PART XXXIV.-RULES TO PREVENT COLLISIONS. 367. Duty to stay by. 368. Motor boat law. 369. International rules of 1897. Sept. 4, 1890. Sec. 2. 367. Duty to stay by. 374. Rules for the Red River of the North, and rivers emptying into Gulf of Mexico, and their tributaries. 375. River navigation. 376. Rules for the St. Marys River. 377. Regattas and marine parades. In every case of collision between two vessels it shall be the duty of the master or person in charge of each vessel, if and so far as he can do so without serious danger to his own vessel, crew, and passengers (if any), to stay by the other vessel until he has ascertained that she has no need of further assistance, and to render to the other vessel, her master, crew, and passengers (if any), such assistance as may be practicable and as may be necessary in order to save them from any danger caused by the collision, and also to give to the master or person in charge of the other vessel the name of his own vessel and her port of registry, or the port or place to which she belongs, and also the name of the ports and places from which and to which she is bound. If he fails so to do, and no reasonable cause for such failure is shown, the collision shall, in the absence of proof to the contrary, be deemed to have been caused by his wrongful act, neglect, or default. Every master or person in charge of a United States vessel who fails, without reasonable cause, to render such assistance or give such information as aforesaid shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be liable to a penalty of one thousand dollars, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; and for the above sum the vessel shall be liable and may be seized and proceeded against by process in any district court of the United States by any person; one-half such sum to be payable to the informer and the other half to the United States. 368. Motor boat law. The words "motor boat” where used in this Act shall June 9, 1910. include every vessel propelled by machinery and not more than sixty-five feet in length except tug boats and tow boats propelled by steam. The length shall be measured from end to end over the deck, excluding sheer: Provided, That the engine, boiler, or other operating machinery shall be subject to inspection by the local inspectors of steam vessels, and to their approval of the design thereof, on all said motor boats, which are more than forty feet in length, and which are propelled by machinery driven by steam. Motor boats subject to the provisions of this Act shall Sec. 2. be divided into closses as follows: Class one. Less than twenty-six feet in length. Class two. Twenty-six feet or over and less than forty feet in length. Class three. Forty feet or over and not more than sixty-five feet in length. Every motor boat in all weathers from sunset to sun- Sec. 3. rise shall carry the following lights, and during such time no other lights which may be mistaken for those prescribed shall be exhibited. (a) Every motor boat of class one shall carry the following lights: First. A white light aft to show all around the horizon. Second. A combined lantern in the fore part of the vessel and lower than the white light aft showing green to starboard and red to port, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on their respective sides. (b) Every motor boat of classes two and three shall carry the following lights: First. A bright white light in the fore part of the vessel as near the stem as practicable, so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light ten points on each side of the vessel, namely, from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side. The glass or lens shall be of not less than the following dimensions: Class two. Nineteen square inches. Class three. Thirty-one square inches. Second. A white light aft to show all around the horizon. 92075-15--23 Sec. 4. Sec. 5. Third. On the starboard side a green light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the starboard side. On the port side a red light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side. The glasses or lenses in the said side lights shall be of not less than the following dimensions on motor boats of— Class two. Sixteen square inches. Class three. Twenty-five square inches. On and after July first, nineteen hundred and eleven, all glasses or lenses prescribed by paragraph (b) of section three shall be fresnal or fluted. The said lights shall be fitted with inboard screens of sufficient height and so set as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow and shall be of not less than the following dimensions on motor boats of— Class two. Eighteen inches long. Class three. Twenty-four inches long: Provided, That motor boats as defined in this Act, when propelled by sail and machinery or under sail alone, shall carry the colored lights suitably screened but not the white lights prescribed by this section. (a) Every motor boat under the provisions of this Act shall be provided with a whistle or other sound-producing mechanical appliance capable of producing a blast of two seconds or more in duration, and in the case of such boats so provided a blast of at least two seconds shall be deemed a prolonged blast within the meaning of the law. (b) Every motor boat of class two or three shall carry an efficient fog horn. (c) Every motor boat of class two or three shall be provided with an efficient bell, which shall be not less than eight inches across the mouth on board of vessels of class three. Every motor boat subject to any of the provisions of this Act, and also all vessels propelled by inachinery other than by steam more than sixty-five feet in length, shall carry either life-preservers or life belts, or buoyant cushions, or ring buoys or other device, to be prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce, sufficient to sustain afloat every person on board and so placed as to be readily accessible. All motor boats carrying passengers for hire shall carry one life-preserver of the sort prescribed by the regulations of the board of supervising inspectors for every passenger carried, and no such boat while so carrying passengers for hire shall be operated or navigated except in charge of a person duly licensed for such service by the local board of inspectors. No examination shall be required as the condition of obtaining such a license, and any such licensee shall be revoked or suspended by the local board of inspectors for misconduct, gross negligence, recklessness in navigation, intemperance, or violation of law on the part of the holder, and if revoked the person holding such license shall be incapable of obtaining another such license for one year from the date of revocation: Provided, That motor boats shall not be required to carry licensed officers, except as required in this Act. Every motor boat and also every vessel propelled by Sec. 6. machinery other than by steam, more than sixty-five feet in length, shall carry ready for immediate use the means of promptly and effectually extinguishing burning gasoline. A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars may be im- Sec. 7. posed for any violation of this Act. The motor boat shall be liable for the said penalty and may be seized and proceeded against, by way of libel, in the district court of the United States for any district within which such vessel may be found. The Secretary of Commerce shall make such regula- Sec. 8. tions as may be necessary to secure the proper execution of this Act by collectors of customs and other officers of the Government. And the Secretary of the Department of Commerce may, upon application therefor, remit or mitigate any fine, penalty, or forfeiture relating to motor boats except for failure to observe the provisions of section six of this Act. All laws and parts of laws only in so far as they are sec. 9. in conflict herewith are hereby repealed: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall be deemed to alter or amend Acts of Congress embodying or revising international rules for preventing collisions at sea. 369. International rules of 1897. The following regulations for preventing collisions at Aug. 19, 1890. sea shall be followed by all public and private vessels of the United States upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith, navigable by sea-going vessels. International rules. PRELIMINARY DEFINITIONS. In the following rules every steam vessel which is under sail and not under steam is to be considered a sailingvessel, and every vessel under steam, whether under sail or not, is to be considered a steam-vessel. The word "steam-vessel" shall include any vessel propelled by machinery. A vessel is "under way" within the meaning of these rules when she is not at anchor, or made fast to the shore, or aground. II.-LIGHTS AND SO FORTH. The word "visible" in these rules when applied to lights shall mean visible on a dark night with a clear atmosphere. ARTICLE 1. The rules concerning lights shall be complied with in all weathers from sunset to sunrise, and during such time no other lights which may be mistaken for the prescribed lights shall be exhibited. STEAM VESSELS-MASTHEAD LIGHT. ART. 2. A steam-vessel when under way shall carry(a) On or in front of the foremast, or if a vessel without a foremast, then in the fore part of the vessel, at a height above the hull of not less than twenty feet, and if the breadth of the vessel exceeds twenty feet, then at a height above the hull not less than such breadth, so, however, that the light need not be carried at a greater height above the hull than forty feet, a bright white light, so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light ten points on each side of the vessel, namely, from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side and of such a character as to be visible at a distance of at least five miles. STEAM VESSELS-SIDE LIGHTS. (b) On the starboard side a green light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the starboard side, and of such a character as to be visible at a distance of at least two miles. (c) On the port side a red light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side, and of such a character as to be visible at a distance of at least two miles. |