By March 1, 2001, G-MOC will:
・ evaluate vessel owner feedback;
・ conduct final vessel quality checks;
・ publish the list of Qualship 21 vessels on the headquarters Port State Control internet web page (which will be updated monthly);
・ enter VPI notices on each Qualship 21 MSIS file (which will provide guidance on the examination policy for that vessel); and
・ mail Qualship 21 Certificates to vessel owners.
How will the COTP know when a ship is a Qualship 21 vessel?
G-MOC (GMVI port code) personnel will enter a Vessel of Particular Interest (VPI) notice in the vessel's MSIS file. Basic examination and notification guidance will be provided in the notice.
How should a Qualship 21 vessel be screened by the Port State Control matrix?
All vessels will continue to be screened for boarding priorities. Qualship 21 vessels will not be assigned additional points for ship type (column IV), nor will they be assigned additional points for lack of a boarding within the previous 6 months (column III). All other overriding conditions in the targeting matrix should be considered, such as operational controls within 6 months, vessels alleged to have serious deficiencies that might render the vessel substandard, or vessels suspected of hazarding the port for other reasons (oil spill, casualties, etc...). The current descriptions of Priority I through IV vessels in the electronic version of the Marine Safety Manual, Volume II (Section D, Chapter 4.D.), will also be amended to account for Qualship 21 freight ships that will not require au annual examination. For those personnel that are not familiar with this manual, it is available at:
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nmc/pubs/msm/vol2.htm
Will the documents issued by the COTP to a foreign vessel change?
Yes, but not because of Qualship 21. The COTP issues 3 different Certificates to foreign-flagged vessels (46CFR2.01-6); CG4504, Control Verification for Foreign Vessel, for passenger vessels, CG-2832A, Letter of Compliance, for vessels carrying hazardous bulk cargoes, and CG-840S-1, Tank Vessel Examination Letter, for vessels carrying subchapter D cargoes. Foreign-flagged freight ships are not issued Certificates by the COTP, and this will not change. Beginning January 1, 2001, COTPs will issue a Certificate of Compliance (COC) to all foreign vessels that must have Certificates. Every COC will be valid for 2 years. This change in Certificates, including the validity period, will not change the exam intervals for passenger vessels and tank vessels. For more information about COCs, please refer to the electronic version of the Marine Safety Manual, Volume II.
