Coast Guard Issues First U.S. Build Ruling For Offshore Wind Support Vessels

On October 22 the U.S. Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center posted on its website an October 20, 2021 ruling regarding the U.S. construction of crew transfer vessels or CTVs. This is the first guidance issued on the construction of many offshore support vessels expected to be needed to construct and maintain thousands of power generating wind turbines intended to be installed eventually off all U.S. coasts.

To provide services to an offshore wind farm in U.S. waters, a CTV must be considered "built in the United States" as required by U.S. coastwise laws (commonly referred to as the "Jones Act"). For a vessel to be considered U.S. built, it must meet two basic tests - "all major components of its hull and superstructure" must be U.S. "fabricated;" and the vessel must be "assembled entirely in the United States."