594 



diction of the United States from foreign ports; 



(2) make voyages between foreign ports (except 

 foreign vessels engaged In such voyages) ; or 



(3) depart from any port or place within the 

 Jurisdiction of the United States for a foreign port. 



(h) Excepted vessels. 

 This subchapter does not apply to — 



(1) ships of war; 



(2) pleasure craft not used In trade or com- 

 tnerce. 



(3) fishing vessels; 



(4) existing ships of le&, than one hundred and 

 fifty gross tons ; 



(5) new ships of less than seventy -nine feet in 

 length; 



(6) vessels which navigate exclusively on the 

 Great Lakes; or 



(7) vessels operating on shelter waters between 

 ports of the United States and neighboring coun- 

 tries as provided In any treaty of the United States. 



(e) Loadline vessels; surrender of loadline certificate; 

 removal of loadline marks. 

 A vessel which voluntarUy obtains loadllnes shaU 

 b» treated as a vessel subject to this subchapter 

 untn its loadline certificate Is surrendered and Its 

 loadline marks removed. 



(d) Treaties or conventions unaffected. 



This subchapter does not abrogate any provisions 

 of treaties or conventions In effect, which are not In 

 conflict with the International Convention on Load- 

 llnes, 1966, and to which the United States has 

 acceded. (Pub. L. 93-115, § 4. Oct. 1, 1973, 87 Stat. 

 418.) 



§ 86c. Determination of loadlines. 



(a) Minimum freeboard; criteria. 



The Secretary shall prescribe loadllnes, the mark- 

 ing thereof, and associated condition surveys for 

 vessels subject to this subchapter to indicate the 

 minimum freeboard to which each may be safely 

 loaded, giving due consideration to, and making 

 differentials for the service, type, and character of 

 each vessel, and in conformance with applicable 

 International treaties or conventions to which the 

 United States has acceded. 



(b) Marking and maintaining loadlines; issuance of 

 loadline certificate. 



Loadllnes shall be jjermanently and conspicuously 

 marked and maintained In the manner prescribed 

 by the Secretary. Upon completion of survey re- 

 quirements and a finding that the loadline 

 Is positioned and marked in the manner prescribed, 

 the Secretary shall issue a loadline certificate, to 

 the master or owner of the vessel, which shall be 

 carried on board the vessel. 



(c) Prescribed loadlines; minimum safe freeboard; 

 greater freeboard than minimum safe freeboard. 



A loadline shall not be established or marked 

 which. In the judgment of the Secretary, authorizes 

 less than the minimum safe freeboard. At the request 

 of the owner a loadline may be established or 

 marked to Indicate a greater freeboard than that 



which the Secretary determines Is the minimum safe 

 freeboard; any such loadline shall be the prescribed 

 loadline for purposes of section 86g of this title. 

 (Pub. L. 93-115, § 5, Oct. 1. 1973, 87 Stat. 418.) 



§ 86d. Survey or registry of shipping. 



(a) Appointments for determination of condition of 

 vessels and positioning and marking of loadlines; 

 issuance of loadline certificate. 



The Secretary shall appoint the American Bureau 

 of Shipping, or such other United States nonprofit 

 corporations or associations for the survey or registry 

 of shipping which he approves, to determine that 

 a vessel's condition is satisfactory and whether Its 

 loadline is positioned and marked In the manner 

 prescribed by the Secretary and thereupon to Issue 

 a loadline certificate. 



(b) Appointees. 



The Secretary may appoint for the purpose of 

 this section : 



( 1 ) any officer of the United States, or 



(2) at the request of the shipowner, any other 

 corporation or association for the survey or regis- 

 try of shipping which he approves. 



(c) Revocation of appointments. 



The Secretary may revoke an apr)ointment under 

 this section at any time. (Pub. L. 93-115, § 6, Oct. 1, 

 1973, 87 Stat. 419.) 



§ 86e. Exemptions; certificate of exemption: 



When a vessel subject to this subchapter Is shown 

 to be entitled to an exemption from the provisions 

 of this subchapter by an international agreement to 

 which the United States has acceded, a certificate of 

 exemption shall be issued to the vessel, and carried 

 in lieu of the certificate required by section 86c of 

 this title. (Pub. L. 93-115. § 7. Oct. 1, 1973. 87 Stat. 

 419.) 



§ 86f. Foreign vessels. 



(a) Compliance with subchapter by compliance with 

 loadlines and markings of foreign country and 

 issuance of foreign certificate; international 

 agreement for control of foreign vessels. 



When It Is found that the law and regulations In 

 force in a foreign country relating to loadllnes are 

 equally effective as this subchapter and the regula- 

 tions hereunder, or when a foreign country has 

 acceded to an international loadline agreement to 

 which the United States has acceded, the markings 

 and certificate thereof of a vessel of the country 

 shall be accepted as complying with the provisions 

 of this subchapter and regulations hereunder. The 

 control of such vessels shall be as provided in the 

 applicable International agreement. 



(b) Reciprocal loadline recognition. 



Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to 

 vessels of foreign rations which do not similarly 

 recognize the loadllnes prescribed under this sub- 

 chapter. (Pub. L. 93-115, 5 8, Oct. 1, 1973, 87 Stat. 

 419.) 



§86g. Loading restrictions, submerging loadlines or 

 loadline marks; recordation by masters of position 

 of loadline marks and actual drafts, 

 (a) No vessel subject to this subchapter may be 



