Section 1-3: Title, Application, Interpretations

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Recognizing that special risks of ice damage may occur in certain waters off the East Coast of Canada and that these risks can endanger safety of life at sea, the following Standards have been adopted by the Board of Steamship Inspection pursuant to paragraph 370(2)(a) of the Canada Shipping Act.

1. Title

These Standards shall be known as the "INTERIM STANDARDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT AND OPERATION OF PASSENGER SHIPS IN SEA ICE AREAS OF EASTERN CANADA".

2. Application

2.1 Subject to sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 the standards shall apply to all passenger ships that are;

  1. registered in Canada or
  2. engaged in the coasting trade of Canada

when operating within economic zones of eastern Canada.

2.1.1 Subject to sections 2.1.3 and 2.1.4 all ships when operating in the economic zones of eastern Canada shall comply with section 12 of the Standards.

2.1.2 Subject to sections 2.1.3 and 2.1.4 all ships when operating in the sea ice areas of eastern Canada shall comply with sections 6 to 11 of the standards.

2.1.3 Existing ships over 40 m in length shall comply with the standards as far as is reasonable and practicable. Such vessels will be subject to special consideration by the Board.

2.1.4 New and existing ships not over 40 m in length will be specially considered by the Board. However, the spirit of the standards shall be maintained as far as is reasonable and practicable.

2.2 Exemptions and Equivalents

2.2.1 Notwithstanding anything in these Standards the Board may, if satisfied that it can with propriety do so, exempt any ship from full compliance with any of the requirements of these Standards:

2.2.2 Nothing in these standards shall be construed as interpreting or detracting from existing statutory or regulatory requirements.

2.2.3 Where the standards require that a particular fitting, material, appliance, apparatus or item of equipment thereof shall be fitted to or carried on a ship, or that any particular provision shall be made or any procedure or arrangement shall be complied with, the Board may allow any other fitting, material, appliance, apparatus, item of equipment or type thereof to be fitted or carried, or any other procedure or arrangement to be made to the ship, if it is satisfied by trial thereof or otherwise that each fitting, material, appliance, apparatus, item of equipment or type thereof, or that any particular provision, procedure or arrangement is at least as effective as that required by the standards.

3. Interpretations

In the Standards

"accommodation space" includes

  1. passenger spaces,
  2. crew space,
  3. offices,
  4. pantries, and
  5. spaces similar to any of the foregoing not being service spaces or open spaces on deck;

"approved" means approved by the Board of Steamship Inspection;

"Board" means the Board of Steamship Inspection;

"breadth of the ship" means the greatest moulded breadth at or below the ship's deepest subdivision load water line;

"bulkhead deck" means the uppermost deck up to which transverse watertight bulkheads are carried;

"draught" means the vertical distance from the moulded base line amidships to a subdivision load water line;

"existing ship" means a ship that is not a new ship and that has previously operated successfully in the sea ice area of eastern Canada;

"ice covered waters" means waters covered by ice to such an extent as to require the ship to make extraordinary manoeuvres or to be assisted by an ice breaker;

"length" in respect of a ship means, the horizontal distance between perpendiculars erected at the extreme ends of the deepest subdivision load water line of the ship;

"margin line" means a line drawn at least 76 mm below the upper surface of the bulkhead deck at the side of a ship, and used for the purpose of determining the floodable length of the ship;

"new ship" means

  1. a passenger ship, the construction of which is commenced on or after 1st January, 1989
  2. a non-passenger ship, which is converted to a passenger ship on or after 1st January, 1989
  3. a passenger ship, that was a non-Canadian ship and is registered in Canada, on or after 1st January, 1989
  4. a passenger ship, that is a non-Canadian ship which is engaged in the coasting trade of Canada, or
  5. a passenger ship that is registered in Canada and has operated in Canadian waters other than the sea ice areas of eastern Canada.

"passenger" means any person carried on a ship, but does not include

  1. the master or a member of the crew or a person employed or engaged in any capacity on board the ship on the business of that ship, or
  2. a child under one year of age;

"passenger ship" means a ship carrying more that twelve passengers;

"passenger space" means space provided for the use of passengers;

"ship" means a vessel of any description used in navigation that is propelled by machinery;

"deepest subdivision load waterline" means the waterline which corresponds to the greatest draught determined in accordance with the Full Construction Regulations;

"sea ice area subdivision waterline" means the waterline used in determining the subdivision of the ship in accordance with these Standards;

"watertight" in relation to a structure means the structure is capable of preventing the passage of water through it in any direction, under a head of water up to the ship's margin line;

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