scope:

Basis and purpose of part.

The rules and regulations in this part are prescribed and apply to public nautical school ships, except vessels of the Navy or Coast Guard. It is the intent of the regulations in this part to provide minimum standards for vessels used as nautical school ships in accordance with the various inspection statutes and to obtain their correct and uniform application. This part is not applicable to civilian nautical school ships.

Applicability; preemptive effect.

(a) Regulations in this part contain requirements for the design, construction, inspection, lifesaving equipment, firefighting and fire prevention requirements, special operating requirements and number of persons allowed to be carried on nautical school ships. The regulations in this subchapter have preemptive effect over State or local regulations in the same field.

(b) Vessels owned or chartered by the United States Maritime Administration that may be used by or in connection with any nautical school are not normally considered as merchant vessels of the United States and, therefore, are not documented.

(c) Documented nautical school ships of 500 gross tons or more, on international voyages, shall comply with the standards of the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, for cargo vessels.

(d) The regulations in this part have preemptive effect over State or local regulations in the same field.