[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44926-44927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16773]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket Number: MARAD-2002-12684]


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 JEANNE PIERRE II.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: As authorized by Pub. L. 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. 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 August 5, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to docket number MARAD-2002-12684. 
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, SW., 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: JEANNE PIERRE II. Owner: James K. Pearson and Sarah 
Peck Pearson.
    (2) Size, capacity and tonnage of vessel. According to the 
applicant: ``LOA 44'3''; Beam: 13'10''; Draft: 5'9''; Displacement 
Tonnage: 23,550 lbs; Capacity: Maximum of 6 passengers

[[Page 44927]]

plus 2 crew or total of 8 persons on board.''
    (3) Intended use for vessel, including geographic region of 
intended operation and trade. According to the applicant: ``* * * 
uninspected vessel engaged in crewed sight seeing charters on the 
inside coastal waters of Washington State--specifically Puget Sound, 
the San Juan Islands, and Straits of Juan DeFuca as far west as Cape 
Flattery; crewed charters to British Columbia from the coastal waters 
of Washington State; crewed charters from British Columbia to the 
coastal waters of Washington State; and crewed charters on the Inside 
Passage to and including the coastal waters of Southeast Alaska.''
    (4) Date and Place of construction and (if applicable) rebuilding. 
Date of construction: 1993. Place of construction: St. Hilaire, France.
    (5) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on other 
commercial passenger vessel operators. According to the applicant: ``We 
would not compete with any commercial ferry services which transport 
persons from one location to another for a fee. Most of our charters 
would leave from and return to the same location, although some would 
be point to point. There are a few small, individual, independent 
operators in both Washington and Southeast Alaska that take guests on 
crewed sailing charters or crewed sailing vacations as we propose to 
do. With baby boomers and retirees, the market is large and the 
variation in charter specialties (ie. Sport fishing, diving, nature 
educations, gourmet meals, learn to sail cruises, etc.) great enough 
that we don't believe our sight seeing cruises would adversely affect 
existing operators.''
    (6) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on U.S. 
shipyards. According to the applicant: ``We don't believe this 
application will have any impact on US Shipyards.''

    Dated: June 28, 2002.

    By order of the Maritime Administrator.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-16773 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P