Vessels' characteristics covered both sides of the form,
requiring submitters and documentation officers, respectively, to fill
out and review two sides.
(2) Certain characteristics such as hull material, propulsion type,
hull shape, and deckhouse size were ambiguous.
(3) Statements on the regulatory application were not
comprehensive.
(4) Nothing gave submitters either a description of the process or
instructions on submitting the form.
Discussion
Purpose of Revision
The MSC revised the CG-5397 under its continuous-improvement
program to reduce--
(1) Errors in calculating tonnage;
(2) The burden on the public in obtaining copies of the form; and
(3) The need of the public for added information on formulation and
estimates of vessels' tonnages.
All of the above serve to save time and resources for owners and
builders of vessels, private documentation services, the NVDC, and the
MSC.
Approach to Revision
The MSC reformatted the CG-5397 to place all the characteristics of
vessels as input data on the obverse (front) page,
[[Page 17220]]
and to place definitions of dimensions of vessels, procedures for
calculating tonnage and for documentation in general, and instructions
on the reverse page. The number of entries on the new form diminished,
thus lightening the burden of paperwork on the public.
The MSC uploaded the CG-5397 in its Web site, with a link to the
page with forms from the Web site of the NVDC, to provide owners and
builders of vessels, and private documentation services, with access to
software for calculating tonnage and with the ability to download the
form locally on a personal computer.
Access to Form
The new CG-5397 is available on the Web site of the MSC at
www.uscg.mil/hq/msc and on the link to the page with forms from the
NVDC at www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/vdoc/nvdc.htm.
Superseded CG-5397 Forms
To avoid unnecessary burden to the public, the NVDC will continue
to accept older versions of CG-5397 for documentation.
Dated: March 20, 2001.
Howard L. Hime,
Acting Director of Standards.
[FR Doc. 01-7386 Filed 3-28-01; 8:45 am]
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