About the Ship Operations and Safety Committee

The Ship Ops and Safety Committee of Tall Ships America is responsible for duties including (but not limited to) the following:

  • Development and recommendations to the Board of Directors guidelines for safety in design, construction and operation of sailing vessels
  • Advocate for sail training industry with regulatory agencies especially in relation to the interpretation of safety standards and regulations for sailing craft
  • Institution of appropriate forums for regular communication and dialogue among Tall Ships America member vessel owners, operators and other and shipboard personnel
  • Research and recommendation of services to be facilitated by Tall Ships America, for the development of professional crew
  • Institutionalization and support of the International Safety Forum

Seeking Guidance

The Ship Operations and Safety Committee is committed to providing guidance to members whenever possible.
For assistance, please reach out to ShipOps@tallshipsamerica.org and a member of the committee will respond as soon as possible.

For USCG Questions, please contact:
Traveling Inspection Staff (CG-5P-TI)
Mr. Travis G. Taylor (bio)
(757) 303-6366
Travis.G.Taylor@uscg.mil

Guidelines & Guides

Marine Casualty Reports of Investigation, Reports of Marine Boards & Other Marine Safety Reports and Studies The U.S. Coast Guard prepares and publishes reports of investigation in accordance with Federal statute and regulation. These reports publish the findings of fact, results of analysis, conclusions, and recommendations of the Coast Guard’s investigation of marine casualties, outer continental shelf (OCS) casualties, and commercial diving casualties. Below are narrative versions of reports of investigations that are provided for public access. The Coast Guard also provides access to Incident Investigation Report versions of these and other investigations into marine casualties required by Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Subpart 4.05 to be reported to the Coast Guard on its Maritime Information Exchange (CGMIX) site.

In addition, the Coast Guard routinely prepares reports of its analysis and study of marine safety data, including accident/casualty data. These reports provide information to Coast Guard leadership, other Federal agencies, maritime community stakeholders, and the general public in support of the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Mission.

The U.S. Coast Guard sends out monthly notifications of Reports of Investigation that have been published the previous month. To subscribe to receive these notifications please click the following link to submit a request: Subscribe

Regulations of U.S. Sailing Vessels

Virtually all vessels are subject to regulations enacted by the national maritime authority of the country in which they are registered — their flag state. In the United States, these regulations are written and enforced by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), pursuant to laws enacted by Congress. Under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, administered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), vessels of any nation signatory to the convention and over a certain size, or carrying more than 12 passengers and operating internationally, also must comply with the requirements of the Convention with regard to construction, safety equipment, manning, crew training, etc. Compliance is documented in a “SOLAS Certificate” issued by the ship’s national maritime authority.

For each category of inspected vessel, there is a comprehensive set of regulatory requirements governing construction and arrangement, watertight integrity and stability, lifesaving and firefighting equipment, machinery and electrical systems, vessel control and equipment and operations.

With the exception of Uninspected Vessels, all categories of U.S.-registered vessels are subject to Coast Guard inspection on an annual basis and at regular intervals when hauled at drydock. Upon satisfactory completion of the inspection, a Certificate of Inspection (COI) is issued, and must be permanently displayed on board the vessel. The COI spells out what waters the vessel may operate on (its authorized route), how many total persons may be carried aboard (passengers or sailing school students in addition to the crew), the requirement for and location of lifesaving and firefighting equipment, when the next drydock exam is required and so forth. The type of COI to be issued to inspected vessels is determined by both the size and construction of the vessel and the operating intentions of the operator. Some vessels carry dual certification (for example: Small Passenger Vessel and Sailing School Vessel).

The Coast Guard issued COI is also where the minimum manning or crew complement is listed. Qualifications for officers and crew are determined by the size, complexity of sailing rig and route of the vessel. Merchant Mariner Credentials (licenses) are earned through a combination of documented time at sea, academic coursework and comprehensive examination.

Tall Ships America’s U.S.-registered vessels generally fall into one of the following categories (defined in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 46):

An SSV is a vessel of less than 500 gross tons, carrying six or more sailing school students or instructors, principally propelled by sail, and operated by a nonprofit educational organization exclusively for the purpose of sailing instruction. The SSV regulations take into account that the participants are not passengers but instead will be involved in educational activities or in the operation of the vessel. SSVs are required to meet full certification criteria with regard to the vessel’s design, construction, layout, stability and systems, and are subject to regular USCG inspection of the ship, all onboard equipment, and operations. Licensed captains are required, and minimum crew requirements are specified by the USCG. Routes and service areas are specified.

UPVs are not required to be inspected by the Coast Guard but they must comply with minimal federal standards for safety, navigation and pollution prevention. These vessels are minimally manned by a licensed captain; however, additional credentialed mariners are only required for the largest sized vessels.

  • UPVs under 100 gross tons are allowed to carry up to six passengers.
  • UPVs of 100 gross tons or greater are allowed to carry up to 12 passengers.
  • UPVs of 200 gross tons or greater are allowed to carry up to 12 passengers. Crew are required to hold merchant mariner documents, 50 percent of which must be rated at least Able Seaman

Small passenger vessels regulated under Subchapter T are less than 100 gross tons and carry more than six, but not more than 150, passengers or have overnight accommodations for 49 or fewer passengers. SPVs are required to meet full certification criteria with regard to the vessel’s design, construction, layout, stability, and systems, and are subject to regular USCG inspection of the ship, all onboard equipment, and operations. Licensed Captains are required, and minimum crew requirements are specified by the USCG. Routes and service areas are specified

Attraction Vessels are put on public display or used as a platform for a public exhibit and carry passengers only while moored to a dock. By charging admission or accepting donations or other valuable consideration, Attraction Vessels are subject to U.S. inspection laws as passenger or small passenger vessels and an Attraction Vessel COI is required whenever a vessel is open to public boarding or conducts dockside programs. The vessel may or may not be concurrently certified for underway passenger operation under one or more of the above sub-chapters, but the Attraction Vessel COI certifies its safety for dockside programs and visitation only.

For more information about U.S. regulations, contact the United States Coast Guard or the Government Printing Office for the above listed sections of the Code of Federal Regulations. For inspection criteria pertaining to non-U.S. flag vessels, contact the vessel’s home office for guidance to their national authorities.