01-4992. Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws

AGENCY:

Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Invitation for public comments on a requested administrative waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws for the vessel Andante.

SUMMARY:

As authorized by Pub. L. 105-383, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a description of the proposed service, is listed below. Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines that in accordance with Pub. L. 105-383 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR part 388 (65 FR 6905; February 11, 2000) that the issuance of the waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels, a waiver will not be granted.

DATES:

Submit comments on or before April 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Comments should refer to docket number MARAD-2001-8982. Written comments may be submitted by hand or by mail to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, Department of Transportation, 400 7th St., SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. You may also send comments electronically via the Internet at http://dmses.dot.gov/​submit/​. All comments will become part of this docket and will be available for inspection and copying at the above address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. An electronic version of this document and all documents entered into this docket is available on the World Wide Web at http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kathleen Dunn, U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, MAR-832 Room 7201, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title V of Pub. L. 105-383 provides authority to the Secretary of Transportation to administratively waive the U.S.-build requirements of the Jones Act, and other statutes, for small commercial passenger vessels (no more than 12 passengers). This authority has been delegated to the Maritime Administration per 49 CFR 1.66, Delegations to the Maritime Administrator, as amended. By this notice, MARAD is publishing information on a vessel for which a request for a U.S.-build waiver has been received, and for which MARAD requests comments from interested parties. Comments should refer to the docket number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the commenter's interest in the waiver application, and address the waiver criteria given in § 388.4 of MARAD'S regulations at 46 CFR part 388.

Vessel Proposed for Waiver of the U.S.-Build Requirement

(1) Name of vessel and owner for which waiver is requested. Name of vessel: Andante. Owner: Jeffrey W. Lippitt and Jeannette L. Lippitt.

(2) Size, capacity and tonnage of vessel. According to the applicant: “Length 37.9 feet; Breadth 12.3 feet; Depth 6.0 feet; Gross Tonnage 13; Net Tonnage 12.”

(3) Intended use for vessel, including geographic region of intended operation and trade. According to the applicant: “The Vessel will be used part-time to provide sailboat rides, sailing vacations and sailing lessons to small groups of 12 passengers or less.

We are planning to dock the Vessel in Greenport, New York for the next two years and then we will be spending a year doing coastal cruising on the U.S. east coast and we would like to be able to generate income during that time to cover some of our expenses. In the future, we are planning to move the Vessel to Lake George, near our home.

East Coast of the United States from Maine to Florida

Lake George, New York.”

(4) Date and Place of construction and (if applicable) rebuilding. Date of construction: 1979. Place of construction: Republic of China.

(5) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on other commercial passenger vessel operators. According to the applicant: “We are aiming at the low volume, high-end market. Our primary means of advertising will be on the internet and word of mouth. We expect to draw a small amount of business from a wide geographic area, and therefore doubt that our operation will interfere with other business. We are both employed full-time in non-boating related jobs and we will continue in them.”

(6) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on U.S. shipyards. According to the applicant: “Our mission is to introduce people to the joys of sailing and to teach them the sailing and boating skills necessary to become responsible boat owners. I expect that some of these people will become interested in purchasing sailboats in the range of 18 to 30 feet. It would be speculative however, to project how many actual boat sales will result from our business.”

Dated: February 26, 2001.

By Order of the Maritime Administrator.

Joel C. Richard,

Secretary, Maritime Administration.