46 CFR § 116.300 - Structural design.
Except as otherwise allowed by this subpart, a vessel must comply with the structural design requirements of one of the standards listed below for the hull material of the vessel.
(a) Steel hull vessels:
(1) Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Yachts and Small Craft, Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Lloyd's); or
(2) Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels Under 61 Meters (200 Feet) in Length, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS);
(b) Aluminum hull vessels:
(1) Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Yachts and Small Craft, Lloyd's; or
(i) For a vessel of more than 30.5 meters (100 feet) in length—Rules for Building and Classing Aluminum Vessels, ABS; or
(ii) For a vessel of not more than 30.5 meters (100 feet) in length—Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels Under 61 Meters (200 Feet) in Length, ABS, with the appropriate conversions from the ABS Rules for Building and Classing Aluminum Vessels; or
(2) ABS Guide for High Speed Craft.
(c) Steel hull vessels operating in protected waters—Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels for Service on Rivers and Intracoastal Waterways, ABS.