Submitted by Lt. Jonathan Duffett, Naval Architecture Division, Office of Design & Engineering Standards

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, & Medicine (the National Academies) released a report titled “Revise and Update of U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Stability Regulations.” A PDF version is available, free of charge, from the National Academies Press.

In September 2017, the Coast Guard Office of Design and Engineering Standards asked the National Academies, through the Transportation Research Board Marine Board, to review Coast Guard regulations and policy documents that establish stability requirements for U.S. Flag vessels. The National Academies formed a committee whose members have expertise in naval architecture, vessel design, ship construction, regulation and inspection activity, safety standards development, and marine transportation and vessel operations. The committee met twice during a 5-month period and was briefed by and received written materials from multiple parties.

The committee’s findings and recommendations on options for improving the clarity, harmony, and accuracy of the Coast Guard’s vessel stability regulations are contained in the report, which was reviewed in draft form by a group of independent experts according to the policies and procedures approved by the National Academies.

The Office of Design and Engineering Standards offers great thanks to the National Academies’ staff, the study committee, and the independent reviewers for their efforts in completing this valuable report.

The committee will continue its work in a second report, expected to be completed in September 2019.

For any questions, please contact Lt. Jonathan Duffett at Jonathan.B.Duffett@uscg.mil or (202) 372-1022.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.