46 C.F.R. § 154.32 – Equivalents.

(a) A vessel that fails to meet the standards in this part for an endorsement on a Certificate of Inspection or a Certificate of Compliance may meet an alternate standard if the Commandant (CG-ENG) finds that the alternate standard provides an equivalent or greater level of protection for the purpose of safety.
(b) The Commandant (CG-ENG) considers issuance of a finding of equivalence to the standard required by this part if the person requesting the finding submits a written application to the Commandant (CG-ENG) that includes—
1. (1) A detailed explanation of the vessel's characteristics that do not meet the requirements in this part; and
2. (2) An explanation of how each substituted standard would enable the vessel to meet a level of safety that would be equivalent to or greater than the standard in this part.
(c) Operational methods or procedures may not be substituted for a particular fitting, material, appliance, apparatus, item, or type of equipment required in this part.