[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 149 (Friday, August 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50506-50507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19591]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket Number: MARAD-2002-12725]


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 THORR with expanded 
geographic area of operation.

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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 
was initially received by MARAD and noticed by Federal Register on July 
12, 2002 (Vol. 67, No. 134, page 46246). By further submission the 
applicant has amended the proposed geographic area of operation and 
this notice supercedes the original request and extends the comment 
period. 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 Public 
Law 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 September 3, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to docket number MARAD-2002-12725. 
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 Public Law 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 
Sec. 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: THORR. Owner: Mark S. Kulstad.
    (2) Size, capacity and tonnage of vessel. According to the 
applicant:

[[Page 50507]]

``44'2" LWL, 50'6" LOD, 41 gross tons, 33 net tons.''
    (3) Intended use for vessel, including geographic region of 
intended operation and trade. According to the applicant: ``The 
geographic region of intended use of the vessel for which waiver is 
being requested is Coastwise USA and Territories, with primary use 
between the West Coast of the United States and Seward Alaska. I 
intended to use THORR as my private yacht and offer one to two couples 
to share in that experience for a charter fee, within the region. I 
will charter on weekends and days off until my retirement in 5-10 years 
at which time I will begin to cruise the world.''
    (4) Date and Place of construction and (if applicable) rebuilding. 
Date of construction: 1997. Place of construction: Taipei, Taiwan.
    (5) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on other 
commercial passenger vessel operators. According to the applicant: 
``None to minimal. There are no known boats operating in the region 
that do trips for just one to two couples. To the extent that there may 
be others, in fact that there will only be one to two couples on the 
boats means that the impact on others will be minimal to non 
existent.''
    (6) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on U.S. 
shipyards. According to the applicant: ``The issuing of this waiver 
will have no impact on U.S. shipyards. No U.S. shipyard markets a yacht 
less that 50 foot, capable of crossing an ocean, for an owner who wants 
to take the occasional guest for charter.''

    Dated: July 30, 2002.

    By order of the Maritime Administrator.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-19591 Filed 8-1-02; 8:45 am]
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