Merchant marine inspection is one of the Coast Guard's major responsibilities. 



Marine safety 

 is a 



responsibility 



Marine safety is one of the Coast 

 Guard's major peacetime responsibilities. 

 Through its Merchant Marine Safety pro- 

 gram, the Coast Guard makes its contribu- 

 tion toward safety for American vessels 



and the persons they carry. Believing that 

 "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound 

 of cure," the Coast Guard enforces many 

 Federal laws relating to the safety of ves- 

 sels and carries out periodic inspections to 

 see that they are observed. 



Inspection and certification 



The story of Government inspection and 

 certification of powered vessels goes back 

 more than a century to the days of the 

 country's first steamboats. In later years 

 this function was carried out by the Bureau 

 of Marine Inspection and Navigation of 



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