[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60496-60497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25996]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket Number: MARAD-2000-8061]


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 Challenge Business 
35.

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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 November 13, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to docket number MARAD-2000-8061. 
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., S.W., Washington, D.C. 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: Gordon Angell, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Maritime Administration, MAR-832 Room 7201, 400 Seventh 
Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202-366-5129.

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 
Sec. 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 Sec. 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: Challenge Business 35. Owner: Challenge Business International, 
Ltd.
    (2) Size, capacity and tonnage of vessel. According to the 
applicant: ``The yacht is 66.24' long, has a breadth of 17.32' and a 
depth of 8.6'. Under our Simplified Rules, (46 CFR Part 69), the yacht 
has a gross tonnage of 49.33 and a net tonnage of 44.40.''
    (3) Intended use for vessel, including geographic region of 
intended operation and trade. According to the applicant: ``The yacht 
will be used to generate interest in a race called the New World 
Challenge. In that race, ordinary people, from all walks of life, often 
with little or no sailing experience, will become members of the crew. 
They will sail on 10 newer, slightly larger boats that will depart from 
San Francisco and sail to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town, 
Buenos Aires, Cape Horn, and back to San Francisco. The interest, love 
and excitement of sailing such boats, in difficult conditions, over a 
period of approximately 10 months, will be supported by a number of 
corporate sponsors who expect to benefit from the team building aspect 
of the race and the publicity that the race will generate. In addition, 
a selected charity will receive approximately $1,000,000.00.'' ``This 
yacht will be based in Boston, Massachusetts, and may be sailed 
anywhere between Maine and Florida.''
    (4) Date and Place of construction and (if applicable) rebuilding. 
Date of construction: 1996. Place of construction: United Kingdom.
    (5) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on other 
commercial passenger vessel operators. According to the applicant: 
``This activity will have absolutely no impact on any existing 
commercial passenger operation. The yacht we propose to use has been 
sailed in another race organized by Challenge Business. This yacht is 
very similar in size, design, living accommodations, communications 
capability, sail area, equipment, handling characteristics, etc. to the 
10 boats that will be competing in the race. Thus, it is the most 
representative, ``experienced'', boat that could be used for the 
intended purposes. No existing commercially operated yacht can 
duplicate the feel, characteristics and overall experience of sailing 
in the New World Challenge race.''
    (6) A statement on the impact this waiver will have on U.S. 
shipyards. According to the applicant: ``Similarly, the proposed 
activity will have absolutely no impact on U.S. shipyards. This yacht 
is uniquely valuable in that it has been raced under similar 
conditions, in a similar race while manned by individuals who had 
little, if any, sailing experience before sailing aboard such a yacht. 
This yacht most accurately represents the look, feel and impact that 
the 10 yachts in the race will have on the sailors, media, press, 
sponsors and supporters. Given its historical connection to a similar 
race, no newly built U.S. yacht could preform (sic) the same role. 
Further, we are not aware of any similar yachts currently under 
construction in the U.S.''

    Dated: October 4, 2000.
    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-25996 Filed 10-10-00; 8:45 am]
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