Inspected Vessels

[F/V First Team]

Anyone have one?
If so how many passengers and what layout do you use?

 

[WoundUpMarine]

100 ft dual deck triple detroit powered whale watch boat, HAHA i dont know it but run it off and on during the summers. a friend of mine has a 33 young bros inspected to hold 20 or 25 people, let me know if you got any questions

 

[F/V First Team]

Toss up some photos if you have them, seems like quite a few people on a 33

 

[petrel]

I've got a 56' Performance Marine (DMR)

It's a low house head boat, so it's walk-around deck and the stability is for 63 pax in partially protected waters/ 43 in exposed using the new weight (185 I think.) It's not exactly a lobster boat, but Royal Lowell supposedly designed that hull. There is a Carolina boat not far from here that is about the same length as mine but has sort of a hybrid design, w/ a traditional foredeck and cockpit, but a narrower cabin w/ bench seating built into the sides, and a nice shad overhang from flybridge. I don't know why you couldn't do that w/ a lobster boat, especially a beamy one. No teliing what sort of stability letter you could get w/ one of today's wider hulls. My boat is not very beamy.

 

[WoundUpMarine]

not sure about the exact amount of people but its ALOT, they do it by the rail space, 15 or 18 inches per person or something like that

 

[petrel]

They also do it by seating, so if you have a flybridge boat for example, even if you don't have as big of a cockpit, you can get a lot of seating in and out. I can't remember the formula, but I suppose they should adjust it by an inch or too if they went up 20 pounds or so per pax w/ the weight.

 

[CaptDave]

Regulations for Inspected Boats

Here is more than you would like to know

USCG: Passenger Vessel Safety Program - Small Passenger Vessel


Dave

 

[WoundUpMarine]

great link, after going though years and years of C.O.I's on commercial ships and on the tour boats here in maine im gonna keep myself as far away from the coast guard and them as far away from me, definitely worth just doing the six-pack

 

[petrel]

I suppose it depends somewhat on the personnel. We have been fortunate down here, but it helps to have a fiberglass hull. Some of the guys w/ wood and aluminum boats have been made to suffer. There is no doubt, however, that the Code of Federal Regulations has gotten out of control. I love it when they ask to see our bell. That goes back to sailing days. Who's going to hear it w/ all the horsepower in today's boats?

 

[WoundUpMarine]

yeah we've had good and back guys, most of what i've seen on the smaller boats is that the inspector expects the owner to operate with the same budget the u.s. coast guard does. most one boat companys that are barely staying afloat cant afford a million dollar repower because the engines are a little tired and leak a little oil.

 

[Captlvb]

You see not only did they increase the average weight to 185, which will reduce the max passeneger number, but they also just made it mandatory to have inflatable rafts in place of the old hard foam or plastic types. Just one more added cost if you don't already have them. Not to mention the added cost for repacking and inspection and replacing the hydrostatic releases.

 

[MDI45]

I thought you only needed a buoyant apparatus and not a life raft inside of 12 miles??

 

[petrel]

I know all about it. My floats were ragged out and I just bought a 30 man IBA. They only require 67% capacity f/ warm water, so I'm at 43 where I used to be at 44 f/ exposed waters w/ two big floats (not that we ever take that many on a 56 footer.) But the IBA weighs 200 pounds and I had to put a davit on the boat to keep the USCG happy. Fortunately I had one lying around, so we only to had weld a couple of flanges to make it work. But for a rig like you run, getting into compliance will be more of an expense. The IBA's are not as expensive by comparison as the rafts we need on our commercial boats, but it is still a lot of money and they get you year after year like you say. I just couldn't see spending over $3000 on two 22 man Cal Junes that were going to be useless after three years. I think it comes down Jan. 2015.

 

[MDI45]

Unreal all these new regs...its getting harder and harder to get by

 

[Captlvb]

We have had them for over ten years. No davit but they sit outside the top deck rail so they can be pushed overboard or float free. Heavy sons of bitches to take on and off for inspection.

 

[GoodChance]

I used to own a COI vessel. Never again. The USCG made it impossible to remain in compliance (sp?) from year to year. Each year there was a new and costly requirement to improve safety. Then the inspectors would vary from year to year and each would interpert the CFR a bit differently so taht added a bit more in new costs.

The USCG and CFR was one of the main reasons taht i finally sold the 46 deadrise and sold my charter business. The regulations simply stiffled business.

 

[MDI45]

Goodchance, thats a shame....these stupid cfr make honest people go out of business

 

[CaptDave]

Unreal all these new regs...its getting harder and harder to get by

You can say that again because NOAA and the Sanctuaries want to shut down all productive areas for the name of research. What is going on down here on Stellwagen Bank is a shame

In support of NOAA

NOT ME!!!!

 

[dwnhmr]

Anyone have one?
If so how many passengers and what layout do you use?

Last I knew, Randy Place at USCG Safety office in Belfast ME (same building as police) was the guy to talk to. Oversaw this project...

USCG certified passenger / research vessel for
the College of the Atlantic