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February, 1923 cation society has set the southerly limit of this class at Trinidad. The writer is unable to state upon what basis the limits of ‘this class were originally fixed, but from all appear- ances it would seem that in certain portions of the year.at least naviga- tion off shore in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sea would require as staunch a vessel as would be required in the open waters of the north. Atlantic. The fact that the class reads coastwise would indicate ‘that port-to-port navi- gation is in mind, both on the coasts of the American mainland and in the islands of the West Indies. Meaning of Coastwise Possibly, it is intended to depend upon the operators conforming to es- tablished custom with respects to the limits and methods of navigation al- lowed under this class since it seems apparent that’ conditions upon portions of the Mexican, Central American and South American coasts do not permit the port-to-port navigation of other coasts coming within the limits of the class. It is to be noted that some operators consider that the coastwise and West Indies. class permits them to strike out directly from northern United States ports to the easterly West Indies, or across the Gulf and the Caribbean sea. If it is intended to operate vessels in this manner in all seasons of the year, it is evident they should be constructed in accord with the rules governing unlimited service. Another type of service is that which falls within the limits of the great coastwise class. This usually permits of. coastwise service along both coasts of North and South America, including the West Indies. This seems 'to be based upon an in- surance rating but it is apparently somewhat difficult to determine from the classification society’s standpoint, how the limits of such a class should be governed. On the Pacific coast of North and South America a strict in- terpretation of port-to-port service is out of the question, since that coast is but sparsely provided with safe ports, widely separated. Quite fre- quently a vessel would have to re- main in the open sea and endure the severe buffetings of storms that would try a ship built for service in any part of the world. It also is to be noted that sailing vessels proceeding on the Pacific from South American to United States ports are frequently forced to stand away 1000 miles from land in order to pick up a wind favor- able to their undertaking. Risks, due to local navigational diff- MARINE REVIEW. culties, are the province of the under- writers, and do not come within the cognizance of the classification socie- ties. Due to local conditions, Torres Straights, the Bay of Fundy, the south coast ol Sumatra, the: Straits of Magellan, etc., are sometimes the sub- ject of special provisions and _pro- hibitions in the marine insurance pol- icy. The class issued by a _ society guarantees that a vessel may proceed anywhere within the general limits fixed by ‘the class as long as there is sufficient water to float her, but the responsibility of keeping her afloat lies entirely with her operators and navigators who protect themselves against conditions of this kind through insurance. Under present procedure the classification societies have no more to do with local conditions of temperature, submarine topography, or like matters, than they have with barratry, piracy, or the risks of war. All of ‘these risks come within the province of the underwriter, since the minute a vessel becomes lost or dam- aged through causes other than stress of weather she practically loses her class. Class covers only a vessel that is afloat and able to float satis-’ factorily. When she ceases to float or to navigate properly her class is lost, or remains in abeyance, until she is again able to function satis- factorily. Classed For Term of Years Most societies add to the designa- tion of class, equipment, machinery, and limits of service, a term of years. Thus a vessel may be classed *A1 for 12 years or *Al for 20 years. The sig- nificance of the term of years is so largely misunderstood. It is possible that a term of life of 100 years might be assigned a vessel and the vessel may be made to-last that long. At the end of that period ‘the vessel would have been many ‘times renewed whereas . her identity would not shave been lost. Hence, the significance of the term of years means nothing, unless fixed with respect to the vessel as original- ly constructed. What the society is supposed to do is ‘to guarantee that if a vessel is properly operated and maintained, the charges for mainte- nance during the period of years as- signed will not be excessive. The term of years ‘should be a function of the materials of which the vessel is composed as the economical life of the structure will depend upon the resistance of these materials to the progress of decay, corrosion, and similar factors. The old practice of assigning a larger term of years to the steel ship than to the wood ship 49 composed of durable woods was. based. upon a misapprehension. It was: probably feasible in the old days, and’ particularly with the wood ship, to properly set a term of years; but in: these later days any equable determina-: tion of a classification period is ex-. tremely difficult due to changes in materials, greater variability in de-: sign, more extensive and intensive. traffic, the great increase in the num-: ber of ttypes of cargo, and similar conditions, The classification society, in assign- ing a class, states that when last seen. the vessel was in a certain condition, generally first class; fully equipped; structurally capable of operating in: unlimited or a defined limited service; and if properly operated and main-. tained, able to continue to be struc-. turally capable of operating in the service at normal charges for main-. tenance. The class does not indicate that a vessel is economical in opera- tion, a comfortable sea boat, a fast or: steady voyager, or anything similar, as such points are the responsibility. of her designer. A classification society under pres- ent procedure does not concern itself with the ability of a vessel to traverse between two points on her fuel and water capacity if she is a full powered vessel. The A. M. S. or *A. M.S. or similar symbols do not generally guarantee that a vessel with a certain bunker or ‘tank capacity will carry enough fue] and water to enable her to make any voyage within the limits of her designated service. This is a function which devolves entirely upon a government department or the un- derwriter. This is consistent, in that so far as the society is concerned, bunker and tank space to carry the. vessel upon any voyage can be made available at the expense of cargo space. The society is not concerned with the economies’ of operation. <A society does, however, ordinarily take cognizance of the power of sailing vessels because if the sail power is much below the normal, a vessel may be‘ restricted to the limits ordinarily assigned barges. Sanitation Vital Problem The method of housing the crew is not a function of the classification society. It is evident, however, that from the istandpoint of risk, the com- fort and health of the crew are vital problems. Many a vessel has become a total loss through sickness or death among her crew. So far as the class- ification societies are concerned even sanitation is only made the subject of rules and rulings when it affects