UK Ship Register reposted this
As a result of consultation from Monday 5 August, Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) under 2.5 metres in overall length are now exempt from certification. The exemption comes as a result of feedback provided via consultation and forms part of our commitment to prioritise work specifically supporting the smallest MASS. This is the first step in a package of work to provide support to the small MASS sector (also known as MiniMASS). A further stage will determine a pathway for MiniMASS above 2.5 metres in overall length. A Marine Guidance Notice (MGN) has been published outlining an exemption to Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) of less than 2.5 metres in length overall. You can read MGN 702 (M) with further information on GOV.UK: https://lnkd.in/ez5_ujXW
Dariusz Goździk
1mo
The exemption makes reference to “United Kingdom waters” but does not appear to provide a definition of them. Is the term as used in the exemption intended to carry the same meaning as in the Territorial Sea Act 1987 and the Merchant Shipping Act 1995?
Very helpful! Sharing
General Manager at THURN Group
1moThis is a very sensible decision and will help a lot with our work at THURN Group developing, integrating and demonstrating 1.1m and 1.6m long USVs for hydrographic mapping, side-scan imaging, sub-bottom profiling and other in-water measurements and sampling. Although on closer reading some of it will need tweaking to reflect the realities of what people already do with these so-called mini- (but still very capable fully-functioning engineering-grade) USVs. Examples: " (e) The vessel is not permitted to tow another vessel or object;" So no towed side-scans or magnetometers, no shallow seismic soft receive arrays, no dangling hydrophones for passive acoustics, and no underway profiling SVs "(f) The vessel is not permitted to be fitted with a lifting device;" No SV or CTD dips using winches, no raiseable transducer heads (so no fast-transit), no water sampling from a lowerable hose The regulators are doing their best to reflect technological reality; of course regulations will never quite catch up, but this is a very good effort.