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River steam vessels; location of lights

RULE SIX. River steamers navigating waters flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, and their tributaries, shall carry the following lights, namely: One red light on the outboard side of the port smoke pipe, and one green light on the outboard side of the starboard smoke pipe. Such lights shall show both forward and abeam on their respective sides.

Range lights

RULE SEVEN. All coasting steam vessels, and steam vessels other than ferryboats and vessels otherwise expressly provided for, navigating the bays, lakes, rivers, or other inland waters of the United States, except those mentioned in rule six, shall carry the red and green lights, as prescribed for oceangoing steamers; and, in addition thereto, a central range of two white lights; the after light being carried at an elevation of at least fifteen feet above the light at the head of the vessel. The headlight shall be so constructed as to show a good light through twenty points of the compass, namely: from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side of the vessel; and the after light so as to show all around the horizon. The lights for ferryboats, barges, and canal boats when in tow of steam vessels, shall be regulated by such rules as the Board of Supervising Inspectors 2 of Steam Vessels shall prescribe.

Sail vessels

RULE EIGHT. Sail vessels, under way or being towed, shall carry the same lights as steam vessels under way, with the exception of the white masthead lights, which they shall never carry.

Small vessels

RULE NINE. Whenever, as in case of small vessels during bad weather, the green and red lights cannot be fixed, these lights shall be kept on deck, on their respective sides of the vessel, ready for instant exhibition, and shall, on the approach of or to other vessels, be exhibited on their respective sides in sufficient time to prevent collision, in such manner as to make them most visible, and so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. To make the use of these portable lights more certain and easy, they shall each be painted outside with the color of the light they respectively contain, and shall be provided with suitable screens.

Anchor lights

RULE TEN. All vessels, whether steam vessels or sail vessels, when at anchor in roadsteads or fairways, shall, between sunset and sunrise, exhibit where it can best be seen, but at a height not exceeding twenty feet above the hull, a white light in a globular lantern of

Under Executive Order 9083, dated February 28, 1942, all the functions of the Board of Supervising Inspectors are transferred to the Commandant of the U. S. Coast Guard.

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eight inches in diameter, and so constructed as to show a clear, form, and unbroken light, visible all around the horizon, and at a distance of at least one mile: Provided, That the Secretary of War may, after investigation, by rule, regulation, or order, designate such areas as he may deem proper as "special anchorage areas"; such special anchorage areas may from time to time be changed or abolished, if after investigation the Secretary of War_shall deem such change or abolition in the interest of navigation: Provided further, That vessels not more than sixty-five feet in length when at anchor in any such special anchorage area shall not be required to carry or exhibit the white light required by this article.

Pilot vessels

RULE ELEVEN. Sailing pilot vessels shall not carry the lights required for other sailing vessels, but shall carry a white light at the masthead, visible all around the horizon, and shall also exhibit a flare-up light every fifteen minutes.

Steam pilot boats shall, in addition to the masthead light and green and red side lights required for ocean steam vessels, carry a red light hung vertically from three to five feet above the foremast headlight, for the purpose of distinguishing such steam pilot boats from other steam vessels.

Miscellaneous craft

RULE TWELVE. Coal boats, trading boats, produce boats, canal boats, oyster boats, fishing boats, rafts, or other water craft navigating any bay, harbor, or river, by handpower, horsepower, sail, or by the current of the river, or which shall be anchored or moored in or near the channel or fairway of any bay, harbor, or river shall carry one or more good white lights, which shall be placed in such manner as shall be prescribed by the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steam Vessels.

Open boats

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RULE THIRTEEN. Open boats shall not be required to carry the side lights required for other vessels, but shall, if they do not carry such lights, carry a lantern having a green slide on one side and a red slide on the other side, and on the approach of or to other vessels such lantern shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision, and in such a manner that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. Open boats, when at anchor or stationary, shall exhibit a bright white light. They shall not, however, be prevented from using a flare-up in addition, if considered expedient.

Public vessels; exemptions

RULE FOURTEEN. The exhibition of any light on board of a vessel of war of the United States may be suspended whenever, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Navy, the commander in chief of a

2 See footnote on page 8.

squadron or the commander of a vessel acting singly, the special character of the service may require it. The exhibition of any light on board of a revenue cutter of the United States may be suspended whenever, in the opinion of the commander of the vessel, the special character of the service may require it.

FOG SIGNALS

RULE FIFTEEN. (a) Whenever there is a fog or thick weather, whether by day or night, fog signals shall be used as follows: Steam vessels under way shall sound a steam whistle placed before the funnel, not less than eight feet from the deck, at intervals of not more than one minute. Steam vessels, when towing, shall sound three blasts of quick succession, repeated at intervals of not more than one minute. (b) Sail vessels under way shall sound a foghorn at intervals of not more than one minute. (c) Steam vessels and sail vessels, when not under way, shall sound à bell at intervals of not more than two minutes.

(D) Coal boats, trading boats, produce boats, canal boats, oyster boats, fishing boats, rafts, or other water craft navigating any bay, harbor, or river, by handpower, horsepower, sail, or by the current of the river, or anchored or moored in or near the channel or fairway of any bay, harbor, or river, and not in any port, shall sound a foghorn, or equivalent signal, which shall make a sound equal to a steam whistle, at intervals of not more than two minutes.

STEERING AND SAILING RULES

Risk of collision

RULE SIXTEEN. Risk of collision can, when circumstances permit, be ascertained by carefully watching the compass bearing of an approaching vessel. If the bearing does not appreciably change such risk should be deemed to exist.

Sail vessels

RULE SEVENTEEN. When two sailing vessels are approaching one another, so as to involve risk of collision, one of them shall keep out of the way of the other, as follows, namely:

(a) A vessel which is running free shall keep out of the way of a vessel which is close-hauled.

(b) A vessel which is close-hauled on the port tack shall keep out of the way of a vessel which is close-hauled on the starboard tack.

(c) When both are running free, with the wind on different sides, the vessel which has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other.

(d) When both vessels are running free, with the wind on the same side, the vessel which is to the windward shall keep out of the way of the vessel which is to the leeward.

(e) A vessel which has the wind aft shall keep out of the way of the other vessel.

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Steam vessels

Meeting end on

RULE EIGHTEEN. If two vessels under steam are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other.

Crossing

RULE NINETEEN. If two vessels under steam are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way of the other.

Steam and sail vessels meeting

RULE TWENTY. If two vessels, one of which is a sail vessel and the other a steam vessel, are proceeding in such directions as to involve risk of collision, the steam vessel shall keep out of the way of the sail vessel.

Duty to slacken speed or stop

RULE TWENTY-ONE. Every steam vessel, when approaching another vessel, so as to involve risk of collision, shall slacken her speed, or, if necessary, stop and reverse; and every steam vessel shall, when in a fog, go at a moderate speed.

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RULE TWENTY-Two. Every vessel overtaking any other vessel shall keep out of the way of the last-mentioned vessel.

Privileged vessel

RULE TWENTY-THREE. Where, by rules seventeen, nineteen, twenty, and twenty-two, one of two vessels shall keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course, subject to the qualifications of rule twenty-four.

Departure from rules

RULE TWENTY-FOUR. In construing and obeying these rules, due regard must be had to all dangers of navigation, and to any special circumstances which may exist in any particular case rendering a departure from them necessary in order to avoid immediate danger.

Sail vessel stern light

RULE TWENTY-FIVE. A sail vessel which is being overtaken by another vessel during the night shall show from her stern to such last-mentioned vessel a torch or flare-up light.

Precautions

RULE TWENTY-SIX. Nothing in these rules shall exonerate any ship, or the owner, or master, or crew thereof, from the consequences of any

neglect to carry lights or signals, or of any neglect to keep a proper lookout, or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen or by the special circumstances of the case.

Order to helmsmen

RULE TWENTY-SEVEN. All orders to helmsmen shall be given as follows:

"Right Rudder" to mean "Direct the vessel's head to starboard." "Left Rudder" to mean "Direct the vessel's head to port."

Passing regulations

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SEO. 4412. The Board of Supervising Inspectors shall establish such regulations to be observed by all steam vessels in passing each other, as they shall from time to time deem necessary for safety; two printed copies of such regulations, signed by them, shall be furnished to each of such vessels and shall at all times be kept posted up in conspicuous places in such vessels.

Penalty

SEC. 4413. Every pilot, engineer, mate, or master of any steam vessel who neglects or willfully refuses to observe the regulations established in pursuance of the preceding section shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars and for all damages sustained by any passenger, in his person or baggage, by such neglect or refusal.

Safe navigation

SEC. 4487. On any steamers navigating rivers only, when from darkness, fog, or other cause the pilot or [on] watch shall be of opinion that the navigation is unsafe, or from accident to or derangement of the machinery of the boat the chief engineer shall be of the opinion that the further navigation of the vessel is unsafe, the vessel shall be brought to anchor or moored as soon as it can prudently be done: Provided, That if the person in command shall, after being so admonished by either of such officers, elect to pursue such voyage, he may do the same; but in such case both he and the owners of such steamer shall be answerable for all damages which shall arise to the person of any passenger or his baggage from such causes in so pursuing the voyage, and no degree of care or diligence shall in such case be held to justify or excuse the person in command or the owners.

AN ACT TO AMEND LAWS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS OF VESSELS, TO REGULATE THE EQUIPMENT OF CERTAIN MOTORBOATS ON THE NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Motorboat defined; inspection

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the word "mo

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