N.Y. Nav. Law § 13

§ 13. Inspector; duties. The inspector shall annually, and at such\nother times as they shall deem it expedient, or as the commissioner may\ndirect, inspect every public vessel, except vessels which navigate on\nwaters over which the United States exercises active control. The\ninspector shall also annually, and at such other times the inspector\ndeems expedient or as the commissioner may direct, inspect any vessel\noperated on privately or publicly owned underground non-navigable\nwaterways with no navigable inlet or outlet that carry passengers for\ncompensation, either received directly or where provided as an\naccommodation, advantage, facility or privilege at any place of public\naccommodation, resort or amusement. The inspector shall carefully\nexamine the hull, the propelling and auxiliary machinery, the electrical\napparatus and the vessel's equipment. They shall require such changes,\nrepairs and improvements to be made as deemed expedient for the\ncontemplated route. No vessel, or propelling machinery thereof shall be\nallowed to be used if constructed in whole, or in part, of defective\nmaterial, or which because of its form, design, workmanship, age, use or\nfor any other reason is unsafe. The inspector shall also fix the number\nof passengers that may be transported. The inspector shall require that\nthe boilers, on all public vessels which are propelled by steam engines,\nbe inspected and approved for safety of operations by inspectors of the\nNew York State Department of Labor, Bureau of Boilers. Every boiler and\nappurtenances thereof shall be constructed, maintained and operated in\naccordance with the Department of Labor rules and regulations pertaining\nto boilers. The inspector shall also, whenever they deem it expedient,\nvisit any vessel licensed under this chapter and examine into its\ncondition for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not any party\nthereon, having a certificate, or license, from the inspector, has\nconformed to and obeyed the conditions of such certificate, and the\nprovisions of this chapter. The owner, master, pilot, engineer or joint\npilot and engineer of such vessel, shall answer all reasonable questions\nand give all the information in their power in regard to said vessel, or\nits machinery or equipment and the manner of managing the same. The\ninspector provided for in this chapter is authorized to make further\nrules and regulations applying generally to all vessels, or especially\nto one or more of them. The inspector shall, as far as practicable, be\ngoverned by the general rules and regulations prescribed by the United\nStates coast guard. To the extent applicable as determined by the\ninspector exercising their duties under this section, part two of\narticle four of this chapter shall apply to vessels operated on\nprivately or publicly owned underground non-navigable waterways with no\nnavigable inlet or outlet that carry passengers for compensation, either\nreceived directly or where provided as an accommodation, advantage,\nfacility or privilege at any place of public accommodation, resort or\namusement.\n