This Merchant Marine Safety Manual contains the instructions governing the Coast Guard administration of the laws, conventions, treaties, rules and regulations regarding merchant marine safety activities. The navigation and vessel inspection requirements pertaining to the merchant marine are complex, technical, and occasionally conflicting because these requirements were started over 100 years ago and no comprehensive redrafting of these laws has occurred since 1872. Very often the reasons for specific statutory requirements have been lost because no effort was made to place them in writing. Therefore, it has been necessary to make interpretations of certain requirements to reconcile conflicts arising with changing conditions and improvements in shipping.

This Manual has been prepared for the assistance and guidance of all persons assigned to merchant marine safety duties. These duties are based on requirements of law which should be considered as minimum acceptable standards. All Coast Guard personnel are enjoined to carry out at all times their duties uniformly, fairly, and with impartiality in dealing with the public and all others concerned in maritime safety.

The Merchant Marine Safety Manual dated December 1, 1948, as amended by Amendments Nos. 1 to 22, inclusive, is superseded by this Manual. All outstanding Merchant Marine Safety Memorandums and Merchant Marine Safety Instructions Nos. 1-55 to 11-55, inclusive, containing continuing instructions and specific amendments to the Merchant Marine Safety Manual are hereby superseded and will be canceled in the next issue of the Publications and Directives Index.

This Manual will be in effect on and after September 1, 1955, and will be kept current by a series of Merchant Marine Safety Manual Amendments which will be numbered serially. In addition Merchant Marine Safety Instructions may be issued containing specific changes in designated instructions. In order to facilitate checking of changes by amendments a control sheet for changes has been placed at the front of this Manual.

Copies of the Merchant Marine Safety Manual are for official use only and will not be distributed to the public. None of the instructions in this Manual contain information subject to security regulations.

The instructions in this Manual contain background information in certain instances in order to emphasize the necessity for certain requirements. The instructions in this Manual shall not be construed to amend or suspend any of the provisions of the navigation and vessel inspection laws or any of the rules and regulations

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published in either Chapter I, Title 33, or Chapter I, Title 46 of the Co Regulations. In any case of apparent conflict between the instructions in or subsequent amendments thereto and any law, rule, or regulation, the of the law, rule, or regulation shall be observed and the Commandant so that administrative action may be taken to change this Manual.