[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11354-11355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4523]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket Number: MARAD-2001-8932]


Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Invitation for public comments on a requested administrative 
waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws for the vessel CALEDONIA.

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SUMMARY: As authorized by Public Law 105-383, the Secretary of 
Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 
is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirement of the 
coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver 
has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a description of the 
proposed service, is listed below. The vessel is currently operating in 
Washington's San Juan Islands under a small vessel waiver granted 
pursuant to actions in Docket MARAD-2000-7075. The current application 
involves a new owner and new operating area. Interested parties may 
comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or 
businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines 
that in accordance with Pub. L. 105-383 and MARAD's regulations at 46 
CFR Part 388 (65 FR 6905; February 11, 2000) that the issuance of the 
waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a 
business that uses U.S.-flag vessels, a waiver will not be granted.

DATES: Submit comments on or before March 26, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to docket number MARAD-2001-8932. 
Written comments may be submitted by hand or by mail to the Docket 
Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, Department of Transportation, 400 
7th St., SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. You may also send comments 
electronically via the Internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit/. All 
comments will become part of this docket and will be available for 
inspection and copying at the above address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
E.T., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. An electronic 
version of this document and all documents entered into this docket is 
available on the World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Dunn, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Maritime Administration, MAR-832 Room 7201, 400 Seventh 
Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202-366-2307.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title V of Pub. L. 105-383 provides 
authority to the Secretary of Transportation to administratively waive 
the U.S.-build requirements of the Jones Act, and other statutes, for 
small commercial passenger vessels (no more than 12 passengers). This 
authority has been delegated to the Maritime Administration per 49 CFR 
1.66, Delegations to the Maritime Administrator, as amended. By this 
notice, MARAD is publishing information on a vessel for which a request 
for a U.S.-build waiver has been received, and for which MARAD requests 
comments from interested parties. Comments should refer to the docket 
number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to 
properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the 
commenter's interest in the waiver application, and address the waiver 
criteria given in Sec. 388.4 of MARAD'S regulations at 46 CFR Part 388.

Vessel Proposed for Waiver of the U.S.-Build Requirement

    (1) Name of vessel and owner for which waiver is requested. Name of 
vessel: CALEDONIA. Owner: California Maritime Academy Foundation, Inc.
    (2) Size, capacity and tonnage of vessel. According to the 
applicant: ``84.9' in length by 8.6' in width, and 9.4' in depth; 
accommodating not more than 12 passengers; 99 gross tons.''
    (3) Intended use for vessel, including geographic region of 
intended operation and trade. According to the applicant: ``Vessel's 
intended use is as a crewed charter vessel [by Alaska and NW Charters, 
LLC] in S.E. Alaska accommodating not more than 12 passengers. The 
intended geographic region is from Dixon Entrance on the South to a 
latitude equal to Skagway, Alaska on the north and to a point 50 miles 
west of Sitka, Alaska on the west.

[[Page 11355]]

Thus, the entire S.E. Alaskan waterways area.''
    (4) Date and Place of construction and (if applicable) rebuilding. 
Date of construction: 1973. Place of construction: Holland--or Foreign.
    (5) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on other 
commercial passenger vessel operators. According to the applicant: ``We 
feel this will have little impact on existing operators as we ALREADY 
operate a Crewed Charter Business in S.E. Alaska (FOR THE PAST THREE 
YEARS) and are in the process of SELLING our existing Crewed Charter 
Boat ``High Scooter'' and thus will ONLY be substituting vessels. Thus, 
the real impact is very marginal.
    Our current web page is www.alaskanwcharters.com. There are other 
existing boats in the region both foreign and U.S., which operate 
similar operations and most if not all run at 95 to 100% full basis. 
There are even vessels, which are currently booked into 2002 because 
the demand for such charters is extremely high. As most of the existing 
boats have well established client bases--as do we--the impact of 
this--substitution vessel for our existing vessel will be non-
existent.''
    (6) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on U.S. 
shipyards. According to the applicant: ``As the vessel was built almost 
30 years ago and as new vessels of this size are too expensive to make 
a profitable charter business out of--the impact will again be 
nonexistent. Additionally, as we are planning some changes and 
redecorating of the 30 year old vessel--to bring the vessel into 2001 
standards--it will actually bring additional business to the vessel and 
ship builders in the area.''

    Dated: February 20, 2001.

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-4523 Filed 2-22-01; 8:45 am]
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