Maritime Policy Improvement Act of 2001

Maritime Policy Improvement Act of 2001 - Amends the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for employment in the coastwise trade to a specified vessel.

(Sec. 4) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to the American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial Committee, Inc., to construct an addition to the American Merchant Marine Memorial Wall of Honor located at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in San Pedro, California. Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 5) States that the discharge from a vessel of any agricultural cargo residue material in the form of hold washings shall be governed exclusively by the provisions of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships that implement Annex V to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.

(Sec. 6) Revises the method for recording and discharging certain maritime liens.

(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe a tonnage measurement as a small passenger vessel for a named vessel for purposes of applying the optional regulatory measurement.

(Sec. 8) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to issue a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for employment in the coastwise trade to twenty specified vessels.

(Sec. 9) Authorizes exempting two specified vessels from certain inspection requirements for passenger vessels so long as the vessels are owned by nonprofit organizations and operated as nonprofit memorials to merchant mariners.

(Sec. 10) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to issue a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for employment in the coastwise trade to three specified vessels.

(Sec. 11) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to issue a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for employment in the coastwise trade to a specified vessel, under specified circumstances.

(Sec. 12) Permits, for a limited period of time, the 10 sailboats participating in the New World Challenge Race to transport guests, who have not contributed consideration for their passage, from and around the ports of San Francisco and San Diego, California, before and during stops of that race.

(Sec. 13) Permits a specified vessel to be transferred to or placed under a foreign registry or sold to a person that is not a U.S. citizen and transferred to or placed under a foreign registry.