The International Conventions ratified in respect of conventional
ships and the regulations applied as a consequence of such Conventions
have largely been developed having in mind the manner in which ships
are constructed and operated. Traditionally, ships have been built
of steel and have been expected to operate on a world-wide basis with
a minimum of operational controls. The requirements for passenger
ships engaged on long international voyages are therefore framed in
such a way that, providing the ship is presented for survey and a
Passenger Ship Safety Certificate is issued, the ship may go anywhere
in the world without any operational restrictions being imposed. Providing
the ship is not involved in a casualty, all that is needed is that
it is made available to the Administration for the purpose of a satisfactory
re-survey before the Passenger Ship Safety Certificate expires and
the certificate will be re-issued.
The traditional method of regulating passenger ships should
not be accepted as being the only possible way of providing an appropriate
level of safety. Nor should it be assumed that another approach, using
different criteria, could not be applied. Over a period of some 30
years, new designs of marine vehicles, some of which are amphibious,
have been developed, and while these cannot fully comply with the
provisions of the international conventions relating to passenger
ships, they have demonstrated an ability to operate at an acceptable
level of safety when engaged on restricted voyages under restricted
operational weather conditions and with approved maintenance and supervision
schedules.
This Code has been prepared in order that the research and
development of dynamically supported craft may be facilitated and
in order that they may be accepted internationally. Such craft could
take a number of forms, but are essentially within the spectrum which
exists between ships and aircraft, for both of which regulations presently
apply. The essential elements within the Code should permit any new
type of such craft to be considered by an Administration and their
application should produce an acceptable level of safety.
The Code takes into account dynamically supported craft
essentially engaged in high-speed, high-passenger-density operations
and sets out minimum requirements for craft carrying up to 300 passengers
and operating within a distance of 100 nautical miles from a place
of refuge. At the time the Code was being developed and reviewed this
number represented the scope of substantial experience. Present technology
indicates that the Code as formulated may be applied to designs carrying
up to a maximum of 450 passengers without additional requirements.
Should craft carrying more passengers or operating further from a
place of refuge be envisaged, the Administration should consider what
additional requirements or variations in the Code are required. Additional
attention to life-saving appliances, evacuation arrangements, fire
protection and extinguishing arrangements and the duplication of radiocommunication
facilities might be required.
The Code could be extended to craft of similar technical
concept but adapted to cargo operations, accommodation of passengers
in sleeping berths, etc.; this might require additional provisions
applicable only to such cases.
The Code has been developed as a unified document on the
principle that an equivalent level of safety to that normally expected
on ships complying with the International Convention for the Safety
of Life at Sea can be achieved in dynamically supported craft of differing
design and constructional arrangements, providing all aspects of the
construction, operation, maintenance and supervision are specified
by the Administration and appropriate restrictions are placed on the
length of the service, the sea state suitable for operation taking
into account the communication facilities and the rapid availability
of rescue craft.
It has therefore been based on the premise that:
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(a) the distance covered and the worst sea state
for which operations will be permitted will be restricted;
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(b) there will at all times be reasonable proximity
to a place of refuge;
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(c) adequate provision will be made for communication
so that any accident to the craft will be quickly known to the base
port;
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(d) facilities are provided for rapid evacuation
into suitable survival craft;
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(e) rescue services will be rapidly available
throughout the voyage;
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(f) reliable weather forecast for the area concerned
will be available;
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(g) acceptable maintenance and inspection facilities
together with adequate control arrangements are available;
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(h) strict control over operations will be enforced;
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(i) all passengers are provided with a seat and
that no sleeping berths are provided.
Where any of the above do not apply, the Administration
should consider whether equivalent safety can be achieved in another
way.
It is important that an Administration, in considering the
suitability of a dynamically supported craft under this Code, should
apply all sections of the Code because non-compliance with any part
could result in an imbalance which would adversely affect the safety
of passengers and crew. For a similar reason, modifications to existing
craft which may have an effect on safety, should be approved by the
Administration.
In deriving the Code it has been considered desirable to
ensure that such craft do not impose unreasonable demands on existing
users of the environment or suffer unnecessarily through lack of reasonable
accommodation by existing users. Whatever burden of compatibility
there is should not necessarily be laid wholly on the dynamically
supported craft, and in considering amphibious vehicles, Administrations
should take appropriate cognisance of their amphibious capabilities.