This specification covers the design and manufacture of international shore connections to be used with marine fire fighting systems during an emergency when a stricken ship has a system failure. International shore connections are portable universal couplings that permit connection of shipboard firemain systems between one ship and another or between a shore facility and a ship when their respective system threading is mismatched. Both the ship and the facility are expected to have a fitting such that in an emergency can be attached to their respective fire hose and bolted together to permit charging the ship's system. It must be portable to accommodate hose to hose connection and allow assistance from any position. The international shore connection is required by international treaty<(hoch), > to be carried onboard all passenger and cargo vessels of 500 gross tons or more, regardless of firemain size, engaged in international voyages, and is recommended for all vessels that would be expected to render assistance. It is also intended to be provided at shore facilities that would be used to supply water to a ship's firemain system. Fabrication either on board a vessel, in a shipyard, or other shore facility is not precluded by this specification. The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.