operations, complete details of ballast sys- 

 tem materials and design are to be submit- 

 ted with special attention given to methods 

 of attachment to hull and protection against 

 external damage. Tanks and piping mate- 

 rials must be tested and inspected in accord- 

 ance with ABS rules where applicable. Fab- 

 rication, installation and testing of the bal- 

 last system should be carried out in the 

 presence of ABS surveyors. 



Maneuverability and Controls 



If rudders and/or diving planes are used 

 for maneuvering, detailed drawings of them 

 must be submitted which include steering 

 mechanisms and necessary controls. All sub- 

 mersibles are required to have some means 

 of determining their location and avoiding 

 obstacles when submerged. 



In addition to the general guidelines pre- 

 sented above, the ABS manual provides ex- 

 cellent guidance of a more specific nature on 

 the design, construction, and testing of the 

 pressure hull, "exostructure," environmen- 

 tal control, mechanical equipment, electrical 

 equipment, emergency equipment, proce- 

 dures followed during surveys and lock-in/ 

 lock-out contrivances. The ABS also requires 

 submission of a spare parts list, and the 

 appendices to the manual deal with support- 

 ing data for Class II materials and sustain- 

 ing data for Class III materials (similar to 

 Naval classification of materials I, II, III). 

 Requirements for toughness testing. X-ray 

 acceptability standards and environmental 

 control parameters are also to be included. 



Adherence to the ABS guidelines during 

 submersible construction does not imply that 

 certification by the Navy is a rubber-stamp- 

 ing effort, since several areas of the vehicle's 

 construction and operation are dealt with in 

 different fashion by both. However, the ABS 

 guidelines have drawn heavily on naval sub- 

 marine experience. Indeed, several members 

 of the committee who contributed to this 

 manual are directly or indirectly involved 

 with Naval certification. 



The original 1968 ABS Guide is being ex- 

 panded and revised, and will be published as 

 the ^'Guide for the Classification of Under- 

 water Vessels and Related Systems.'^ The 

 new guide, according to Letich (11), will in- 

 clude: 



1) Lock-out submersibles 



2) Tethered submersibles 



3) Submersible vehicles 



4) Small submersibles 



5) Stationary underwater vessels 



6) Support ships 



7) Diving systems 



8) Launch and recovery gear 



9) Equipment including requirements on 

 anchors and chains, lines and umbilical 

 cords. 



The submersible builder of today is in a far 

 better position to build a safe, certifiable 

 vehicle than his predecessor, for the combi- 

 nation of the NAVMAT criteria, the ABS 

 guidelines and the guidelines presented in 

 Marine Technology Society's Safety and Op- 

 erational Guidelines for Undersea Vehicles 

 provides a wealth of knowledge heretofore 

 unavailable to early submersible builders. 



U.S. COAST GUARD 

 REQUIREMENTS 



Present U.S. Coast Guard submersible reg- 

 ulations are essentially non-existent owing 

 to lack of legal authority pertaining to the 

 small submersibles now operating. All sub- 

 mersibles presently operating under a U.S. 

 flag and which carry no more than six pas- 

 sengers fall under the Motor Boat Act of 

 1971 and must comply with "RuZes and Reg- 

 ulations for Uninspected Vessels," subchap- 

 ter 6, CG-258. This act requires that the 

 submersible have running lights, a fire ex- 

 tinguisher and life preservers for each per- 

 son aboard, and that it display its state 

 registration number (personal communica- 

 tion, CDR Charles B. Glass, USCG). 



In the case of the following submersibles 

 the regulations governing surface ships 

 again apply, but are more stringent and com- 

 plex by requiring that the submersible 

 owner show the vehicle to have been built 

 following good engineering practices: 



a. Submersibles not more than 65 feet in 

 length and under 100 gross tons carrying 

 more than six passengers; 



b. Submersibles more than 65 feet in 

 length and over 15 gross tons carrying pas- 

 sengers for hire; 



c. Submersibles more than 15 gross tons 

 carrying freight for hire; 



646 



