[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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